NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Philippines
Angel T. Bautista VII, PhD

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute –Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PNRI)

National Agenda on R&D:
Science for the People
Department of Science and Technology

National Agenda on Environment:
Ensuring Ecological Integrity, Clean
and Healthy and Environment
Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Strategy
Framework to
Ensure Ecological
Integrity, Clean
and Healthy
Environment(2017-2022)

Strategy
Framework to
Ensure Ecological
Integrity, Clean
and Healthy
Environment(2017-2022)

R&D programs and projects
corals · forest soil carbon · food authenticity and traceability

Corals3DXCT and Iodine-129http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/coralreefs.html

Corals
Massive corals (Porites spp.)
Produces growth bands year per year.

9http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/coralreefs.html

Corals
Massive corals (Porites spp.)
Produces growth bands year per year.
Record changes in marine conditions in the past.
Can help us understand possible changes in the future.

10

Coral Work
Coral Sites:
3 modern and 4 fossil corals. 1 more modern coralis targeted to be sampled in 2021.
Comparison of modern corals vs. fossil corals tocompare modern and geologic environmental
settings.
Studies:
1. 3DXCT for reconstructing SST in modern andfossil corals.
2. 14C dating of fossil corals (sea-level rise).
3. 129I to detect signals from Nuclear Weapons
Testing, Fuel Reprocessing, and Accidents

11Natural: SST reconstruction
Analysis:
3D X-Ray Computed Tomography(Admatel, Philippines)
Spatial Resolution: 54 µm (coral age
equivalent time resolution ≊ 2.5 days)
Concept:
X-rays (gray values) show the relative
density of the corals.

Density of the corals are related to SST(corals are denser in warmer waters).
https://4nsi.com/

Using X-ray gray values, we canreconstruct SST from the coral core12

Natural: SST reconstruction
Analysis:
3D X-Ray Computed Tomography(Admatel, Philippines)
Spatial Resolution: 54 µm (coral age
equivalent time resolution ≊ 2.5 days)
Concept:
X-rays (gray values) show the relative
density of the corals.

Density of the corals are related to SST(corals are denser in warmer waters).
Using X-ray gray values, we canreconstruct SST from the coral cores.

13

Coral X-Ray
Gray Values

Daily SST based
from OISST (1981present)14

Coral X-ray and OISST matchingThis will confirm coral age dating.
Basis of SST reconstruction for therest of the coral core.
15

Natural: SST reconstruction
34

SST vs. X-Ray Gray
Value:
Equation can beused to reconstruct
SST for the rest (i.e.,parts older than1981) of the coral
core at a resolutionof up to 2.5 days.

SST (°C)

3128

25

y = 0.314x + 10.012
R² = 0.8734

2240

50
60
70
Coral X-Ray Gray Values

80

OISST record is only
until year 1981.

16

layer wheresample wasacquired• coral head clast in a gravelly tidal channel deposit• outcrop elevation is more than 100 m• coral sample still aragonite -> unusual to find aragonitic
samples at this elevation in the Philippines
knowing the age of the sample will provide clues
to the relative sea level changes in the area

BC orActual Radiocarbon Age (13CMedianRadiocarbon age unc Calendar AgeAD?
Codecorrected, in BP)
FPS 1
44142.65844
735.093589
46731- 43567 BC
45037
too old for MARINE 13 CalibFPS 248189.92302
1025.663408
Curve (only until 46806 BP inradiocarbon age)

• Obtained coral age falls within Marine Isotope Stage 3(between 60 and 25 ka B.P.)• Sea level at this point was 60 m to 90 m below presentsea level• Current elevation of coral sample is around 100 m
above sea level -> indicates very rapid vertical uplift• However, obtained age date is near MARINE 13
Calibration Curve boundaryMan-Made: Nuclear Activities
Analysis:
129I/127I measurement using Accelerator
Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Inductively
Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) in MALT, University of Tokyo, Japan
Concept:
Iodine-129 or 129I mainly comes fromhuman nuclear activities such as nuclear
weapons testing, nuclear fuelreprocessing, and nuclear accidents
Measuring 129I in coral cores will allow us
to reconstruct the historical impact ofnuclear activities.
http://malt.um.u-tokyo.ac.jp/introduction.html

Resolution: One to 0.5 year19

Man-Made:
Human Nuclear Activities

Nuclear Weapons Testing
http://atlanticsentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/French-nuclear-weapons-test.jpg

Nuclear Fuel
Reprocessing

Nuclear Accidents
He et al., 2013

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org

20

3.50E-11
3.00E-11

1954.5
1958.5129I / 127I ratio

2.50E-11
2.00E-11

129I in coral cores

1.50E-11

1. Nuclear Weapons Testing
2. Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
3. Nuclear Accidents

1956.5

1.00E-11
1952.5a. Chernobyl Accident (12-year delay)b. Fukushima Accident (3-year delay)

5.00E-12
0.00E+00
1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

Year

21

3.50E-11
3.00E-11

1954.5
1958.5129I / 127I ratio

2.50E-11
2.00E-11

129I in coral cores

1.50E-11

1. Nuclear Weapons Testing
2. Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
3. Nuclear Accidents

1956.5

1.00E-11
1952.5a. Chernobyl Accident (12-year delay)b. Fukushima Accident (3-year delay)

5.00E-120.00E+00
1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

Year

22

3.50E-11
3.00E-11

1954.5
1958.5129I / 127I ratio

2.50E-11
2.00E-11

129I in coral cores

1.50E-11

1. Nuclear Weapons Testing
2. Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
3. Nuclear Accidents

1956.5

1.00E-11
1952.5a. Chernobyl Accident (12-year delay)b. Fukushima Accident (3.5-year delay)

5.00E-120.00E+00
1930

1940

1950

1960

19701980

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

Year

23

24

Conclusions
3DXCT of corals can be used for age dating and reconstructionof past sea surface temperature.
Radiocarbon (14C) of fossil corals gives us a glimpse about past
sea-level changes.
129I in corals can be used to reconstruct impacts of nuclear

activities.

25

ReforeStable Carbon-Plus:
Stable Isotopes-Based Evaluation of the Climate Change
Mitigation Potential, Recovery Status, and Resilience ofReforested Soils Under the National Greening Program

Food Authenticity and Traceability Using Isotope Techniques Program
Project 1: Organic Products and Halal Food
Authenticity Testing Using Isotope and NuclearBased Methodologies
Mr. Raymond J. Sucgang, PNRI
Project 2: Adulteration Detection andFingerprinting of Philippine Honey Using StableIsotopes (Phase 2)
Dr. Angel T. Bautista VII, PNRI
Project 3: Tracing the Geographic Origin ofPhilippine Carabao Mango Through Chemoisotopic
Fingerprinting
Mr. Gerald Dicen, PNRI
Project 4: Stable Isotope Profiling of Coffee andCacao Beans in the Philippines by IRMS and XRF forOrigin Identification
Dr. Emmanuel Garcia, DLSU

Two (2) Years
Year 1: 31,570,391.32
Year 2: 14,408,766.15
Total: 45,979,157.47

Thank you very much!