Biomass dynamics and sup 137 Cs cycling in floating-leaved macrophytes in a nuclear-contaminated aquatic ecosystem

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7105878

Kelly, M S

The purpose of these studies was to provide system-wide estimates of quantities of radioactive {sup 137}Cs cycling through above-sediment biomass of dominant macrophyte species during a growing season in Pond B, an abandoned cooling reservoir on the Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, SC. Three floating-leaved species comprised 50-60% of plant standing crop in this softwater system and were the subject of production studies stratified by water depth. Turnover rates for leaf/petiole biomass averaged 2%, 3% and 5% day{sup {minus}1} and 5.9, 7.4 and 14.7 yr{sup {minus}1} for Nymphaea odorata, Brasenia schreberi, and Nymphoides cordata, respectively. Turnover rates varied by season, water depth, and levels of herbivory, depending on species. {sup 137}Cs concentrations in plants did not different significantly by water depth, but were higher in petioles than in leaves. Transplant experiments determined that {sup 137}Cs was absorbed readily from the water column, and not from sediments, by all three species.

• Research Organization: Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7105878
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CONTAMINATION
CESIUM 137
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
PLANTS
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
WATER POLLUTION
GENETIC VARIABILITY
RADIATION MONITORING
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
CESIUM ISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POLLUTION
RADIOISOTOPES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VARIATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
540330* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560162 - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells