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The potential of shells from Mytilus edulis for retrospective analysis of marine 14C discharges from nuclear power plants

Sofia, Bjarheim ; Eriksson Stenström, Kristina LU ; Lindskog, Anders ; Olsson, Mattias LU ; Carlsson, Per LU and Mattsson, Sören LU (2025) In Radiocarbon p.1-16
Abstract
Carbon-14 (14C) is an important contributor to the collective effective dose to the public due to releases from nuclear power plants (NPPs). In Sweden, only airborne emissions of 14C from NPPs are currently routinely monitored, and the existing data on waterborne 14C discharges are limited. A recent study of 14C in brown algae (Fucus spp.) in Swedish coastal waters showed higher F14C values collected at Ringhals NPP, on the Swedish west coast, than expected. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing if blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) could be used to retrospectively
estimate the 14C concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in seawater at three sites. A method was developed to extract the fibrous layer that forms visible annual... (More)
Carbon-14 (14C) is an important contributor to the collective effective dose to the public due to releases from nuclear power plants (NPPs). In Sweden, only airborne emissions of 14C from NPPs are currently routinely monitored, and the existing data on waterborne 14C discharges are limited. A recent study of 14C in brown algae (Fucus spp.) in Swedish coastal waters showed higher F14C values collected at Ringhals NPP, on the Swedish west coast, than expected. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing if blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) could be used to retrospectively
estimate the 14C concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in seawater at three sites. A method was developed to extract the fibrous layer that forms visible annual structures in the shells. All samples were analyzed with accelerator mass spectrometry and the results compared with 14C data from Fucus spp. For one of the analyzed shells (structures from 1974–1978), from the site Särdal, F14C in Fucus spp. and M. edulis agreed very well. For another shell (1972–1978), shell structures from some of the earlier years displayed up to 6% lower F14C than Fucus
spp. F14C in one shell from a remote site, Båteviken, only had small annual variations (2017–2022: F14C = 1.070 ± 0.015 (1 σ)). Two shells from Ringhals NPP had higher average F14C, and a significant temporal variability (2014–2022: F14C = 1.427 ± 0.268 (1 σ)). Difficulties in unambiguous identification of the annual structures in the shells, as well as the future potential of this method, are discussed. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Radiocarbon
pages
1 - 16
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:105020290383
ISSN
0033-8222
DOI
10.1017/RDC.2025.10137
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a5a9dbb0-93a5-4521-bc1d-515c054769e5
date added to LUP
2025-10-16 14:56:39
date last changed
2025-11-25 04:01:59
@article{a5a9dbb0-93a5-4521-bc1d-515c054769e5,
  abstract     = {{Carbon-14 (14C) is an important contributor to the collective effective dose to the public due to releases from nuclear power plants (NPPs). In Sweden, only airborne emissions of 14C from NPPs are currently routinely monitored, and the existing data on waterborne 14C discharges are limited. A recent study of 14C in brown algae (Fucus spp.) in Swedish coastal waters showed higher F14C values collected at Ringhals NPP, on the Swedish west coast, than expected. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing if blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) could be used to retrospectively<br/>estimate the 14C concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in seawater at three sites. A method was developed to extract the fibrous layer that forms visible annual structures in the shells. All samples were analyzed with accelerator mass spectrometry and the results compared with 14C data from Fucus spp. For one of the analyzed shells (structures from 1974–1978), from the site Särdal, F14C in Fucus spp. and M. edulis agreed very well. For another shell (1972–1978), shell structures from some of the earlier years displayed up to 6% lower F14C than Fucus<br/>spp. F14C in one shell from a remote site, Båteviken, only had small annual variations (2017–2022: F14C = 1.070 ± 0.015 (1 σ)). Two shells from Ringhals NPP had higher average F14C, and a significant temporal variability (2014–2022: F14C = 1.427 ± 0.268 (1 σ)). Difficulties in unambiguous identification of the annual structures in the shells, as well as the future potential of this method, are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Sofia, Bjarheim and Eriksson Stenström, Kristina and Lindskog, Anders and Olsson, Mattias and Carlsson, Per and Mattsson, Sören}},
  issn         = {{0033-8222}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--16}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Radiocarbon}},
  title        = {{The potential of shells from <i>Mytilus edulis</i> for retrospective analysis of marine <sup>14</sup>C discharges from nuclear power plants}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2025.10137}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/RDC.2025.10137}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}