Distribution of Fallout Radionuclides and Their Implications for Material Cycles in the Ocean

Abstract

Substantial amounts of plutonium have been delivered to the surface of the Pacific Ocean as a consequence of global fallout from atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons, which took place mostly during the 1950's and early 1960's. The second and significant input of plutonium to the Pacific Ocean was derived from tropospheric close-in fallout from nuclear weapons test at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls, Marshall Islands. In this symposium, I will present an overview of the distribution and behavior of plutonium in the western North Pacific Ocean, our new results of sediment trap experiments, and the future plan for material cycle studies in the ocean. [J Radiat Res 44:379 (2003)]