A historical record of the impact of nuclear activities based on I in coral cores in Baler, Philippines: An update.

In a previous study in 2016, we presented how I in coral cores from the east (Baler) and west (Parola) sides of the Philippines recorded the impacts of human nuclear activities, including nuclear weapons testing, nuclear fuel reprocessing, and nuclear accidents. However, the 2016 Baler dataset only had a two-year time resolution and a crude age model based on growth band counting. Here we present a new 2020 Baler I/I atomic ratio dataset that features at least annual time resolution and a more accurate age model constructed using 3D X-ray Computed Tomography.

High-resolution I bomb peak profile in an ice core from SE-Dome site, Greenland.

I in natural archives, such as ice cores, can be used as a proxy for human nuclear activities, age marker, and environmental tracer. Currently, there is only one published record of I in ice core (i.e.

Historical record of nuclear activities from I in corals from the northern hemisphere (Philippines).

Iodine-129 is a long-lived fission product that is majorly released in human nuclear activities (HNA) such as nuclear bomb testing, nuclear fuel reprocessing, and nuclear accidents. It is a good environmental tracer and former measurements of I in corals from the southern hemisphere show the increasing trend of I concentrations in the marine environment caused by HNA. Here we show time series of I/I isotopic ratios in two coral cores from the northern hemisphere (Philippines) and how these record I released from HNA in even greater, unprecedented detail.