Environmental fate of radiocesium in biota inhabiting a contaminated ecosystem on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site

Leaphart, James C.; Korotasz, Alexis M.; Bryan, Albert L.; Beasley, James C.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106321

Title: Environmental fate of radiocesium in biota inhabiting a contaminated ecosystem on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site

Journal Article · Fri Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106321· OSTI ID:1848963

Leaphart, James C. ^[1]; Korotasz, Alexis M. ^[2]; Bryan, Albert L. ^[2]; Beasley, James C. ^[1]

Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL); Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States). Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL)

Although biomagnification of radiocesium (¹³⁷Cs) has been reported in food webs, most previous research has been limited to select trophic linkages. Few studies have included a comprehensive survey of fauna associated with aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial habitats within a single study framework. The objectives of this study were to advance our understanding of the dynamics of ¹³⁷Cs accumulation within food webs by quantifying ¹³⁷Cs activity across a wide range of biota found within a contaminated canal, as well as test the hypothesis that life-stage and body size influence ¹³⁷Cs bioaccumulation in select herpetofauna. With extensive sampling across multiple taxa collected from a contaminated canal system and associated floodplain on the Savannah River Site, we assessed ¹³⁷Cs activity and stable nitrogen isotopes for both aquatic organisms that were restricted to the contaminated effluent canal, and semi-aquatic organisms able to move freely between the contaminated canal and the adjacent uncontaminated terrestrial habitat. We found ¹³⁷Cs activity to be highly variable among species, with evidence for and against biomagnification in semi-aquatic and aquatic organisms, respectively. Furthermore, ¹³⁷Cs activity decreased with life stage and body size in bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus), despite post-metamorphic bullfrogs having a more carnivorous diet compared to tadpoles, while cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) retained similar ¹³⁷Cs activity regardless of their age and size. While evidence of biomagnification has been observed in some contaminated systems, results of our study suggest the extent to which ¹³⁷Cs biomagnifies within food webs is context-dependent and likely influenced by a suite of biotic and abiotic factors. Further, our data indicate sampling of a broad suite of species and environmental attributes are needed to elucidate the fate and dynamics of anthropogenic pollutants within contaminated ecosystems.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: EM0004391; 1460940

OSTI ID:: 1848963

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1777561

Journal Information:: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 222, Issue C; ISSN 0265-931X

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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Title: Environmental fate of radiocesium in biota inhabiting a contaminated ecosystem on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site

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