Presence of $^{236}$U and $^{237}$Np in a marine ecosystem: the northern Benguela Upwelling System, a case study

TL;DR

This study investigates the presence and distribution of $^{236}$U and $^{237}$Np in the Benguela Upwelling System, revealing their sources, spatial patterns, and particle reactivity, with implications for environmental radioactivity in marine ecosystems.

Contribution

First combined analysis of $^{236}$U and $^{237}$Np in the Benguela Upwelling System, highlighting global fallout as the main source and particle reactivity effects on distribution.

Findings

$^{236}$U and $^{237}$Np concentrations are consistent with global fallout sources.

$^{237}$Np shows a decreasing trend offshore, unlike $^{236}$U.

The $^{237}$Np/$^{236}$U ratio from global fallout is approximately 1.77.

Abstract

The Benguela Upwelling System (BUS), off the south-western African coast, is one of the four major eastern boundary upwelling ecosystems in the oceans. However, despite its very interesting characteristics, this area has been almost overlooked in the field of environmental radioactivity. In this work, it has been carried out for the first time the combined study of $^{236}$U and $^{237}$Np in the coast of Namibia within the northern BUS. Surface seawater exhibited similar $^{236}$U and $^{237}$Np concentrations, ranging from $3.9\times10^6$ to $5.6\times10^6$ atoms/kg and from $4.6\times10^6$ to $8.5\times10^6$ atoms/kg, respectively. The observed inventories in a water column from the continental margin, of $(2.10 \pm 0.11)\times10^12$ atoms m$^{-2}$ for $^{236}$U and $(3.48 \pm 0.13)\times10^{12}$ atoms/m$^{-2}$ for $^{237}$Np, were in agreement with the global fallout (GF) source term in the Southern Hemisphere, which was recognized as the main source of actinides to the region. A pattern was observed in the surface samples, with $^{237}$Np concentrations that decreased by 25-30% when moving from inshore to offshore stations, but such an effect could not be clearly discerned in the case of $^{236}$U within the data uncertainties. An explanation based on the larger particle reactivity of GF $^{237}$Np compared to GF $^{236}$U was proposed. Such an effect would have been important at the studied site due to the enhance presence of particles in the continental shelf triggered by the upwelling phenomenon. A value of $1.77 \pm 0.20$ was obtained for the $^{237}$Np/$^{236}$U atom ratio for the GF source term in the marine environment.