Nuclear reprocessing-related radiocarbon (C-14) uptake into UK marine mammals

John Howe; Graham Muir; Gordon  Cook; Johanna Heymans; Gillian MacKinnon; Sheng Xu; Andrew  Brownlow; Nicolas  Davison; Mariel ten Doeschate; Rob Deaville

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.002

Nuclear reprocessing-related radiocarbon (C-14) uptake into UK marine mammals

John Howe, Graham Muir, Gordon Cook, Johanna Heymans, Gillian MacKinnon, Sheng Xu, Andrew Brownlow, Nicolas Davison, Mariel ten Doeschate, Rob Deaville

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

To evaluate the transfer of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (14C) to top predators in the UK marine environment,
14C activities were examined in stranded marine mammals. All samples of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
obtained from the Irish Sea showed 14C enrichment above background. Mammal samples obtained from the West
of Scotland, including harbour porpoise, grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)
showed 14C enrichment but to a lesser extent. This study demonstrates, for the first time, enriched 14C is transferred through the marine food web to apex predators as a consequence of ongoing nuclear reprocessing
activities at Sellafield. Total Sellafield 14C discharge activity 24 months prior to stranding and, in particular,
distance of animal stranding site from Sellafield are significant variables affecting individual 14C activity. 14C
activities of West of Scotland harbour porpoises suggest they did not forage in the Irish Sea prior to stranding,
indicating a high foraging fidelity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	43-50
Number of pages	7
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	124
Issue number	1
Early online date	8 Jul 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.002
Publication status	Published - 15 Nov 2017

Keywords

Marine mammals
Radiocarbon (C-14)
Nuclear reprocessing
Sellafield

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10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.002Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Uptake of radiocarbon by mammals REVISED
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Accepted author manuscript, 1.06 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{8f884a0865ab4850bf13aaaff4bcee74,

title = "Nuclear reprocessing-related radiocarbon (C-14) uptake into UK marine mammals",

abstract = " To evaluate the transfer of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (14C) to top predators in the UK marine environment,14C activities were examined in stranded marine mammals. All samples of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)obtained from the Irish Sea showed 14C enrichment above background. Mammal samples obtained from the Westof Scotland, including harbour porpoise, grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)showed 14C enrichment but to a lesser extent. This study demonstrates, for the first time, enriched 14C is transferred through the marine food web to apex predators as a consequence of ongoing nuclear reprocessingactivities at Sellafield. Total Sellafield 14C discharge activity 24 months prior to stranding and, in particular,distance of animal stranding site from Sellafield are significant variables affecting individual 14C activity. 14Cactivities of West of Scotland harbour porpoises suggest they did not forage in the Irish Sea prior to stranding,indicating a high foraging fidelity.",

keywords = "Marine mammals, Radiocarbon (C-14), Nuclear reprocessing, Sellafield",

author = "John Howe and Graham Muir and Gordon Cook and Johanna Heymans and Gillian MacKinnon and Sheng Xu and Andrew Brownlow and Nicolas Davison and {ten Doeschate}, Mariel and Rob Deaville",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.",

year = "2017",

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doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.002",

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T1 - Nuclear reprocessing-related radiocarbon (C-14) uptake into UK marine mammals

AU - Howe, John

AU - Muir, Graham

AU - Cook, Gordon

AU - Heymans, Johanna

AU - MacKinnon, Gillian

AU - Xu, Sheng

AU - Brownlow, Andrew

AU - Davison, Nicolas

AU - ten Doeschate, Mariel

AU - Deaville, Rob

PY - 2017/11/15

Y1 - 2017/11/15

N2 - To evaluate the transfer of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (14C) to top predators in the UK marine environment,14C activities were examined in stranded marine mammals. All samples of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)obtained from the Irish Sea showed 14C enrichment above background. Mammal samples obtained from the Westof Scotland, including harbour porpoise, grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)showed 14C enrichment but to a lesser extent. This study demonstrates, for the first time, enriched 14C is transferred through the marine food web to apex predators as a consequence of ongoing nuclear reprocessingactivities at Sellafield. Total Sellafield 14C discharge activity 24 months prior to stranding and, in particular,distance of animal stranding site from Sellafield are significant variables affecting individual 14C activity. 14Cactivities of West of Scotland harbour porpoises suggest they did not forage in the Irish Sea prior to stranding,indicating a high foraging fidelity.

AB - To evaluate the transfer of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (14C) to top predators in the UK marine environment,14C activities were examined in stranded marine mammals. All samples of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)obtained from the Irish Sea showed 14C enrichment above background. Mammal samples obtained from the Westof Scotland, including harbour porpoise, grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)showed 14C enrichment but to a lesser extent. This study demonstrates, for the first time, enriched 14C is transferred through the marine food web to apex predators as a consequence of ongoing nuclear reprocessingactivities at Sellafield. Total Sellafield 14C discharge activity 24 months prior to stranding and, in particular,distance of animal stranding site from Sellafield are significant variables affecting individual 14C activity. 14Cactivities of West of Scotland harbour porpoises suggest they did not forage in the Irish Sea prior to stranding,indicating a high foraging fidelity.

KW - Marine mammals

KW - Radiocarbon (C-14)

KW - Nuclear reprocessing

KW - Sellafield

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.002

DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.002

M3 - Article

SN - 0025-326X

VL - 124

SP - 43

EP - 50

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

IS - 1

ER -

Nuclear reprocessing-related radiocarbon (C-14) uptake into UK marine mammals

Abstract

Keywords

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