A vessel operated by Russia's Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromets) has departed the Port of Arkhangelsk to conduct radioactive contamination monitoring as well as hydrological and hydrochemical research in the Russian Arctic.
The expedition, which will cover the White and Barents Seas, also includes specialists and students from a number of local universities embarked on Roshydromets' vessel Ivan Petrov.
One of the focus areas will be the waters off Kildin Island in the Barents Sea. In particular, Roshydromets scientists and the other embarked specialists will assess whether the area's marine environment has been experiencing possible effects of radioactive contamination in the years following the loss of the nuclear-powered submarine K-159.
The submarine, which was decommissioned by the Soviet Navy in 1989, had been laid up for 14 years when the Russian Navy decided to dismantle her along with 15 other submarines.
On August 28, 2003, K-159 sank while she was being towed to a dedicated recycling facility in Polyarny. The submarine's wreck eventually settled to a depth of 200 metres and all but one of the ten Russian Navy sailors who were on board to oversee the towing effort went down with her as she sank.
Reports stated that K-159 still had approximately 800 kg of spent nuclear fuel on board at the time of her loss. The scientists on Ivan Petrov will therefore collect water and bottom sediment samples for radionuclide analysis.