Effects of arctic temperature on distribution and retention of the nuclear waste radionuclides 241

• Main Authors: David A. Hutchins, Ian Stupakoff, Sharon Hook, Samuel N. Luomah, Pcholas S. Fisheft, D. A. Hutchins Ct Al
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1998
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.513.4383; http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/publications/pdf/hutchins_1998_artic_temps.pdf

The disposal of radioactive wastes in Arctic seas has made it important to under-stand the processes affecting the accumulation of radionuclides in food webs in coldwater ecosystems. We examined the effects of temperature on radionuclide assimilation and retention by the bioindicator bivalve Macoma balthica using three representative nuclear waste components, 2 4 1 ~ m, 57Co, and 13'Cs. Experiments were designed to determine the kinetics of processes that control uptake from food and water, as well as kinetic constants of loss. lj7Cs was not accumulated in soft tissue from water during short exposures, and was rapid/-v lost from shell with no thermal dependence. No effects of temperature on 57Co assimilation or retention from food were observed. The on/-v substantial effect ofpolar temperatures was that on the assimilation efficiency of 2 4 1 ~ m.from food, where 10 % was assimilated at 2°C and 26 % at I TC. For all three radionuclides, body distributions were correlated with source, with most radioactivity obtained from water found in the shell and food in the soji tissues. These results suggest that in general Arctic conditions had relatively small effects on the biological processes which influence the bioaccumulation of radioactive wastes, and bivalve concentration factors may not be appreciably diprent between polar and temperate waters. 01998 Elsevier