Presenter- Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH Amchitka Project Director Consortium for Risk Assessment...
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Transcript of Presenter- Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH Amchitka Project Director Consortium for Risk Assessment...
Presenter- Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPHAmchitka Project DirectorConsortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP)
Scientific DirectorCenter for Healthy Environments and Communities
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
CRESP Amchitka Expedition:
A Model for Multi- and Interdisciplinary Research into Radionuclide Contamination of the Marine Environment
Paper Authors:
Conrad Volz, DrPH, MPH, Barry Friedlander, MD, MPH, Charles Powers, PhD, Joanna Burger, PhD, David Kosson, PhD, Michael Gochfeld, MD, PhD, David Barnes, PhD, Lisa Bliss, MLS, Larry Duffy, PhD, Stephen Jewett, PhD, Janet Horsch, MLS, MFA, Mark Johnson, PhD, Michael Stabin, PhD, CHP, Martyn Unsworth, PhD, and Vikram Vyas, PhD
Underground Nuclear Tests on Amchitka Island
Nuclear Tests on Amchitka Account for 16% of all United States Nuclear Test Explosion Energy.
• 1965—Long Shot 80 Kilotons
• 1969—Milrow 1 Megaton
• 1971—Cannikin 5-8 Megatons Largest USA underground test
Cannikin Lake
Freshwater lens
Intertidal/subtidal
Benthic
Deep water benthic
Leakage transport
Ocean surface
Amchitka Island Transport of Radionuclides to Marine Areas
Collapsed chimney
Saltwater layer
Test shot
Possiblechimney transport
Ocean surface
Location of Amchitka Island1200 km east of Petropavlovski-Kamchatskiy
KiskaIsland
800 km southeast of Komandorskiy Ostrova
Reasons for Concern
• Area Supports Robust Biological Productivity—Fishery for USA, Canada, Japan, Korea and Russia
• High Rate of Seismicity
• Movement of Islands
• Plate Tectonics
•Discharge of Radionuclides by Hydrogeological Processes
Expedition Purpose
1. Determine whether there is any current threat to human health and the environment from release into the Island's sea waters from nuclear tests shots at Amchitka.
2. Establish a baseline of biological and physical data that should aid in the development of a long-term stewardship plan.
University/Community-Based Participatory Research
Universities•University of Pittsburgh •Rutgers University •UMDNJ •University of Alaska, Fairbanks •University of Alberta
Stakeholders •Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Agency (Responsible Party)
•United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Landowner and Natural Resource Trustee)
•State of Alaska (State of Record, ADEC)
•Aleutian Pribilof Island Association (Subsistence and Lifestyle Protection)
Confounders of Study
• Russian Nuclear Waste and Nuclear Naval Reactor Disposal
• CS 137 Generator lost in Sea of Japan
• 14 Nuclear Submarines with Damaged Fuel Rods Scuttled in the Kara Sea
• Nuclear Icebreaker Lenin Scuttled in Artic Ocean
• Disposal/Leakage of Nuclear Waste from Production Facilities and Naval Yards on Kamchatka, specifically Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Physical Expedition June 6 to June 23
• Magnetotelluric Measurements (Land)
• Side Scan Sonar (Sea Bathymetry)• Multibeam Sonar (Sea Bathymetry)• Geographic Positioning Systems• Conductivity/Density/Temperature
Probe• Water and Sediment Sampling• Ambient and Wipe Sample
Radiation Analysis
Biological Collections June 23- July 22
Amchitka (Experimental Sites)
Cannikin Transects
Milrow Transects
Long Shot Transects
Kiska Island ( Reference Site)
Intertidal Alaria nana
Contaminants of Concern
Anthropogenic Actinides = Am-241, Pu-238, 239, 240, U-236
Bomb Detonation/Nuclear Power = Cs-137, Eu-152, Co-60, Sr-90, I-129, Tc-99.
