Ecological risk assessment of plutonium in primary inlet of Indonesian through flow (ITF)

Abstract

The present study to understand the environmental radiological risk of plutonium to marine biotas in the primary inlet of Indonesia Through Flow (ITF), seawater, and sediment samples collected during the monitoring work 2018-2019. The activity concentration of 239/240Pu was measured both for them. The activity concentration of the 239/240Pu in seawater and sediment was low, where that low activity concentration of plutonium can use as an indicator of the release of plutonium in Indonesia or neighboring countries in the future. The environmental radiological risk of plutonium to marine biotas in this study uses the ERICA Tool, where the total dose rates to marine biotas and risk of resultant radiobiological impacts were assessed. As input data for the ERICA tools, activity concentrations of 239/240Pu in seawater and sediment, distribution coefficient (Kd), dose conversion coefficients, occupancy factors, uncertainty factor set as the default value in ERICA Tool. Results compared to background dose rates, also estimated by the ERICA Tools. The risk of radiobiological effects in marine biotas in the primary inlet of ITF can be considered negligible because the estimated total dose level is below the 10 μGyh−1 screening dose. This study emphasizes that actual measurement data is needed in radiological risk assessment to reduce dependence on the ERICA Tool.