Assessment and Enrichment of Artificial Radionuclides in Coral Reef Ecosystems
Received date: 2022-07-20
Revised date: 2022-09-28
Online published: 2023-03-21
Supported by
the National Natural Science Foundation of China “Reef-building coral as bioindicator for tracking the source and sink of artificial radionuclide 90Sr in the South China Sea”(41906043);“Reconstructing history of coral reef development on multiple time-scales derived from 40K proxy in the Weizhou Island, northern South China Sea”(42276044)
Coral reef ecosystems are characterized by high primary production and biodiversity, providing rich biological resources and valuable ecosystem goods and services for humans. Reef-building corals survive in coastal areas near several nuclear power plants in China. Additionally, coral islands can potentially support future applications of floating nuclear power plants in remote marine environments for energy supply. Although artificial radionuclides derived from nuclear power plants are released into coral reef ecosystems, there is limited information on the biogeochemical behavior of artificial radionuclides and their radiological impacts on coral reef ecosystems. In this study, key artificial radionuclides, including 14C, 239+240Pu90Sr, 236U, 129I, and 137Cs, were carefully selected and comprehensively investigated from the perspectives of activity concentration, coral skeleton-seawater distribution coefficient (Kd value indicating the ability of enrichment), and radiation dose rates derived from the ERICA model. Based on our previous studies on 14C, 90Sr, and 137Cs in coral reef ecosystems, we reviewed and analyzed the research progress on key artificial radionuclides, which were classified into low-level (Kd ≤1 L/kg), medium-level (1 L/kg<Kd <1 000 L/kg), and high-level (Kd ≥1 000 L/kg) enrichment groups according to the Kd value. The Kd values were ranked in descending order as 14C>239+240Pu>90Sr and 236U>129I>137Cs. The radiation dose rates of the above-mentioned artificial radionuclides and naturally occurring radionuclides of 210Po in coral polyps were simultaneously calculated using the ERICA tool and ranked in the order 14C>90Sr>137Cs> 239+240Pu>236U>129I. The total radiation dose rate of artificial radionuclides was estimated to be 4.73×10-4 μGy/h, which was much lower than the radiation dose rate of 210Po (6.60 μGy/h) and the screening benchmark level of no effect (10 μGy/h). Therefore, artificial radionuclides in the surface seawater of the South China Sea should not pose significant radiological risks to coral polyp populations. Overall, our results provide technical support for the assessment of nuclear safety in coral reef ecosystems in the context of the potential application of floating nuclear power plants in coral islands in the South China Sea.
Wuhui LIN , Fan ZHANG , Kefu YU , Hao MA , Jinqiu DU , Zhenni MO , Yinghua LI , Xianwen HE , Minting MO . Assessment and Enrichment of Artificial Radionuclides in Coral Reef Ecosystems[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2023 , 38(3) : 286 -295 . DOI: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2022.082
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