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Role of water and food in the entry of certain radionuclides into the organism of the pond snail

Journal Article · · Sov. J. Ecol. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)
OSTI ID:7326016

The aim of the present paper is to study the role of Elodea (Elodea canadensis Rich.) and the aquatic medium in accumulation of strontium-90, cesium-137, cerium-144, and ruthenium-106 by a freshwater aquatic gastropod, the pond snail Limnaea stagnalis L., under laboratory conditions. The mollusks were collected for investigation in boggy lakes in the Lithuanian SSR near Kurshkii Bay. Taking the radionuclide concentration in mollusks of variant I as 100% we find that from radioactive food mollusks accumulated strontium-90 and cerium-144 in the shells only at 2 and 5%, respectively, and in the body at 4 and 26%. Higher levels of accumulation in the mollusk body of cerium-144 and also of ruthenium-106 in the case of nourishment by radioactive Elodea are apparently connected with the high radionuclide CA in the food material, Elodea, and accumulation of these radionuclides in the mollusk gastrointestinal tract. It has been established that during accumulation of pond snails of cerium-144 from radioactive food the principal quantity is found in the gastrointestinal tract (Marchyulenene, 1969). Cerium-144 enters other organs and tissues of pond snails from radioactive food in considerably smaller quantities.

Research Organization:
Inst. of Botany, Vilnyus, USSR
OSTI ID:
7326016
Journal Information:
Sov. J. Ecol. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. J. Ecol. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 7:2; ISSN SJECA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English