COMER

Consequences of contaminant releases into the Arctic marine environment from Siberian rivers - the COMER project

Website

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Funding programme

Norwegian Research Council Programme: Forurensninger:kilder, effekter og tiltak (PROFO) Funding Period: 2002-2004

Project Leader:

• Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Radioactivity, Grini naringspark 13, NO-1332, Oesteraas, Norway
  • Iosjpe M., Mikhail.Iosjpe@nrpa.no

Partners:

• Akvaplan-niva AS, Tromsų, Norway
  • Carroll, J., jc@akvaplan.niva.no
• Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsų, Norway
  • Gerland S., sebastian.gerland@npolar.no

The primary aim of this project is to aid the development of protection strategies for the Arctic marine environment from the consequences of radionuclides and heavy metals input into Arctic coastal waters. Special attention has been given to improve methodology for consequence modelling from releases of contaminants through rivers and their estuaries. Another important part is collection and analysis of field data in order to parameterise and validate model modules, and testing of model results of radiological sensitivity and vulnerability of coastal areas. The following advancements in knowledge are provided through the COMER project:

1. development of models for use in evaluating the distribution of contaminants in Arctic marine areas by both heavy metals and radionuclides simultaneously, which can be used to improve the present knowledge about combined/synergistic effects from different contaminants in future investigations;
2. better knowledge about consequences following contaminant releases as a result of improvements in modelling methodologies for special Arctic conditions (e.g. considering the transport of contaminants by sea ice);
3. improved accuracy for model predictions with more comprehensive information on contaminant levels in the environment and a more correct description of the key processes for transport and fate of contaminants and
4. new estimates of the sensitivity of different Arctic marine areas for selected scenarios of discharges of contaminants into Russian Arctic coastal waters.