{sup 55}Fe concentration and specific activities in north Pacific marine organisms
The {sup 55}Fe from nuclear weapons testing which enters the ocean is in a chemical form which is much more readily available for biological uptake than is stable oceanic iron. This property of {sup 55}Fe results in up to 1000-fold higher {sup 55}Fe specific activities in marine organisms than is present in seawater. Dilution of {sup 55}Fe by stable iron from anthropogenic sources or natural sources appears to be responsible for the lower specific activity in mid-latitude marine organisms than in organisms from high latitudes. The half-time for {sup 55}Fe in harvested salmon from the west coast is essentially the same as the half-residence time for stratospheric radioactive debris. This fact suggests that {sup 55}Fe reaching the ocean surface is available for biological uptake for a relatively short time. Measurements of {sup 55}Fe specific activities in certain crustacea predacious fish than in the phytoplankton. What we have learned about the behavior of the radionuclide {sup 55}Fe in the ocean environment may well apply to other fallout radionuclides, and a consideration of this fact should be included in estimating the potential hazard of the release of radionuclides to the marine environment. These data suggest that the release of radioiron from a reactor to the oceans at northern latitudes may have a 10 to 30-fold greater impact than releases of radioiron at mid-latitudes.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 10188073
- Report Number(s):
- BNWL-SA-4662; ON: DE93001727
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1972]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
IRON 55
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FOOD CHAINS
SEAWATER
PACIFIC OCEAN
FISHES
SEAFOOD
ESTUARIES
SALMON
LATITUDE EFFECT
540330
450600
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL