BIOACCUMULATION OF ~(210)Po AND ~(210)Pb IN CEPHALOPODS COLLECTED FROM KUDANKULAM (SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF GULF OF MANNAR, INDIA) AND ASSESSMENT OF DOSE IN HUMAN BEINGS

摘要

Activities of ~(210)Po and ~(210)Pb in various tissues of two common species of cephalopod molluscs (cuttlefishes) of Kudankulam coast were studied. Of all the tissues, ~(210)Po and ~(210)Pb were found accumulated more in the digestive gland, shell gland and intestine. Urotheuthis duvauceli accumulated more ~(210)Pb and ~(210)b in certain organs when compared with Sepiella inermis. The activity ratio of ~(210)Po/~(210)Pb fell within the range of 0.6-29.3 in the organs. The biological concentration factor for the organs ranged from 1.2×10~3 to 2 × 10~5 for ~(210)Po and 3.6×10~2 to 7.6×10~4 for ~(210)Pb. A significant variation in the accumulation of ~(210)Po and ~(210)Pb was noted between species, organs and seasons (p < 0.05). The whole-body internal dose rate due to ~(210)Po was 1.24 and 0.83 μGy h~(-1) and it was 2× 10~(-3) and 3× 10~3 μGy h~(-1) due to ~(210)Pb for both the species. The effective dose in humans due to ~(210)Po intake ranged from 96.3 to 376.6 μSv y~(-1) and that of ~(210)Pb ranged from 35.2 to 105.7 μSv y~(-1), respectively. The data generated will act as a reference database for these organisms of this coast in which a nuclear power station is under construction.