Plutonium uptake by marine phytoplankton in culture

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1980.25.5.0823· OSTI ID:6757400

Fisher, N S; Olson, B L; Bowen, V T

At environmentally realistic atom concentrations /sup 237/Pu tracer was used to examine Pu uptake by unialgla cultures of Thalassiosira pseudonana (live and dead), Thalassiosira sp., and Platymonas sp., as well as by glass particles. Live or dead cells and glass particles accumulated Pu at similar rates, indicating that initial uptake was a passive phenomenon. Uptake was strongly affected by the nature of particle surfaces, but much less by composition of the media. Cells from rapidly growing cultures took up more Pu, than did those from late log or senescent cultures. Acid-washed glass took up more Pu, faster, than did unwashed glass. Cells accumulated more Pu from uv-treated seawater than from seawater untreated or enriched with f/50-level EDTA or f/50 vitamins; from complete f/50 medium uptake was even less, as with f/50 trace metals + EDTA. After a shot uptake Pu was 25% removable in tracer-free media, but after 3 days of uptake none was removable in seawater or exometabolite media, and only 15% in f/50-level EDTA. The data support the hypothesis that Pu in marine environments associates with suspended particles that could act as vertical vectors for this element.

• Research Organization: Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., Mass.
• OSTI ID: 6757400
• Journal Information: Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States), Journal Name: Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States) Vol. 25:5; ISSN LIOCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560163* -- Radionuclide Effects-Internal Source-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALGAE
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMINO ACIDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CULTURES
CHELATING AGENTS
CONTAMINATION
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
EDTA
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GLASS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 237
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEAWATER
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
UNICELLULAR ALGAE
UPTAKE
WATER