A Huge Amount of Nuclear Fallout Is Embedded in Glaciers, And They're Starting to Melt
DAVID NIELD 12 APR 2019
As we continue to see warming glaciers collapse and melt into the ocean, we're potentially looking at a ticking time bomb of buried nuclear material, according to new research.
Scientists have analysed 17 glacier sites and found fallout radionuclides (FRNs) trapped within ice surface sediment called cryoconite at all of them covering the Arctic, Iceland, the European Alps, Antarctica and other areas. In some cases concentrations of radioactive material are orders of magnitude higher than in areas that don't have glaciers.
The findings highlight just how far fallout from nuclear disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima can travel, as well as sounding a warning that ongoing climate change could come with another unwanted consequence re-released radioactive material.
"Research into the impact of nuclear accidents has previously focussed on their effects on human and ecosystem health in non-glaciated areas," says one of the team, Caroline Clason from the University of Plymouth in the UK.
More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/there-s-a-bunch-of-nuclear-fallout-embedded-in-glaciers-and-they-re-starting-to-melt