Availability of environmental radioactivity to honey bee colonies at Los Alamos
Data are presented on the availability of tritium, cesium 137, and plutonium to honey bee colonies foraging in the environment surrounding the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Sources of these radionuclides in the laboratory environs include liquid and atmospheric effluents and buried solid waste. Honey bee colonies were placed in three canyon liquid waste disposal areas and were sampled frequently, along with honey, surface water, and surrounding vegetation, to qualitatively determine the availability of these radionuclides to bees (Apis mellifera) and to identify potential food chain sources of the elements. Tritium concentrations in bee and honey samples from the canyons increased rapidly from initial values of <1 pCi/ml moisture to as much as 9.2 nCi/ml in 75 days after placement of the hives in the canyons. Seasonal patterns in foraging activities as influenced by weather and food availability were apparent in the data. It appears that several sources of tritium were utilized by the colonies, including surface water in the canyons and vegetation receiving tritium from atmospheric effluents and buried solid waste. Concentrations of cesium 137 and plutonium were generally low or undetectable in bees throughout the study. However, levels of both nuclides increased by factors of 10 to 20 in bees from two of the canyon study areas during a 3-month period in 1973. It was speculated that the liquid effluents in the two canyons were the source of the increased concentrations in bee samples, since this water was the only significant source of /sup 137/Cs in the environs. The existence of at least three radionuclide sources in the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) environs complicates the interpretation of the data. However, it is apparent that honey bees can acquire /sup 3/H, /sup 137/Cs, and Pu from multiple sources in the environs.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM
- OSTI ID:
- 7317249
- Journal Information:
- J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 5:3; ISSN JEVQA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560172 -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Animals-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOLOGY
ELEMENTS
FOOD CHAINS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
ISOTOPES
LASL
LIGHT NUCLEI
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOECOLOGY
RADIOISOTOPES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
TRITIUM
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES