Kieran TierneyUniversity of Glasgow | UofG · Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC)
Kieran Tierney
BSc, MRes, PhD - Environmental Radioactivity
About
10
Publications
2,432
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
78
Citations
Introduction
Researcher at the University of Glasgow. My research interests are within environmental contamination and using ecosystem models to trace contaminants within food-webs, including radionuclides such as radiocarbon.
Additional affiliations
September 2017 - December 2021
Education
October 2013 - September 2017
September 2012 - September 2013
September 2008 - June 2012
Publications
Publications (10)
Ecosystem uptake and transfer processes of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (¹⁴C) within the Irish Sea were examined. Highly variable activities in sediment, seawater and biota indicate complex ¹⁴C dispersal and uptake dynamics. All east basin biota exhibited ¹⁴C enrichments above ambient background while most west basin biota had ¹⁴C activities clos...
Ecosystem uptake and transfer of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (¹⁴C) were examined within the West of Scotland marine environment. The dissolved inorganic carbon component of seawater, enriched in ¹⁴C, is transported to the West of Scotland where it is transferred through the marine food web. Benthic and pelagic biota with variable life-spans livi...
To evaluate the transfer of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (¹⁴C) to top predators in the UK marine environment, ¹⁴C activities were examined in stranded marine mammals. All samples of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) obtained from the Irish Sea showed ¹⁴C enrichment above background. Mammal samples obtained from the West of Scotland, including...
Sellafield marine discharges of 14C are the largest contributor to the global collective dose from the nuclear fuel industry. As such, it is important to understand the fate of these discharges beyond the limitations and scope of empirical analytical investigations for this highly mobile radioactive contaminant. Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) is widely...
Understanding anthropogenic radionuclide biogeochemistry and mobility in natural systems is key to improving the management of radioactively contaminated environments and radioactive wastes. Here, we describe the contemporary depth distribution and phase partitioning of ¹³⁷Cs, Pu, and ²⁴¹Am in two sediment cores taken from the Irish Sea (Site 1: th...
A novel method for precipitating hydroxyapatite (HAp) onto cement paste is investigated for protecting concrete infrastructure from radiological contamination. Legacy nuclear sites contain large volumes of contaminated concrete and are expensive and dangerous to decommission. One solution is to ‘design for decommissioning’ by confining contaminants...
The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of En-gland. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon (14 C) which is disposed of in various forms...
From 1994 onwards, 14C discharges from Sellafield have been made largely to the Northeast Irish Sea. They represent the largest contributor to UK and European populations of the collective dose commitment derived from the entire nuclear industry discharges. Consequently, it is important to understand the long-term fate of 14C in the marine environm...
The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon (14C) which, due to its long half-life (5730...
Questions
Question (1)
Methods involving 10% sodium hyperchlorite, 70% ethanol or 10% sodium hyperchlorite + 20% TX100 have failed. Any advice would be appreciated.