The full list of projects contains the entire database hosted on this portal, across the available directories. The projects and activities (across all directories/catalogs) are also available by country of origin, by geographical region, or by directory.
The aim of the project is to clarify whether there is a need to provide additional requirements for the approval of offshore chemicals that are being used / discharged into arctic sea areas in Greenland, including requirements for tests where the deterioration of offshore chemicals is investigated by arctic conditions and with arctic bacteria, as well as that bioaccumulation and / or toxicity should be investigated on organisms eg high-arctic watercourses. The project will illustrate the decomposition, bioaccumulation and toxicity of chemicals with water and organisms collected in high-arctic areas and investigated under high-arctic conditions.The project's results seek to strengthen the basis for environmental assessment underlying the use and disposal of offshore chemicals in Arctic waters.
Monitoring of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in consumption milk is a sub-programme of a national monitoring program regarding environmental radiation in Sweden. The sub-programme has been ongoing since 1955. In the event of increased deposition of radionuclides, e.g. after a nuclear accident, transfer to cow milk is a quick process. The concentration in milk is therefore a good indicator of any changes of the levels of radionuclides in the area. Monitoring is performed at 5 dairies: Umeå, Sundsvall, Kallhäll, Jönköping and Malmö, where milk is sampled 4 times per year.
Measurements of gamma-radiation in the environment (from ground to cosmos). Radioactivity in Intensive Net is measured on the soil surface at 28 sites in Sweden. The measurements are continuous and sound the alarm if radioactivity increases. Measured is the dose rate of gamma radiation. Radioactivity in Extensive Net is concerned all municipalities in Sweden which has got one instrument for gamma radiation measurement and each county board has got two. Every seventh month they measure radioactivity at two to four predefined spots as reference measurement. Radioactivity in Air is conducted at five stations with air filter sampling and analysis of radioactivity maintained by Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI). Out of these stations Umeå and Kiruna are located in northern Sweden.
The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority is responsible for a nationwide network of 33 stations that continuously measure background radiation levels. The network was established in the years following the Chernobyl accident in 1986, and was upgraded to a new and modern network in the period 2006-2008. Additional stations were added in 2009. The purpose of the monitoring network is to provide an early warning if radioactive emissions reach Norway.
Monitor the levels of radionuclides (137Cs and 210Po) in selected fish and seafood species in the Norwegian and Barents Sea.
The aim of the CEEPRA (Collaboration Network on EuroArctic Environmental Radiation Protection and Research) project is establishment of a cooperation network in the EuroArctic region, cross-border exchange of knowledge and skills, improvement of emergency preparedness capabilities and risk assessments in case of nuclear accidents in the region as well as raising awareness and knowledge in the general public and stakeholders with respect to the nature, common challenges and associated risks in the area of nuclear safety, emergency preparedness and radioactivity in the environment. The project will study the current state of radioactive contamination in terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the EuroArctic region by examining environmental samples collected from the Finnish Lapland, Finnmark and Troms in Norway, the Kola Peninsula and the Barents Sea. The results will provide updated information on the present levels, occurrence and fate of radioactive substances in the Arctic environments and food chains. Special attention will be given to collection and analyses of natural products widely used by population in Finland, Russia and Norway, such as berries, mushrooms, fish and reindeer meat. The region-specific risk assessments will be carried out through modelling and investigation of long-term effects of potential nuclear accidents in the EuroArctic region and possible impacts on the region’s indigenous population, terrestrial and marine environments, reindeer husbandry, the natural product sector, tourism and industries. Open seminars for general public and target groups will be arranged in Finland, Russia and Norway during the project implementation period to provide relevant information on radioactivity-related issues and the status in the region.
The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority is responsible for a network of 5 air filter stations. These collect air samples through high density filters which are analyzed weekly by gamma spectroscopy. The network was established in the early 80s and is continuously updated. The purpose of the network is to assess the levels and composition of emissions from incidents and accidents. In addition, with the help of meteorological data, possible sources of release may be identified.
Anthropogenic 129I discharged from European reprocessing plants has widely dispersed in the Nordic waters including the Arctic. Due to the high solubility and long residence time of iodine in seawater, anthropogenic 129I has become an ideal oceanographic tracer for investigating transport pathways and the exchange of water masses.
Objectives 1. To determine tissue residue levels of metals and radionuclides in caribou given its importance as a country food species. 2. To monitor contaminant exposure in caribou as a representative species of the terrestrial arctic ecosystem. 3. To examine metal speciation and isotopes ratios (uranium, thorium, strontium, titanium) which may provide insight into the source of contamination (anthropogenic vs. natural). 4.To provide information on temporal trends in radionuclide and metal levels in several caribou herds to determine whether levels are increasing, decreasing or remaining the same over time. 5. To determine the efficacy of international controls in reducing or eliminating pollutants entering the Canadian Arctic terrestrial ecosystem. Barren-ground caribou are found across northern Canada, and are a major component of the traditional diet in communities across the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Nunavut. Caribou are a good indicator species for terrestrial ecosystem contamination given their wide distribution across northern Canada, the simple air-lichen-caribou food chain, the existing baseline data set, and their importance as a country food species. Three (3) caribou herds from across the NWT and Nunavut have been selected as sentinel herds, with a different herd to be sampled each year to determine tissue residue levels and monitor temporal trends. Field collections will be conducted in cooperation with local Hunter’s and Trapper’s Organizations and/or local aboriginal organizations, utilizing local hunters in planning and conducting the field work. Samples will be tested for a wide range of environmental contaminants including 10 heavy metals and 7 radionuclides.
