Source : Perth Now news
Plucking minerals from the ocean floor risks disturbed radioactive material entering the marine food chain, an anti-deep sea mining group warns.
The Deep Sea Mining Campaign says the emerging industry could stir up and spread radioactive particles that concentrate on the sea floor, with potentially harmful ramifications for marine creatures that ingest or inhale them.
Seafood eaters, including humans, could also be exposed, says the report from the alliance of NGOs, scientists and citizens from Australia, Papua New Guinea and Canada.
The still-exploratory practice of deep sea mining involves retrieving mineral deposits from the ocean floor, namely targeting polymetallic “nodules” found predominantly in international waters.
Proposed processes differ by company but the mining typically involves extracting minerals from the sea floor and leaving behind sediment in the water.
Proponents say there is growing demand for nickel, manganese and other minerals found on the sea bed for clean energy, defence and technology, and that mining on land poses environmental and social risks.
But questions remain as to the environmental significance of the deep seas and the consequences of mining it – particularly in international waters – prompting green groups and some countries to call for a moratorium until more is discovered.
There are still no globally accepted rules for deep sea mining in the high seas.
The United Nations body set up to regulate the industry, the International Seabed Authority, is meeting in July to continue discussions.
Deep Sea Mining Campaign research co-ordinator Helen Rosenbaum said potential health impacts experienced by workers handling radioactive nodules was already under investigation but the harms posed to marine ecosystems were unexplored.
Radioactive alpha emitters accumulate naturally on the sea floor, including in the polymetallic nodules miners would target.
Sea-bed marine ecosystems can cope with some background radioactivity but the researchers say disturbing the sea floor would mobilise the material and likely expose more marine life.
Dr Rosenbaum said alpha particles were easily blocked by barriers such as skin or paper but were “extremely dangerous” when inhaled or ingested.
“Marine life cannot escape polluted water; they will breathe it in and swallow it, and eat prey contaminated by mining operations,” she said.
Deep sea mining has become controversial for Pacific island countries near mineral-rich sea beds, with the promise of new income streams butting up against environmental and social risks.
The Cook Islands, for example, has been supportive of deep sea mining in its territory in the interests of diversifying its tourism-dependent economy.
Alanna Matamaru Smith, from the Te Ipukarea Society in the Cook Islands, said the report raised important questions about potential ecotoxicity within marine food webs that could threaten a vital source of food for Pacific Island communities.
“It highlights exactly the type of issues that Pacific peoples and their leaders need hard data on, in order to make informed decisions about the future of our ocean resources.”
