Radioactivity near the sunken submarine ‘Kursk’ in the southern Barents Sea
The fuel of the sunken vessel’s two 190 MW nuclear reactors was potential source of radioactive contamination of the coastal waters of the Barents Sea until the vessel was salvaged, one year after the accident. Releases of radioactive substances from the submarine can be transported beyond the immediate area into the Atlantic, Nordic Seas, and interior Arctic Ocean by ocean circulation. This raised serious concerns for the potential environmental consequences for the highly productive Barents Sea fisheries industry. During September 19-24, 2000, approximately 1 month after the accident, seawater, sediment and biota samples were collected in the vicinity of the Kursk in an effort to determine the environmental impact of potential discharges of radioactivity from the submarine. The levels of radioactivity in surface sediments and biota were determined to be within the range of values previously measured in the Barents Sea. The results indicate that at the time of sampling, leakage from the Kursk had a negligible impact on the environment. |
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In August 12, 2000, the