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Marek Reszka, Jerzy Szezy pa Department of Radiochemistry
Institute of Chemistry Maria Curie-Sklodowska University Lublin,
Poland
Wyprawy Geograficzne na Spitsbergen UMCS, Lublin 1991
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THE RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF SOUTHWEST SPITSBERGEN
TERRITORY
INTRODUCTION
The ecological impact of nuclear explosions at the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Station catastrophe in 1986 gave the world its first
real encounter with a severe nuclear accident and its implication
for all mankind. Significant pollution of the environment was
detected in the whole Europe. Our preliminary investigations of the
radioactive contamination of polar environments were carried out in
summer 1990 during the 5-th Polar Expedition organized by Maria
Curie--Skłodowska University (UMCS) Lublin, Poland.
Soil and plant samples were collected from sites in the southern
part of Bellsund in Western Spitsbergen.
The low quality sandy soil, eolian deposits, as well as more
fertile loams and peats, were prepared according to international
standard methods.
A sample of soil, which dates from 17-th century, was taken from
an excavation at the sea shore.
Lichens, mosses, and a few vascular plant species were picked up
from their sites in tundra and the mountains in the vicinity of
bird colonies.
The measurements of two samples of plants from the vicinity of
Murmansk (Soviet Union) and some data for samples collected in the
Eastern Poland territory are presented for comparison.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE AREA OF STUDIES
SOILS. Spitsbergen with its arctic climate, lack of the compact
plant cover is often named the arctic desert. During short summer
only 15% of the territory is uncovered. Preceding warming up of the
global climate results in retracting of glaciers, exposing new
nival moraine terraces. The main area of studies was
Calypsostranda, the maritime plain constituting a system of
uplifted marine terraces and mountain chain surrounding the
Recherche Fiord. Its surface is built of Quaternary formations,
fluvioglacial sands and gravels, boulder clays
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and marine loams. The more detailed characteristic of
Spitsbergen soils can be found in other papers (Klimowicz, Uziak
1987; Melke, Chodorowski, Uziak 1989). On the basis of the previous
studies these soils can be divided in a few groups depending on
their level of development (age), mineral composition, and
localization (Melke, Chodorowski, Uziak 1989; Uggla, 1981). The
following order was proposed: 1 — weathered rocky soil, 2 — initial
soil, 3 — brown soil, 4 — gley soil, 5 — peat soil, 6 — alluvial
soil, 7 — fossil soil.
Intense corrosion of rocks, niveo-eolian processes during winter
and ac-cumulation of dust in summer forms the first group of soil.
The samples of this kind were collected in hollows within moraines
and fore fields of glaciers. As was expected, this material showed
almost no radioactivity resulting from its low adsorption ability
but mainly because of intense washing by glacier rivers. The next
set of sa!mples was taken on dry tundra plains and can be
classified as brown soil. These soils were formed on well permeated
sands and gravels of marine terraces create a shallow layer under
poor vegetation.
The more complex soil — gley — is formed on boulder clays. The
samples of this soil were collected in the more wet zones of
tundra, gentle slopes of hills and river banks. The richest, peat
soil, can be found in damp areas of peat bogs near small tundra
lakes, under the compact layer of mosses. It has relatively small
density because of the great amount of weathered and decayed parts
of plants. It is supposed that presence of bird colonies has a
profound influence on formation of this soil.
A few samples were taken from accessible mountains;
Wijkanderberget, Klokkefjellet, Maria Theresa (up to 560 m
altitude).
At Cap Smith, at the sea shore, the retreating glacier revealed
a layer of dark soil under moraine stones. Some findings from this
excavation allowed this soil to be dated from 17th century
(Krawczyk, Reder, 1989). This site was covered by glacial ice until
1939. The soil samples were taken from under the stone coat.
All samples were collected according to IAEA standardized
methods, then dried and the fraction over 2 mm was removed by
sieving. After estimating the density, the radioactivity of each
sample was measured using a model 5500B, Beckman Gamma Counter.
Results are presented in Table 1.
