Presenter- Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPHAmchitka Project DirectorConsortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP)

Scientific DirectorCenter for Healthy Environments and Communities

Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health

CRESP Amchitka Expedition:

A Model for Multi- and Interdisciplinary Research into Radionuclide Contamination of the Marine Environment

Paper Authors:

Conrad Volz, DrPH, MPH, Barry Friedlander, MD, MPH, Charles Powers, PhD, Joanna Burger, PhD, David Kosson, PhD, Michael Gochfeld, MD, PhD, David Barnes, PhD, Lisa Bliss, MLS, Larry Duffy, PhD, Stephen Jewett, PhD, Janet Horsch, MLS, MFA, Mark Johnson, PhD, Michael Stabin, PhD, CHP, Martyn Unsworth, PhD, and Vikram Vyas, PhD

Underground Nuclear Tests on Amchitka Island

Nuclear Tests on Amchitka Account for 16% of all United States Nuclear Test Explosion Energy.

• 1965—Long Shot 80 Kilotons

• 1969—Milrow 1 Megaton

• 1971—Cannikin 5-8 Megatons Largest USA underground test

Cannikin Lake

Freshwater lens

Intertidal/subtidal

Benthic

Deep water benthic

Leakage transport

Ocean surface

Amchitka Island Transport of Radionuclides to Marine Areas

Collapsed chimney

Saltwater layer

Test shot

Possiblechimney transport

Ocean surface

Location of Amchitka Island1200 km east of Petropavlovski-Kamchatskiy

KiskaIsland

800 km southeast of Komandorskiy Ostrova

Reasons for Concern

• Area Supports Robust Biological Productivity—Fishery for USA, Canada, Japan, Korea and Russia

• High Rate of Seismicity

• Movement of Islands

• Plate Tectonics

•Discharge of Radionuclides by Hydrogeological Processes

Expedition Purpose

1. Determine whether there is any current threat to human health and the environment from release into the Island's sea waters from nuclear tests shots at Amchitka.

2. Establish a baseline of biological and physical data that should aid in the development of a long-term stewardship plan.

University/Community-Based Participatory Research

Universities•University of Pittsburgh •Rutgers University •UMDNJ •University of Alaska, Fairbanks •University of Alberta

Stakeholders •Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Agency (Responsible Party)

•United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Landowner and Natural Resource Trustee)

•State of Alaska (State of Record, ADEC)

•Aleutian Pribilof Island Association (Subsistence and Lifestyle Protection)

Confounders of Study

• Russian Nuclear Waste and Nuclear Naval Reactor Disposal

• CS 137 Generator lost in Sea of Japan

• 14 Nuclear Submarines with Damaged Fuel Rods Scuttled in the Kara Sea

• Nuclear Icebreaker Lenin Scuttled in Artic Ocean

• Disposal/Leakage of Nuclear Waste from Production Facilities and Naval Yards on Kamchatka, specifically Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Physical Expedition June 6 to June 23

• Magnetotelluric Measurements (Land)

• Side Scan Sonar (Sea Bathymetry)• Multibeam Sonar (Sea Bathymetry)• Geographic Positioning Systems• Conductivity/Density/Temperature

Probe• Water and Sediment Sampling• Ambient and Wipe Sample

Radiation Analysis

CTD and Biological Collection Stations Along Predetermined Transects

Multibeam Sonar DropLong Shot Tows

MT Survey Stations on Island Transects through Blast Sites

Biological Collections June 23- July 22

Amchitka (Experimental Sites)

Cannikin Transects

Milrow Transects

Long Shot Transects

Kiska Island ( Reference Site)

Intertidal Alaria nana

Contaminants of Concern

Anthropogenic Actinides = Am-241, Pu-238, 239, 240, U-236

Bomb Detonation/Nuclear Power = Cs-137, Eu-152, Co-60, Sr-90, I-129, Tc-99.

