571 



Table 5. Anthropogenic Radionuclide Budget 

 of the Barents and Kara Seas Ecosystem, 1961-1990 



* — E.\pen estimate of the upper limit of activity at the time of disposal. 



2.3.2. Disposal Sites, Volumes, and Total Activity of 

 Radioactive Waste Dumped by the USSR in Far Eastern Seas 



In this section, as in the previous one, we review data on the discharge and dumping of low- 

 and intermediate-level liquid and solid RW at sea. 



The geographical locations of officially designated areas for disposal of liquid and solid RW 

 are shown in Fig. 8, and descriptions of the areas are given in Table A4 of the Appendix. Of the 

 ten areas used for disposal, only Area 4 satisfied IAEA requirements for disposal of RW in terms 

 of depth and location. 



LRW was dumped in far eastern seas by the USSR from 1966 through 1991 in five of the 

 designated areas (Table A6 of Appendix). In volume, the most LRW was dumped in Area 7 (near 

 the southeastern coast of Kamchatka Peninsula), and in activity, in Area 9 (Sea of Japan). The an- 

 nual variation in LRW dumping in far eastern seas is shovm in Fig. 9. In terms of activity, the 

 most LRW was clearly dumped in 1986-1987. 



Available data demonstrate that a total of at least 12,335 Ci (456 TBq) of LRW was dumped 

 in far eastern seas. 



Data on the disposal of low- and intermediate-level SRW in far eastern seas are presented in 

 Table A7 of the Appendix. Such dumpings were conducted regularly in fotv of the 10 designated 

 areas beginning in 1986. In volume of SRW dumped. Area 9 (Sea of Japan) stands out, and in 

 total activity of low- and intermediate-level SRW dimiped. Area 8 off the southeastern coast of 

 Kamchatka stands out. According to available data, the total activity of intermediate- and low- 

 level SRW dumped by the USSR in spedaily designated areas in &r eastern seas is 6,851 Ci (254 

 TBq). This activity is contained in 6,868 sunken containers, 38 sunken ships, and over 100 other 

 individual sunken large objects. 



The variation in dumping of low- and intermediate-level SRW in far eastern seas is shown in 

 Fig. 9. These data indicate that the maximum amount of such SRW (in terms of activity) was 



29 



