The Human Impacts Database

A collection of useful numbers for quantifying the impacts of the human presence on Earth.

This quantity is a single measurement of the quantity at a given point in time (1945 — 1980).


Value:		3360 kg
HuID:		42526
Relevant Year(s):		1945 — 1980
Summary:		The approximate mass of Plutonium isotopes ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu released into the atmosphere from above-ground nuclear weapons testing. The sum total mass of radionuclides released is ≈ 3300 kg with a combined radioactive fallout of ≈11 PBq. These values do not represent the globally distributed mass (excluding close-in fallout at some testing sites) and does not account for non-weapons sources. Original data come from the UNSCEAR 200 report on sources and effects of ionizing radiation
Source:		Hancock, G.J., Tims, S.G., Fifield, L.K., and Webster, I.T. The release and persistence of radioactive anthropogenic nuclides. Geological Society, London, Special Publications (2014)
Dataset:		Fallout of long-lived radionuclides from atmospheric weapons testing (Hancock2014_table1.csv) global resolution
Original Data License:		Non-Open Access Article License
Added By:		gchure