Alarm sounded on radioactive risk from deep sea mining
An anti-deep-sea mining group warns that harvesting minerals from the ocean floor risks degraded radioactive material entering the marine food chain.
The Campaign for Deep Sea Mining says the burgeoning industry could stir up and spread radioactive particles concentrated on the seafloor, with potentially harmful consequences for marine creatures that ingest or inhale them.
The report, prepared by an alliance of NGOs, scientists and citizens from Australia, Papua New Guinea and Canada, states that people who eat seafood, including humans, may also be exposed.
The application of deep-sea mining, currently under investigation, involves the extraction of mineral deposits from the ocean floor, i.e. targeting polymetallic “nodules” found predominantly in international waters.
Recommended processes vary by company, but mining generally involves extracting minerals from the seabed and leaving sediment in the water.
Supporters say demand for nickel, manganese and other minerals found on the seabed for clean energy, defense and technology is increasing, and mining on land poses environmental and social risks.
But questions remain about the environmental significance of the deep sea and, in particular, the consequences of mining in international waters; green groups and some countries are calling for a moratorium until more is discovered.
There are still no globally accepted rules on offshore deep-sea mining.
The International Seabed Authority, the United Nations body established to regulate the industry, meets in July to continue discussions.
Helen Rosenbaum, research coordinator for the Deep Sea Mining Campaign, said the potential health effects experienced by workers working with radioactive nodules have already been investigated, but the damage to marine ecosystems has not yet been discovered.
Radioactive alpha emitters accumulate naturally on the seafloor, including in polymetallic nodules that miners will target.
Marine ecosystems on the seabed can cope with some of the background radioactivity, but researchers say disruption of the seafloor will mobilize material and possibly expose more marine life.
Alpha particles can be easily blocked by barriers such as skin or paper, but are “extremely dangerous” if inhaled or swallowed, Dr Rosenbaum said.
“Marine life cannot escape contaminated water; they will inhale it, swallow it and eat prey contaminated by mining activities,” he said.
Deep-sea mining has become controversial for Pacific island nations close to mineral-rich seabeds, with the promise of new revenue streams countering environmental and social risks.
The Cook Islands, for example, supports deep-sea mining on its territory in a bid to diversify its tourism-dependent economy.
Alanna Matamaru Smith, from the Te Ipukarea Community in the Cook Islands, said the report raises important questions about potential ecotoxicity in marine food webs that could threaten a vital food source for Pacific Island communities.
“It highlights exactly the kinds of issues on which Pacific peoples and leaders need hard data to make informed decisions about the future of our ocean resources.”
