Radionuclides in plankton from the South Pacific Basin

• Main Authors: Marsh, K.V., Buddemeier, R.W.
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; PLANKTON; BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS; RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ANTARCTIC REGIONS; BERYLLIUM 7; CERIUM 144; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; NIOBIUM 95; POTASSIUM 40; SEAS; THORIUM ISOTOPES; URANIUM ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CERIUM ISOTOPES; DATA; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; INFORMATION; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; NIOBIUM ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; POLAR REGIONS; POTASSIUM ISOTOPES; RARE EARTH ISOTOPES; RARE EARTH NUCLEI; SURFACE WATERS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; Antarctic; Pacific; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5078845; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5078845; https://doi.org/10.2172/5078845

We have initiated an investigation of the utility of marine plankton as bioconcentrating samplers of low-level marine radioactivity in the southern hemisphere. A literature review has shown that both freshwater and marine plankton have trace element and radionuclide concentration factors (relative to water) of up to 10/sup 4/. We participated in Operations Deepfreeze 1981 and 1982, collecting a total of 48 plankton samples from the USCGC Glacier on its Antarctic cruises. Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories sampled air, water, rain, and fallout. We were able to measure concentrations in plankton of the naturally-occurring radionuclides /sup 7/Be, /sup 40/K, and the U and Th series, and we believe that we have detected low levels of /sup 144/Ce and /sup 95/Nb in seven samples ranging as far south as 68/sup 0/. Biological identification of the plankton suggests a possible correlation between radionuclide concentration and the protozoa content of the samples. 7 references, 5 figures.