Balances of /sup 137/Cs, stable cesium and potassium of bluegill (lepomis macrochirus raf. ) and other fish in White Oak Lake

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1972 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-197209000-00004· OSTI ID:5999302

Kolehmainen, S E

Concentrations of /sup 137/Cs, stable cesium and potassium, and the intake and elimination rates of these nuclides were determined in bluegill and 6 other species of fish inhabiting a small radioactively contaminated lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during the period from June 1967 to January 1969. Cesium-137 concentrations increased by a factor of 4 in bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus Raf.) from 1 to 70 g, but the concentration of stable cesium decreased slightly with increasing fish size. In all species the concentrations of /sup 137/Cs cycled seasonally with a minimum in summer and a maximum in winter. Radiocesium concentration was highest in species feeding on food from which a high percentage of /sup 137/Cs was absorbed. The concentration of stable cesium cycled similar to that of /sup 137/Cs. Concentrations of potassium decreased somewhat with increasing fish size, but did not fluctuate seasonally. The specific activities of /sup 137/Cs in fish were in the same ranges as the specific activity of /sup 137/Cs in water. In bluegill the absorbed /sup 137/Cs was eliminated by a two-component exponential process. At 15/sup 0/C, the rates were 0.0912/day (fast component) and 0.00370/day (slow component) in bluegill above 70 g. The proportion of the body burden eliminated by the fast component was 37% after a single feeding of food contaminated with /sup 137/Cs; in the equilibrium state, the proportion of the body burden eliminated by the fast component was only 2.3%. Rates of cesium elimination decreased with the increasing weight of bluegill. Potassium was eliminated at a single exponential rate, 0.019/day at 15/sup 0/C in bluegill. The absorption of potassium was almost complete for all types of food. Intake rates of /sup 137/Cs, stable cesium, and potassium in bluegill were calculated on the basis of seasonal changes in body burden and elimination rates of these nuclides. 46 references, 6 figures, 10 tables.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
• OSTI ID: 5999302
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 23; ISSN HLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALI METALS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BODY BURDEN
CESIUM
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
DATA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IV
FISHES
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LAKES
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OAK RIDGE RESERVATION
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POTASSIUM
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SURFACE WATERS
TENNESSEE
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES