Unravelling 5 decades of anthropogenic 236U discharge from nuclear reprocessing plants

Marine biogenic materials such as corals, shells, or seaweed have long been recognized as recorders of environmental conditions. Here, the bivalve Cerastoderma edule is used for the first time as a recorder of past seawater contamination with anthropogenic uranium, specifically 236U. Several studies have employed the authorized radioactive releases, including 236U, from nuclear reprocessing plants in La Hague, France, into the English Channel,...