PLANTS. Due to the minute area of soil, the plant cover of
Spitsbergen is extremely poor. The short season of vegetation,
which lasts from July to August, strong (up to 20 m/s) winds, and
low temperatures make the polar environment very severe.
Arctic flora of this region consists mainly of numerous species
of algae, lichens and mosses and a few small vascular, alpine type
plants. A more detailed description of Spitsbergen flora can be
found in other papers (Rzętkowska, 1987).
Algae and lichens appear as a first form of life on areas
exposed by retracting glaciers on rocky moraines. Producing some
organic acids, they contribute in
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decomposition of the rock bed. It is well known that owing to
their developed surface, lichens can adsorb many elements from
their surroundings. Thus, they are widely used as indicators of
environment contamination by heavy metals and radioactive elements
(Beckett, Boileau, 1982; Jóźwik, 1989, 1990).
Liverworts as the dominant species of lichens in Bellsund area
were picked for radioactivity measurements.
Mosses form a group of more complex plants. They can be found in
wet zones of tundra plains and at the feet of mountains with bird
communities. Due to the accumulation of the bird excrements, the
moss colonies are particularly luxuries. This group of plants is
also well known as pollutant sensitive.
The most developed plants can be found in the wide areas of dry,
grassy tundra. They form a mosaic like conglomeration of many
species growing in less compact groups. Grass clumps with weak,
thin blades can be found in a damp places on the glacier river
banks.
Plant roots were removed and the remaining samples were dried
and crumbled and then their radioactivity was measured. The average
results, showing the gamma radioactivity level of Cs-137 are
presented in Table 2.
Similarly to data obtained from other areas, mosses are the most
radioactively contaminated group of plants. The level of pollution
depended on the altitude of the sample collection as well as its
exposition to wind and water. The less intense radiation than in
mosses can be found in vascular plants having very compact
structures which help them to hold the particulates. The samples
which consist of leaves and flowers were the cleanest of all.
The amount of radioactivity of Spitsbergen plants was compared
with that of similar plants taken from Poland. (Szczypa, Solecki
1990; Proches, Pinglot 1986). Two samples of tundra plain
vegetation were collected 200 km east of Murmansk in November 1990.
They reveal a quite unexpectedly high level of contamination, about
four times greater than for similar mosses at Spitsbergen and much
higher than in Poland. These results are included in Table 2.
SUMMARY
Far away from human activity Spitsbergen has not avoided
radioisotope contamination from Chernobyl fallout. The first
radioactivity was observed»at Svalbard on May 4 in snow
precipitation. The fresh snow samples showed that the pollution was
in the same order as that during atmospheric nuclear test 1963
(Porches, Pinglot 1986; Holsworth 1984, Cunningham, Sago 1990).
Many papers prove that Chernobyl fallout was world wide disaster
with its effects reaching as far as the South Pole (Phillipot,
1990).
All samples were measured in the Department of Radiochemistry
UMCS with a Beckman Gamma Counter (Cs-137 window).
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No radioactivity was detected at Spitsbergen in the glacier ice
and in water. Despite the six times greater distance from Chernobyl
to Spitsbergen, than to
Poland the contamination of polar plants and soils is almost the
same in range. The sorption properties of soil have a dominant
effect on the retention of the
radioactive elements. The more developed soils reveal the higher
level of radioactivity.
The samples of soils located in water courses were less
contaminated because of intense washing.
The more exposed soils on the top of the mountains and on the
wide opened plains were more polluted.
The measured radioactivity of samples from excavation was
slightly above the background level. It was probably because of the
good permeability of upper layers and contamination the soil by
seeping water.
As one could expect, lichens and tundra mosses adsorb and
accumulate many elements from their environment. The radioactive
elements were found in all of them. The level of contamination is
comparable with that found in Poland.
Content of the studied radioisotopes in plants depend on the
species of plants and place of growing. Samples of perennial
lichens and mosses contain more activity than samples of fresh
flowers and leaves of vascular plants.
The remarkably high level of radioactivity of the two samples
picked up near Murmansk as well as other data (Kwapuliński, 1975;
Cunningham, Sago 1990) suggest that atmospheric nuclear explosions
in the vicinity in previous years played a significant role in
radioisotope contamination of the polar region.