As part of the Austrian radioactivity monitoring network an air sampler and a high resolution radioactivity detection system is installed at the high altitude Sonnblick Observatory (3105 m). The objective is to monitor the radioactivity in air at high altitudes.
The project monitors the artificial radioactivities in natural products in Finnish Lapland. The work mainly started after Chernobyl accident.
GAW serves as an early warning system to detect further changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and changes in the ozone layer, and in the long-range transport of pollutants, including acidity and toxicity of rain as well as the atmospheric burden of aerosols.
Vascular plants and mosses are also terrestrial bioindicators for radioactive fallout, The summer fodder of reindeer consist of 200- 300 vascular plants . Therefore vascular plants are an important link in the foodchain plants - reindeer/game - man. STUK has several permanent plant sampling sites, usually in the vicinity of the lichen plots. Only a few of of them are included in Finnish NIP. The results obtained are gammanuclide or occasionally also 90Sr concentrations, Bq/kg.
Geochemical mapping project based on multimaterial and -elemental method covering the NW Russia and adjacent areas of Finland and Norway. NW-Russia is of strategic importance not only for Europe but also for the sosio-economic development of the whole Russia for its richness in natural resources. Their use must be based on environmentally acceptable principles. In addition, within the area exist numerous industrial centres whose environmental impacts are unknown. The information produced by the project is significant for the future development of the area and remedial measures of the environment. The project lead by the applicant, will be carried out in 1999-2003 in cooperation with Russian and Norwegian partners.
Part of the continuous nationwide monitoring of radionuclides in Finland. The dose rate monitoring network in Finnish Lapland comprise 32 automatic measurement stations (Finnish nation-wide monitoring network consists of about 257 stations equipped with GM tubes). Three of the stations are equipped with LaBr3-detectors measuring a gammaspectrum with 10 minute intervals. The network is intended for civilian defence and surveillance purposes, not for research. It is a good early warning system in radiation fallout situation. Every monitoring station have individual alarm level: 7 days average dose rate + 0.1 microSv/h. The dense network indicate also the extent of the radioactive contamination.
Part of the continuous nationwide monitoring of radionuclides in Finland. The dose rate monitoring network in Finnish Lapland comprise 32 automatic measurement stations (Finnish nation-wide monitoring network consists of about 257 stations equipped with GM tubes). Three of the stations are equipped with LaBr3-detectors measuring a gammaspectrum with 10 minute intervals. The network is intended for civilian defence and surveillance purposes, not for research. It is a good early warning system in radiation fallout situation. Every monitoring station have individual alarm level: 7 days average dose rate + 0.1 microSv/h. The dense network indicate also the extent of the radioactive contamination.
Lichens are the best terrestrial bioindicators for radioactive fallout and also the most important link in foodchain lichen - reindeer - man. Generally, Fenced permanent sampling plots are used to study the biological half-life of 137Cs in lichen. However, some of the STUKs sampling plots are unfenced which are subjected to grazing by reindeer. Start year: early 60's as a project of the Radiochemistry Department of University in Helsinki. Stuk's participation since 1975. Data are collected from 1961, 1980, 1982 or 1986, continuously every 3-5 years. Data processing/work-up and data archiving/reporting work are conducted from 1961, 1980, 1982. Continous data sets from 1986 to 2010.
Part of the continuous nationwide monitoring of radionuclides in Finland. STUK is responsible for monitoring of radioactivities in atmosphere. STUK operates a network of eight aerosol samplers from which three are located in Finnish, Lapland at Rovaniemi, Sodankylä and Ivalo. The sampling is done either weekly or bi-weekly. Gammaspectroscopic measurements are done in the laboratory in Rovaniemi. The lowest activities are detected at microBq/m3 level.
Elevated levels of 137Cs caused by previous atmospheric nuclear weapons tests fallout and the Chernobyl accident have been observed in Finnmark, Northern Norway. Due to the large consumption of potentially contaminated reindeer meat, whole body measurements of 137Cs levels in reindeer herders have been performed since 1965.
The 2004-2007 scientific research program CHIMERPOL II consists in improving the results obtained during the CHIMERPOL I programme around three main ideas: 1-Understand physico-chemical processes of oxidation of elemental gaseous mercury in the atmosphere during Mercury Depletion Events (MDE) in Corbel, Svalbard from 2004 to 2007 with a continuous monitoring station for gaseous mercury and its speciation, 2-Evaluate deposition and emission fluxes of mercury above the Arctic snow pack by a continuous monitoring of these fluxes in Corbel, Svalbard and in Station Nord, Greenland, from 2005 to 2007. 3-Determine the Air-Snow-Firn-Ice transfer function for mercury and its speciation with a complete balance of mercury in the different compartments in Summit, Greenland from 2006 to 2007.