Uptake and elimination of radiocaesium in fish and the “size effect”

Abstract

A number of hypotheses have previously been developed concerning the rates of uptake and elimination of radiocaesium (137Cs) in fish. These include the influence of potassium and other water chemical parameters on both uptake and elimination, and the effect of fish size on accumulation. In order to test these hypotheses, we have assembled a data set comprising more than 1,000 measurements of radiocaesium (137Cs) in predatory fish (perch, pike and brown trout) in nine European lakes during the years after Chernobyl. These data have been analysed using simple models for uptake and excretion of 137Cs in fish, showing that: 1. Fish-water concentration factors (CF) were inversely proportional to potassium [K+] concentration of the different lakes, in agreement with previous studies. 2. The uptake rate of 137Cs in fish was negatively correlated with lake [K+], but excretion rate was independent of [K+]. 3. Lower than expected CF values were found in one lake, Iso Valkjärvi, Finland. This is attributed to inhibition of the K+ (and therefore 137Cs) high affinity transport system in aquatic plants and fish by low pH and/or low Ca2+. 4. The inclusion of fish weight as a parameter in our dynamic model significantly improves the ability of the model to fit the observed measurements of 137Cs. 5. The model developed from the above hypotheses was able to fit the data from nine different lakes to within approximately a factor of 3 of the observed values.

Detection of heavy metals bio-accumulation in scombrids for the determination of possible health hazard

“…Elemental bioaccumulation in fish is related to two major factors, water through the gills and most importantly food (Dallinger et al, 1987;Reinfelder et al,1998;Smith et al, 2002). The bloodstream is the main carrier of metals that circulate and deposit in various tissues.…”

A new approach to predicting environmental transfer of radionuclides to wildlife: A demonstration for freshwater fish and caesium

“…In the case of Cs and freshwater fish a key site specific factor is the K concentration in water (e.g. Smith et al (2000) demonstrate approximately two-orders of magnitude variation in CR wo-water explained by water K concentration) with water pH and Ca concentration also being suggested to influence Cs transfer (Smith et al, 2002). Consequently, there is often large variation between the outputs of models using CR wo values to predict activity concentrations in wildlife (Beresford et al, 2008c;Yankovich et al, 2010;Johansen et al, 2012) and the approach is open to criticism as being too simplistic (ICRP 2009).…”

Bioaccumulation of trace elements in pelagic fish from the Western Indian Ocean

“…The two major vectors of trace element assimilation in fish are water, through the gills, and more importantly food (Dallinger et al, 1987;Reinfelder et al, 1998;Smith et al, 2002). Metals and selenium circulate through the body via blood and are accumulated in various tissues.…”