Presenter- Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH Amchitka Project Director Consortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP)

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CRESP Amchitka Expedition A Model for Multi-
and Interdisciplinary Research into Radionuclide
Contamination of the Marine Environment
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
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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
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Underground Nuclear Tests on Amchitka Island

• 1965Long Shot 80 Kilotons
• 1969Milrow 1 Megaton
• 1971Cannikin 5-8 Megatons Largest USA
  underground test

Nuclear Tests on Amchitka Account for 16 of all
United States Nuclear Test Explosion Energy.
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Amchitka Island Transport of Radionuclides to
Marine Areas
Cannikin Lake
Possiblechimney transport
Intertidal/subtidal
Collapsed chimney
Benthic
Deep water benthic
Test shot
Leakage transport
Freshwater lens
Saltwater layer
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Location of Amchitka Island
1200 km east of Petropavlovski-Kamchatskiy
800 km southeast of Komandorskiy Ostrova
KiskaIsland
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Reasons for Concern

• Area Supports Robust Biological
  ProductivityFishery for USA, Canada, Japan,
  Korea and Russia
• High Rate of Seismicity
• Movement of Islands
• Plate Tectonics
• Discharge of Radionuclides by Hydrogeological
  Processes

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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.

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University/Community-Based Participatory Research

• 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)

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

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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

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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

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CTD and Biological Collection Stations Along
Predetermined Transects
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Multibeam Sonar Drop Long Shot Tows
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MT Survey Stations on Island Transects through
Blast Sites
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Biological Collections June 23- July 22
Amchitka (Experimental Sites) Cannikin
Transects Milrow Transects Long Shot
Transects Kiska Island ( Reference Site)
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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
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Trophic Levels
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
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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., PCBs) and heavy metals, which may act as
endocrine disruptors and modifers.
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Selected Results Excerpted from
AMCHITKA INDEPENDENT SCIENCE ASSESSMENTBiologica
l and Geophysical Aspects of Potential
Radionuclide Exposure in the Amchitka Marine
Environment Released, August 1, 2005, Anchorage
Alaska CRESP Website - http//cresp.org/ Editors
C.W. Powers, J. Burger, D. Kosson, M. Gochfeld,
D. Barnes Authors Charles. 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
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Selected Results

• 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.
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Selected Results

No generalized, large scale areas of freshwater
discharge were detected. No underwater
fractures or faults were seen in the surveyed
areas.
Areas of offshore slumping and compression were
seen. Significant areas of offshore sediment
were found, indicating a possible matrix for
radionuclide deposition
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Selected Results

• 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 lt 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).

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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 (AI1DE-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.
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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_at_eoh.pitt.edu Phone
412-383-2501 Cell Phone [phone]