Marine plankton as an indicator of low-level radionuclide contamination in the Southern Ocean

• Main Authors: Marsh, K.V., Buddemeier, R.W.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 1984
• Subjects: Uranium Isotopes; Aquatic Organisms; Niobium Isotopes; Electron Capture Radioisotopes; Alkaline Earth Isotopes; Beta Decay Radioisotopes; Potassium 40; Dispersions; Ecological Concentration; Beta-Minus Decay Radioisotopes; Niobium 95; Data; Thorium Isotopes; Surface Waters; Isotopes; Aerosols; Intermediate Mass Nuclei; Even-Odd Nuclei; Sols; Light Nuclei; Even-Even Nuclei; Isomeric Transition Isotopes; Plankton; Biological Accumulation; Uranium 238; Nuclei; Alpha Decay Radioisotopes; 54 Environmental Sciences; Minutes Living Radioisotopes; Alkali Metal Isotopes; Beryllium Isotopes; Seas; Thorium 228; Odd-Even Nuclei; Actinide Isotopes; Experimental Data; Seconds Living Radioisotopes; Numerical Data; Potassium Isotopes; Years Living Radioisotopes 520300* > Environment; Aquatic > Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport > (1989); Pacific Ocean; Beta-Plus Decay Radioisotopes; Cesium 144; Odd-Odd Nuclei; Information; Days Living Radioisotopes; Cesium Isotopes; 500300 > Environment; Atmospheric > Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport > (-1989); Radioecological Concentration; Radioisotopes; Colloids; Beryllium 7; Antarctic Ocean; Uranium 235; Radioactive Aerosols; Actinide Nuclei; Heavy Nuclei; Antarctic; Pacific; Southern Ocean; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2172/6802363; https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1183857/

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 shows that both freshwater and marine plankton have trace element and radionuclide concentration factors (relative to water) of up to 10/sup 4/. In the years 1956-1958, considerable work was done on the accumulation and distribution of a variety of fission and activation products produced by the nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands. Since then, studies have largely been confined to a few selected radionuclides, and by far most of this work has been done in the northern hemisphere. We participated in Operation Deepfreeze 1981, collecting 32 plankton samples from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Glacier on its Antarctic cruise, while Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories concurrently sampled air, water, rain and fallout. We were able to measure concentrations 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/. There is a definite association between the radionuclide content of plankton and air filters, suggesting that aerosol resuspension of marine radioactivity may be occurring. Biological identification of the plankton suggests a possible correlation between radionuclide concentration and foraminifera content of the samples. 38 references, 7 figures, 3 tables.