Effects of Arctic Temperatures on Distribution and Retention of the Nuclear Waster Radionuclides ~241Am, ~57Co, and ~137Cs in the Bioindicator Bivalve Macoma balthica

摘要

The disposal of radioactive wastes in Arctic seas has made it important to under- stand the processes affecting the accumulation of radionuclides in food webs in coldwater ecosystems. We examined the effects of temperature on radionuclide assimilation and retention by the bioindicator bivalve Macoma balthica using three representative nuclear waste components, ~241Am, ~57Co, and ~137Cs. Experiments were designed to determine the kinetics of processes that control uptake from food and water, as weld as kinetic constants of loss.