Radionuclides in plankton from the South Pacific Basin
We have initiated an investigation of the utility of marine plankton as bioconcentrating samplers of low-level marine radioactivity in the southern hemisphere. A literature review has shown that both freshwater and marine plankton have trace element and radionuclide concentration factors (relative to water) of up to 10/sup 4/. We participated in Operations Deepfreeze 1981 and 1982, collecting a total of 48 plankton samples from the USCGC Glacier on its Antarctic cruises. Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories sampled air, water, rain, and fallout. We were able to measure concentrations in plankton of the naturally-occurring radionuclides /sup 7/Be, /sup 40/K, and the U and Th series, and we believe that we have detected low levels of /sup 144/Ce and /sup 95/Nb in seven samples ranging as far south as 68/sup 0/. Biological identification of the plankton suggests a possible correlation between radionuclide concentration and the protozoa content of the samples. 7 references, 5 figures.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5078845
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-89843; CONF-840408-6; ON: DE84008943
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. international conference on nuclear methods in environmental and energy research, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, 2 Apr 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PLANKTON
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
BERYLLIUM 7
CERIUM 144
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NIOBIUM 95
POTASSIUM 40
SEAS
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CERIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NIOBIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
POLAR REGIONS
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
RARE EARTH ISOTOPES
RARE EARTH NUCLEI
SURFACE WATERS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520302* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)