Sources of marine radioactivity

Radionuclides found in the marine environment come from different sources.

• Natural radioactivity

  1. Primordial
     (⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, etc.)
  2. Radiogenic
     (²²⁶Ra, ²²²Ru, ²¹⁰Po, etc.)
  3. Cosmogenic
     (³H, ⁷Be, ¹⁴C, etc.)
  
  

• Global fallout

  1. Global fallout
  2. Nuclear weapons testing
  
  

• Disposal of radioactive waste from land

  1. Discharges from nuclear plants
  
  

• Nuclear accidents on land and at sea

  1. Nuclear accidents on land (the Chernobyl accident)
  2. Nuclear accidents at sea

A comparison of levels of some important radionuclides found in the marine environment is given in Fig. 1.

• Dumping of radioactive waste at sea

The presence of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in the marine environment leads to delivery of radiological doses to living organisms such as marine biota and man.

• Radiation Doses