Bioaccumulation of Cesium-137 in Yellow Bullhead Catfish (Ameiurus Natalis) Inhabiting an Abandoned Nuclear Reactor Reservoir

McCreedy, C.D.; Jagoe, Charles H.; Glickman, Lawrence T.; Brisbin, I. Lehr

doi:10.1897/1551-5028(1997)016<0328:bociyb>2.3.co;2

Cited by 6 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Much of the research on 137 Cs has been conducted in lakes and streams associated with nuclear reactors, (20,21) on atolls exposed to nuclear tests, (22) or in response to the 1986 Chernobyl accident. (23)(24)(25) To date, insufficient attention has been devoted to 137 Cs in tissue of fish from rivers or streams adjacent to industrial and nuclear facilities, where bioaccumulation might pose a threat to the food chain, including human consumers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocesium in Fish from the Savannah River and Steel Creek: Potential Food Chain Exposure to the Public

et al. 2001

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This study examined radiocesium (137Cs) levels in fish from the vicinity of the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS), a former nuclear weapons production facility in South Carolina. Fish from the Savannah River were sampled above (upstream), along, and below (downstream) the SRS, and from Steel Creek, a tributary that runs through the SRS. There was some off‐site contamination of 137Cs in the Savannah River watershed due to low‐level releases from past nuclear production on the SRS. The null hypotheses tested were that there would be no differences in 137Cs levels as a function of location along the river, and between species collected from the river and from Steel Creek on the SRS. For six of eight species of fish collected from the Savannah River, there were no differences in 137Cs levels in muscle from fish collected above, along, or below the SRS; exceptions were bowfin and shellcracker. Fish collected from Steel Creek had significantly higher levels (by about an order of magnitude) of 137Cs in muscle tissue than fish collected in the Savannah River. However, no fish from either Steel Creek or the Savannah River had 137Cs levels above the European Economic Community limit for fresh meat of 0.6 Bq/g. Lifetime cancer risk was calculated using the cancer slope factor of 3.2 × 10−11/pCi, and various fish consumption scenarios reflecting actual data from Savannah River fishermen. Using mean 137Cs concentrations and median fish consumption for 70 years for Black males—the group with the highest consumption—the excess lifetime risk associated with the eight species of fish in the Savannah River ranged from 9.0 × 10−7 to 1.0 × 10−5. The same calculation for fish from Steel Creek gave risk estimates from 1.4 to 8.0 × 10−5. The 95% level for consumption by Blacks, however, was about 70 kg/year. Black fishermen consuming that amount of bass from Steel Creek would sustain a lifetime risk of 3.1 × 10−4, whereas the same consumption of Savannah River bass would yield a risk estimate of 1.5 × 10−5.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocesium in Fish from the Savannah River and Steel Creek: Potential Food Chain Exposure to the Public

et al. 2001

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“…Consumption of freshwater fish is an important part of the aquatic pathway for the transfer of radionuclides to the freshwater ecosystem creatures including humans2. Therefore the contamination of freshwater fish of aquatic bioaccumulation is an important problem34. In the case of the Chernobyl Accident, the transfer of radionuclides to fish has been studied in European countries567.…”

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confidence: 99%

Overview of active cesium contamination of freshwater fish in Fukushima and Eastern Japan

Mizuno

Kubo

2013

Sci Rep

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This paper focuses on an overview of radioactive cesium 137 (quasi-Cs137 included Cs134) contamination of freshwater fish in Fukushima and eastern Japan based on the data published by the Fisheries Agency of the Japanese Government in 2011. In the area north and west of the Fukushima Nuclear plant, freshwater fish have been highly contaminated. For example, the mean of active cesium (quasi-Cs137) contamination of Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) is 2,657 Bq/kg at Mano River, 20–40 km north-west from the plant. Bioaccumulation is observed in the Agano river basin in Aizu sub-region, 70–150 km west from the plant. The active cesium (quasi-Cs137) contamination of carnivorous Salmondae is around 2 times higher than herbivorous Ayu. The extent of active cesium (quasi-Cs137) contamination of Ayu is observed in the entire eastern Japan. The some level of the contamination is recognized even in Shizuoka prefecture, 400 km south-west from the plant.

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“…Previous investigations conducted at SRS have also observed a significant effect of sex on 137 Cs bioaccumulation in fish [9,20] whereas McCreedy et al [1] failed to demonstrate this effect. Previous investigations conducted at SRS have also observed a significant effect of sex on 137 Cs bioaccumulation in fish [9,20] whereas McCreedy et al [1] failed to demonstrate this effect.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Despite the completion of a physical half-life, there is substantial evidence to suggest that relatively high levels of 137 Cs still remain in Pond B. Other recent estimates of 137 Cs concentrations in fish from Pond B include ϳ4.24 Bq/g wet muscle mass (based on 21.22 Bq/g dry mass reported by Sugg et al [32]) in bass collected during 1993 and 3.71 Bq/g wet muscle mass for yellow bullhead catfish (Ameiurus natalis) collected during 1995 [1]. 2.3 ϫ 10 11 Bq [14].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Because of the widespread occurrence of radiocesium ( 137 Cs) due to global fallout and accidental releases at nuclear facilities, knowledge regarding the bioaccumulation of this contaminant in fish has applications for biomonitoring, environmental remediaton, and risk assessment studies [1]. Thus, the consumption of fish is a potentially important mechanism by which environmental contaminants may enter food chains leading to humans or wildlife species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal Variation in Radiocesium Levels of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides): Implications for Humans and Sensitive Wildlife Species

Peles¹,

Philippi²,

Smith³

et al. 2000

Environ Toxicol Chem

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Abstract-To examine seasonal variation in levels of radiocesium ( 137 Cs) within largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides; N ϭ 589), fish were collected monthly over a one-year period from an abandoned reactor cooling reservoir. Month of collection, sex, age, and body mass (log transformed) were all significant factors influencing 137 Cs concentrations. Levels of 137 Cs reached a peak in late winter/early spring (February/March), and minimum values occurred in the fall (October). An asymmetric sawtooth model with a four-month period of increase and an eight-month period of decrease fit the data for monthly 137 Cs values significantly better than symmetric sinusoidal and sawtooth models. The mean concentration of 137 Cs for bass collected during all months was 7.09 Bq/g wet mass. All individuals examined, regardless of month, sex, age, or body mass, had 137 Cs levels (2.95-12.60 Bq/g) that were much higher than the maximum level (0.60 Bq/g wet mass) generally considered safe for human consumption. Radiocesium is relatively long-lived within this reservoir and will continue to remain an important issue in risk assessments for both humans and wildlife species.

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Bioaccumulation of Cesium-137 in Yellow Bullhead Catfish (Ameiurus Natalis) Inhabiting an Abandoned Nuclear Reactor Reservoir

Cited by 6 publications

References 33 publications

Radiocesium in Fish from the Savannah River and Steel Creek: Potential Food Chain Exposure to the Public

Radiocesium in Fish from the Savannah River and Steel Creek: Potential Food Chain Exposure to the Public

Overview of active cesium contamination of freshwater fish in Fukushima and Eastern Japan

Seasonal Variation in Radiocesium Levels of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides): Implications for Humans and Sensitive Wildlife Species

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