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Conrad Dan Volz - Research

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Amchitka Expedition

Dr. Volz was Project Director for the CRESP Amchitka Expedition, with field work from June thru August of 2004. Presented below are pictures from the expedition as well as an abstract of a paper he presented on the expedition at a NATO Advanced Sciene Institute in Kaunus, Lithuania in August of 2005.

The CRESP Amchitka Expedition: A Model for Multi- and Interdisciplinary Research into Radionuclide Contamination of the Marine Environment

Conrad Volz, DrPH, MPH, Charles Powers, PhD, Joanna Burger, PhD, David Kosson, PhD, Michael Gochfeld, MD, PhD, Barry Friedlander, MD, MPH, David Barnes, PhD, Lisa Bliss, MLS, Stephen Jewett, PhD, Mark Johnson, PhD, Michael Stabin, PhD, CHP, Martyn Unsworth, PhD, Vikram Vyas, PhD and Janet Horsch, MLS, MFA

This paper argues for an increased focus of multinational research studies to specifically be designed to assess and interpret human and ecological risk aspects of environmental radiation from underground nuclear tests, dumping of radioactive wastes, and release of radionuclides into the marine environment from former and active nuclear weapon production and military facilities. Here, we present a unique, multi- and interdisciplinary model expedition to Amchitka Island, Alaska, to determine any current threat to human health and the environment from radionuclide release into the marine system from underground nuclear tests detonated during the Cold War. Physical methods were used to obtain data to reduce uncertainty regarding transport of radionuclides into the marine environment. Extensive water and sediment sampling and analysis were performed to assure the radiological safety of scientific divers and intertidal gatherers. Radiation survey and personnel monitoring were employed throughout the expedition to quickly identify radiation sources and record individual radiation doses, respectively. Scientists sampled biota at each tropic level, including sedentary and mobile species. Both a screening and in depth radiological analysis of samples for anthropogenic and natural radionuclides was done to determine the safety of human foods, human and ecological risk and establish a baseline of biological data to aid in the development of a long-term stewardship plan. While other expeditions have been conducted in far northern latitudes in connection with above- and underwater nuclear detonations, sunken submarines, and releases from accidents and reprocessing plants, they fail to integrate all procedures necessary to fully evaluate human and environmental risk. Moreover, this expedition is the first to study the effects of underground detonations in northern latitudes providing a model for similar work on Novaya Zemlya, the Russian north latitude marine underground testing site.

Complete Paper available in F. Linkov and R. LaPorte

(Eds.), Scientific networking and the global health Supercourse. NATO Security through Science Series D: Information and Communication Security-Vol. 5, Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press.