REFERENCES
Beckett P. J., Boileau L. J., 1982: Lichens and Mosses as
Monitors of Industrial Activity. Envir. Pollut. 4, 69.
Cunningham W. P., Sago В. IV., 1990: Environmental Science — A
Global Concern., C. Brown Publishers.
Holsworth G., 1984: Atm. Envir. 18. Jóźwik Z., 1988: Metale
ciężkie w roślinach tundry spitsbergeńskiej — rejon Bellsundu.
Wyprawy
Geograficzne na Spitsbergen, UMCS Lublin. Jóźwik Z., 1990: Heavy
metals in the tundra plants of the Bellsund region, Spitsbergen.
II.
Blomlidalen, Dyrstadflya and Lognedalen, Wyprawy Geograficzne na
Spitsbergen, UMCS Lublin. Klimowicz Z., Uziak S., 1987: Gleby na
obszarze Calypsostrandy (Spitsbergen Zachodni). XIV
Sympozjum Polarne, Lublin. Krawczyk A., Reder./.: Pozostałości
osadnictwa sezonowego w północno-zachodniej części Ziemi
Wedela Jarlsberga. Wyprawy Geograficzne na Spitsbergen, UMCS
Lublin. Kwapuliński J., 1975: Skażenia promieniotwórcze na
wybranych terenach południowej Polski.
Wyd. Śląsk Katowice. Measurements of Radionuclides in Food and
the Environment. A Guidebook. International
Atomic Energy, Vienna, 1989.
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Melke J., Chodorowski J., Uziak S., 1989: Kształtowanie się gleb
na obszarze Dyrstad i Logne w rejonie Bellsundu (Spitsbergen
Zachodni). Wyprawy Geograficzne na Spitsbergen, UMCS Lublin.
Phillipot J. C., 1990: Fallout in Snow. Nature, 348, 21. Porches
M., Pinglot J. F., 1986: The Northerly Extent of Chernobyl
Contamination. Nature 323,
676, 1986. Rzętkowska A., 1987: Wstępna charakterystyka
roślinności rejonu Calypsostranda. XIV
Sympozjum Polarne, Lublin. Szczypa ]., Solecki J., 1990:
Estimation of Radiochemical Contamination of Eastern Part of
Poland. International Symposium on Post Chernobyl Environmental
Radioactivity Studies in East European Country! Kazimierz,
Poland.
Uggla H., 1981: Gleboznawstwo rolnicze. PWN Warszawa.
STRESZCZENIE
Od końca II Wojny Światowej do 1980 roku przeprowadzono w
atmosferze około 450 wybuchów jądrowych. W roku 1986 awaria
elektrowni atomowej w Czernobylu spowodowała uwolnienie do
atmosfery znacznych ilości pierwiastków promieniotwórczych i
rozprzestrzenienie ich na rozległe tereny północnej półkuli.
Od kilku lat tematem badań Zakładu Radiochemii UMCS są skażenia
roślin i gleb na terenie wschodniej Polski. W lecie 1990 roku w
ramach wyprawy geograficznej UMCS terenem badań zostało objęte
południowo-zachodnie wybrzeże Spitsbergenu.
Posługując się na miejscu przenośną aparaturą dozymetryczną nie
stwierdzono skażenia lodu ani wody w rzekach lodowcowych. Próbki
glebowe i roślinne pobrane były z dostępnych miejsc w promieniu 20
km wokół bazy na wybrzeżu fiordu Bellsund. Do badań pobrano próbki
materiału pochodzenia eolicznego, gleb brunatnych, glejowych oraz
torfu. Spod wału morenowego pobrano próbkę gleby pochodzącą z XVII
wiecznego siedliska.
Ze względu na ubogą szatę roślinną zebrano około 20 gatunków
flory polarnej głównie mchów i porostów oraz drobnych roślin
kwiatowych.
Poziom aktywności zebranych próbek został zmierzony w Zakładzie
Radiochemii UMCS przy pomocy spektrometru gamma firmy Beckman (w
zakresie energii CS-137). Stwierdzono duże wahania w wielkości
skażenia wynikające z rodzaju i miejsca pobrania próbki.
