Environmental contaminants in birds: phosphate-mine and natural wetlands. Final report

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5917641

O'Meara, T E; Marion, W R; Roessler, C E; Roessler, G S; Van Rinsvelt, H A

Large ponds used to settle the waste clays from Florida's phosphate surface-mining operations are attractive to waterfowl, and contain elevated levels of trace elements and radionuclides of the uranium-series naturally associated with phosphate ore. Four species of waterfowl were sampled to investigate accumulation of radionuclides and trace elements and to evaluate potential deleterious effects for the birds and humans consuming them. Greater radium-226 levels in the substrate of the settling ponds than in natural wetlands were reflected in elevated concentrations in bones for all four species. Diet/substrate ratios were less than 1 for all species in all areas. Bone/substrate ratios differed between settling areas and natural wetlands. Radium-226 levels in soft tissues were consistently less than those in bones, and did not appear to represent an increased threat to humans eating the tissue.

• Research Organization: Florida Univ., Gainesville (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5917641
• Report Number(s): PB-87-231973/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BIRDS
ECOSYSTEMS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MINERALS
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHATE MINERALS
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PONDS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SAMPLING
SEDIMENTS
SETTLING PONDS
SURFACE WATERS
TRACE AMOUNTS
UPTAKE
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM PHOSPHATES
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION
WETLANDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES