Mortality of the harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex owyheei) after exposure to /sup 137/Cs gamma radiation
Harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex owyheei Cole, irradiated with 3.5 kR to 268 kR of /sup 137/Cs gamma radiation, were maintained at simulated summer (27/sup 0/C) and winter (7/sup 0/C) temperature regimes. After thirty days, the cool series was warmed to 27/sup 0/C and observed for mortality along with the warm series. Though mortality was delayed in the cool series, each series reached 50% mortality at similar rates. Because the harvester ant is extremely tolerant to radiation and experimental rates used far exceed possible environmental exposure, it is unlikely that ant colonies dwelling among low-level nuclear waste storage sites will be deleteriously affected by radiation. This species has the capability of tunneling to a depth well within the range of some buried waste. Since these harvester ants are potential transporters of buried waste, they should be considered as a biotic factor in radioactive waste management operations in semi-arid regions.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5069964
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Entomol.; (United States), Vol. 10:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
INSECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIATION HAZARDS
CESIUM 137
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
GAMMA RADIATION
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MORTALITY
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOSENSITIVITY
SIMULATION
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INVERTEBRATES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560153* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Invertebrates- (-1987)
053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects