title: Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ((14)C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments.
abstract: The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ((14)C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This (14)C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate (14)C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)), mussels were found to be the most highly enriched in (14)C due to the surface environment they inhabit and their feeding behaviour. Whole mussel shell activities appear to have been decreasing in response to reduced discharge activities since the early 2000s but in contrast, there is evidence of continuing enrichment of the carbonate sediment component due to in-situ shell erosion, as well as indications of particle transport of fine (14)C-enriched material close to Sellafield.
authors.affiliation: Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK; The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, PA37 1QA, UK. Electronic address: k.tierney.1@research.gla.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kieran M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.affiliation: Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK; The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, PA37 1QA, UK.
authors.forename: Graham K P
authors.initials: GKP
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.affiliation: Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK.
authors.forename: Gordon T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: MacKinnon
authors.affiliation: The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, PA37 1QA, UK.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.affiliation: The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, PA37 1QA, UK.
authors.forename: Johanna J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Heymans
authors.affiliation: Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D049873:Cardiidae / Q000378:metabolism; D004739:England; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000378:metabolism; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D049880:Mytilus edulis / Q000378:metabolism; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012606:Scotland; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: Intertidal; Mollusc shell; Radiocarbon; Sediment; Sellafield