Natural Actinides = U-234, 235 and 238
Low Sea Urchins, Limpets, Rock Jingle, Blue Mussel, Ulva, Rock Greenling, Alaria nana and fistulosa
High Black Rockfish, Tufted Puffin, Eagle, Pacific Cod, Halibut, Octopus, Sea Lion
Trophic Levels
Applications of the Supercourse to the Understanding and Control of Contamination from Legacy Cold War Military Production
- Forum for collaboration, teaching, distribution of data and information and alerts relative to cross-boundary issues of control of Cold War Legacy contamination.- Research into and multi-national publication of results from legacy nuclear waste sites both in the USA and Russia, including facilities, which pose a catastrophic potential to fishing grounds in the Kara Sea and Arctic Ocean.- Testing and publication of the suitability, reliability and sustainability of engineering and institutional controls at former Cold War nuclear production sites.
- The development of lectures regarding the Public Health dimensions of nuclear production in “new nuclear nations” such as Iran and North Korea and possible “weapons of mass destruction” that can result from nuclear proliferation.
- Research, publication, lectures and symposium on other Cold War contaminants such as organohalogen substances (i.e., PCB’s) and heavy metals, which may act as endocrine disruptors and modifers.
AMCHITKA INDEPENDENT SCIENCE ASSESSMENT:Biological and Geophysical Aspects of Potential Radionuclide Exposure in the Amchitka Marine EnvironmentReleased, August 1, 2005, Anchorage AlaskaCRESP Website - http://cresp.org/Editors C.W. Powers, J. Burger, D. Kosson, M. Gochfeld, D. BarnesAuthorsCharles. W. Powers, Ph.D., UMDNJJoanna Burger, Ph.D., Rutgers UniversityDavid Kosson, Ph.D., Vanderbilt UniversityMichael Gochfeld, M.D., Ph.D., UMDNJDavid Barnes, Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks Lisa Bliss, MLS, Institute for Responsible ManagementBarry Friedlander, M.D., UMDNJStephen Jewett, Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks Mark Johnson, Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks Michael Stabin, Ph.D., CHP, Vanderbilt UniversityMartyn Unsworth,Ph.D., University of AlbertaConrad Volz, DrPH, MPH, University of PittsburghVikram Vyas, Ph.D., UMDNJJames Weston, University of Mississippi
Selected Results Excerpted from;
No fissile material or products found in ocean sediments.
Greater subsurface pore volume was present than assumed by earlier studies, suggesting very long travel times for radionuclide migration from the test shots to the marine environment – 1400 to 4700 years for Long Shot.
No radiation survey data above background was found on land or sea.
Expedition personnel radiation dosimetry was statistically the same as control dosimeters kept on Adak Island.
Selected Results
No generalized, large scale areas of freshwater discharge were detected.
No underwater fractures or faults were seen in the surveyed areas.
Selected Results
Areas of offshore slumping and compression were seen.
Significant areas of offshore sediment were found, indicating a possible matrix for radionuclide deposition
The foods consumed by humans are safe with respect to radionuclides, and levels of radionuclides are well below published human health risk guidance levels.
I-129, Co-60, Eu 152, Sr-90 and Tc-99 in all biota analysis were below the minimum detection level.
For Cs-137 high trophic level organisms (Sea Lion, Octopus, Pacific Cod, Halibut, Eagle) at both experimental and reference sites had higher levels than those lower on the food chain (all others), (X2 = 9.53, P < 0.02).
There were no significant differences for anthropogenic actinide isotopes (Am-241, Pu-238, 239, 240, U-236) between Kiska and Amchitka, except for Pu 239,240 in Kelp (X2 = 4.32, P= .04).
Selected Results
Acknowledgements
Janet Horsch, MFS, MLS, Center for Public Health Practice, Communications Director for her time, extraordinary artistic talent, patience and friendship.
Ron LaPorte, PhD, and Faina Linkov, PhD, of the Supercourse for their logistical assistance and gracious invitation to speak at this NATO conference.
Bernard Goldstein, MD, Dean of the Graduate School of Public Health for acting as a mentor during some trying times while preparing for and on this expedition.
This research was supported by a grant from CRESP through the DOE (AI#1DE-FC01-95EW55084, DE-FG 26 -00NT 40938. (CV) is also supported by an Environmental Sciences Grant from the Heinz Endowments through the GSPH, Center for Healthy Environments and Communities.
Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH
Amchitka Project DirectorConsortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP)Scientific DirectorCenter for Healthy Environments and Communities Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Email: [email protected]: 412-383-2501Cell Phone: 412-316-5408