Influence of releases of I-129 from reprocessing plants on the marine environment of the North Adriatic Sea

Compared to the pre-nuclear era, large amounts of 129I have been released to the marine environment, especially as liquid and gaseous discharges from two European reprocessing plants located at Sellafield and La Hague. Their liquid discharges influence Northern Europe and most research was conducted in the area of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. In this article data on 129I content and 129I/127I ratios observed in the North Adriatic Sea, which is a rather enclosed basin of the Mediterranean Sea, are presented. To the best of our knowledge no data on 129I in the Mediterranean Sea have previously been reported. As this area is isolated from direct liquid discharges, the main transport pathway is probably gaseous releases from reprocessing plants. Surface sea water, the marine alga Fucus virsoides, an iodine accumulator, and the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis collected in 2009 and 2010, and marine sediment collected in 2005 and 2009 were analysed. The 129I/127I isotopic ratios observed were in the range from 0.8 to 3.0 × 10−08 for seawater, from 0.06 to 0.35 × 10−08 for marine sediment, from 0.05 to 0.10 × 10−08 for F. virsoides and from 0.3 to 0.9 × 10−08 for M. galloprovincialis.

► A novel survey of 129I levels in the marine environment of the North Adriatic.
► 129I accumulates in marine sediment, the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the alga Fucus virsoides.
► The content of 129I in the sea water of the North Adriatic.
► To follow 129I trends, pathways and cycling of the Adriatic and the Mediterranean.