Dla porównania zamieszczone zostały wyniki pomiarów gleb i
roślin ze wschodniej Polski a także dwie próbki z okolic Murmańska
(ZSRR). Sugeruje się, że stosunkowo duże skażenie obszarów
Spitsbergenu jest nie tylko wynikiem awarii w Czarnobylu ale także
sąsiedztwa poligonów na Nowej Ziemi i przeprowadzanych tam
eksplozji jądrowych.
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Tab. 1. The average level of soils contamination of West
Spitsbergen
No. Plant Location Activity [Bq/kg]
1. Ciadonia rangiferna Wijkanderberget 440
2. Cetraria 586
3. Ciadonia rangiferna Klokke pass 456
4. Briophyta (mosses) tundra near Scott river 340
5. Briophyta (mosses) - и - 333
6. Saxifraga opposit. Dyrstad valley 307
7. Silene acaulis Snatcherpynten shore 288
8. Briophyta (mosses) Dyrstad valley 138
9. Briophyta (mosses) foot of Bohlinrygen 491
10. Saxifraga opposit. Renard moraines 205
11. Saxifraga opposit. - •• - 417 •
12. Briophyta (mosses) Calypso tundra 400
13. Briophyta (mosses) Reisletta plain 340
14. Briophyta (mosses) Jarnbekken slope 405
15. Briophyta (mosses) Obserwatoriefijelet slope. 311 .
16. Briophyta (mosses) - •» - 215
17. Papaver daheianum Calypso tundra 112
18. Saxifraga opposit. Scott river estuary 115
19. Dryas pctopetala Blomli tundra, 214
20. Salix polaris Klokke plain (hus) 290
21. Poa alpina Blomli slope 156
22.Deschampsia caespitosa Scotta river estuary 79
23.Poa alpina Wydrzyca river valley 89
24.Poa alpina Klokke valley 177
25.Eriophorum Maria-Theresa slope 86
26.Cerastium alpinum Klokke plain 75
The average level of grass contamination in Poland
befofe the Chernobyl fallout.. 223 Bq/kg
The level of mosses contamination in Poland
in 1990 200-500 Bq/kg
The level of contamination of vascular plant
taken from Murmańsk vicinity 973 -"-
The level of contamination of a moss sample
taken from Murmańsk vicinity 1 537 -"-
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Tab. 2. The average level of radioisotope contamination of
plants at West Spitsbergen
2 No Type of sample and Activity [Bq/kg] [Bq/m ]
its location
1. eolian - Renard glacier moraine 971 9 807
2. ablation - Renard gl. moraine 577 5 827
3. ablation - Scotta gl. foreland 865 8 736
4. ablation -Renard gl. sandr 644 6 504
5. ablation - moraine of Blomli valley 907 7 981
6. ablation - Recherch gl. foreland 683 6 010
7. ablation - moraine of Dyr-stad valley 1 054 9 240
8. eolian - Tiorn valley 1 113 9 794
9. eolian - Wijkander pass 1 226 12 302
10.gley - Klokke pass 1 380 12 144
ll.gley - Snatcherpynten valley 1 205 12 170
12.gley - Scott river banks 2 211 19 456
13.brown soil - Maria-Theresa slope 1 183 10 410
14.gley - foot of Observatoriefjelet 1 410 14 240
15.peat - Klokke plain 2 767 19 922
16.peat - Reinsletta valley 3 068 22 089
17, peat - Klokke plain (hus) 6 108 43 977
18.peat - Calypso plain 4 982 35 870
19.peat - Observatoriefjelet slope 4 633 33 357
20.excavated sample from Cap Smith 520 3 844
The average level of soil contamination in Poland
before Chernobyl fallout. 481 Bq/kg
The maximum level of soil contamination in Poland
in May 1986 16 400 Bq/kg
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oo CTs Rochesterpynten
Renardodden
Fig. 1. Location of studied area and distribution of soil
samples.
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Fig. 2. Location of studied area and distribution of plant
samples.