Natural Actinides = U-234, 235 and 238

Low Sea Urchins, Limpets, Rock Jingle, Blue Mussel, Ulva, Rock Greenling, Alaria nana and fistulosa

High Black Rockfish, Tufted Puffin, Eagle, Pacific Cod, Halibut, Octopus, Sea Lion

Trophic Levels

Applications of the Supercourse to the Understanding and Control of Contamination from Legacy Cold War Military Production

- Forum for collaboration, teaching, distribution of data and information and alerts relative to cross-boundary issues of control of Cold War Legacy contamination.- Research into and multi-national publication of results from legacy nuclear waste sites both in the USA and Russia, including facilities, which pose a catastrophic potential to fishing grounds in the Kara Sea and Arctic Ocean.- Testing and publication of the suitability, reliability and sustainability of engineering and institutional controls at former Cold War nuclear production sites.

- The development of lectures regarding the Public Health dimensions of nuclear production in “new nuclear nations” such as Iran and North Korea and possible “weapons of mass destruction” that can result from nuclear proliferation.

- Research, publication, lectures and symposium on other Cold War contaminants such as organohalogen substances (i.e., PCB’s) and heavy metals, which may act as endocrine disruptors and modifers.

AMCHITKA INDEPENDENT SCIENCE ASSESSMENT:Biological and Geophysical Aspects of Potential Radionuclide Exposure in the Amchitka Marine EnvironmentReleased, August 1, 2005, Anchorage AlaskaCRESP Website - http://cresp.org/Editors C.W. Powers, J. Burger, D. Kosson, M. Gochfeld, D. BarnesAuthorsCharles. W. Powers, Ph.D., UMDNJJoanna Burger, Ph.D., Rutgers UniversityDavid Kosson, Ph.D., Vanderbilt UniversityMichael Gochfeld, M.D., Ph.D., UMDNJDavid Barnes, Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks Lisa Bliss, MLS, Institute for Responsible ManagementBarry Friedlander, M.D., UMDNJStephen Jewett, Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks Mark Johnson, Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks Michael Stabin, Ph.D., CHP, Vanderbilt UniversityMartyn Unsworth,Ph.D., University of AlbertaConrad Volz, DrPH, MPH, University of PittsburghVikram Vyas, Ph.D., UMDNJJames Weston, University of Mississippi

Selected Results Excerpted from;

No fissile material or products found in ocean sediments.

Greater subsurface pore volume was present than assumed by earlier studies, suggesting very long travel times for radionuclide migration from the test shots to the marine environment – 1400 to 4700 years for Long Shot.

No radiation survey data above background was found on land or sea.

Expedition personnel radiation dosimetry was statistically the same as control dosimeters kept on Adak Island.

Selected Results

No generalized, large scale areas of freshwater discharge were detected.

No underwater fractures or faults were seen in the surveyed areas.

Selected Results

Areas of offshore slumping and compression were seen.

Significant areas of offshore sediment were found, indicating a possible matrix for radionuclide deposition

The foods consumed by humans are safe with respect to radionuclides, and levels of radionuclides are well below published human health risk guidance levels.

I-129, Co-60, Eu 152, Sr-90 and Tc-99 in all biota analysis were below the minimum detection level.

For Cs-137 high trophic level organisms (Sea Lion, Octopus, Pacific Cod, Halibut, Eagle) at both experimental and reference sites had higher levels than those lower on the food chain (all others), (X2 = 9.53, P < 0.02).

There were no significant differences for anthropogenic actinide isotopes (Am-241, Pu-238, 239, 240, U-236) between Kiska and Amchitka, except for Pu 239,240 in Kelp (X2 = 4.32, P= .04).

Selected Results

Acknowledgements

Janet Horsch, MFS, MLS, Center for Public Health Practice, Communications Director for her time, extraordinary artistic talent, patience and friendship.

Ron LaPorte, PhD, and Faina Linkov, PhD, of the Supercourse for their logistical assistance and gracious invitation to speak at this NATO conference.

Bernard Goldstein, MD, Dean of the Graduate School of Public Health for acting as a mentor during some trying times while preparing for and on this expedition.

This research was supported by a grant from CRESP through the DOE (AI#1DE-FC01-95EW55084, DE-FG 26 -00NT 40938. (CV) is also supported by an Environmental Sciences Grant from the Heinz Endowments through the GSPH, Center for Healthy Environments and Communities.

Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH

Amchitka Project DirectorConsortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP)Scientific DirectorCenter for Healthy Environments and Communities Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health

Email: dvolz@eoh.pitt.eduPhone: 412-383-2501Cell Phone: 412-316-5408