Evaluation of Cs, Xe and H activity concentrations monitored in the Arctic atmosphere.

This paper provides a brief introduction to the Arctic atmospheric radioactivity monitoring network. A decade of monitoring results have shown the Cs background levels in Arctic air range from 0.05 to 1.

Trophic Transfer of Radioactive Micronutrients in a Shallow Benthic Food Web.

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world, with widespread eutrophication and radionuclide contamination. Using key species of the Baltic Sea, the effects of eutrophication on uptake and trophic transfer of the radioactive micronutrients commonly found in nuclear power plant effluents were investigated experimentally using the brown macroalgae Fucus vesiculosus and the grazers Idotea balthica and Theodoxus fluviatilis in a controlled environment. Rapid uptake of Mn, Co, and Zn from water was observed in all biota; and eutrophication combined with grazing pressure strongly influenced the uptake in F.

Elevated natural radioactivity in undisturbed forest and mountain areas of arctic Norway - local geology, soil characteristics, and transfer to biota.

This study deals with the geology in areas close to a large unexploited uranium deposit and the impact of bedrock characteristics on levels of radionuclides and other elements in soil and biota. Factors influencing soil inventory and ecosystem transfer are discussed, focussing on U, Ra, and Pb. Field work was carried out in Salangen Valley in Northern Norway.

Realism and usefulness of multispecies experiment designs with regard to application in radioecology: A review.

Multispecies experiments like microcosms and mesocosms are widely used in many fields of research but not in radioecology. In radioecology, size limitations are important as large experimental volumes involve problems with waste (radionuclides), or shielding, absorption and available space in gamma fields (often within a climate chamber). We have therefore performed a literature review (ISI Web of Science, n = 406) of the design and properties of multispecies effect studies <100 L in size and with three or more mentioned taxa in other research fields to assess their suitability to radioecology.

Individual and molecular level effects of produced water contaminants on nauplii and adult females of Calanus finmarchicus.

In the Barents Sea region new petroleum fields are discovered yearly and extraction of petroleum products is expected to increase in the upcoming years. Despite enhanced technology and stricter governmental legislation, establishment of the petroleum industry in the Barents Sea may potentially introduce a new source of contamination to the area, as some discharges of produced water will be allowed. Whether the presence of produced water poses a risk to the Arctic marine life remains to be investigated.

Bioaccumulation of phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene in Calanus finmarchicus.

With petroleum exploration and development expanding in the Arctic (AMAP, 2007) there is a need to obtain additional information on the ecotoxicology of Arctic organisms. Here we perform 192 h laboratory exposure experiments on the keystone Arctic zooplankton species, Calanus finmarchicus. We trace the accumulation and depuration of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) using (14)C labeled PAH compounds.