Long-Distance Radionuclide Transfer in the Arctic Seas Related to Fish Migrations

The long-distance migrations of commercial fish in the arctic seas may lead to the biological transfer of artificial radionuclides from highly contaminated local zones in the arctic seas to remote non-contaminated areas. Based on experimental data the dynamics of 137Cs bioaccumulation in fish from t...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Radiation Protection Dosimetry
Main Author: Sazykina, T.G.
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press 1998
Subjects:
Online Access:http://rpd.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/75/1-4/219
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a032233
Description
Summary:The long-distance migrations of commercial fish in the arctic seas may lead to the biological transfer of artificial radionuclides from highly contaminated local zones in the arctic seas to remote non-contaminated areas. Based on experimental data the dynamics of 137Cs bioaccumulation in fish from the Barents Sea (arcto-norwegian cod) was analysed. It was demonstrated that the 137Cs concentration factors for arctic fish were not constant, but gradually changed from 28 � 5 in 1979 up to 182 � 48 in 1992 with a slow decrease in subsequent years. The conclusion reached was that the radionuclide 'concentration factor' approach to the prediction of arctic fish contamination was not very applicable. An original calculation method is proposed for modelling the dynamics of radioactive contamination of fish, with consideration of fish feeding behaviour, growth and seasonal migrations. Results of the computer simulation of the fish contamination in the Barents Sea after a hypothetical accidental release of 1 TBq of 137Cs from the radioactive waste dumping site are presented.