Cook Plant preoperational studies, 1969 / John C. Ayers ... [et al.].

RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH RESEARCH
PROGRESS REPORT
"THE ACCUMULATION OF RADIONUCLIDES BY PONTOPOREIA AFFINIS"
Submitted by, CHARLES C. KIDD
INTRODUCTION
Earlier experiments conducted by the writer during the period 1 Aug. 1968
thru 31 Oct. 1968 were designed to reveal the ability of the amphipod, Pontoporeia
affinis, to accumulate radioactive elements in solution. In these experiments
the amphipods were exposed to waste waters from a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant
and a nuclear power reactor. These wastes contained significant quantities of
radioactive zinc, zirconium, ruthenium, barium and cesium. Results of these
experiments indicated that the organism only demonstrated an affinity for zinc
as indicated by the accumulation of zinc-65. The concentration of radioactive
zinc in the amphipods was approximately 250 times greater than the concentration
of the isotope in solution after a 3-day exposure period. In order to confirm
this observation, and to measure the ability of Pontoporeia to accumulate other
radioactive elements the experiments described in this report were conducted.
Some of the radioactive elements used in these experiments are peculiar to waste
from nuclear facilities (activation products) and some may be present in the
environment as a result of nuclear facilities operations or testing of nuclear
devices (fission products). In some of the experiments the amphipods were
exposed to radioactive elements in the absence of sediment from which they are
known to obtain most of their food. By comparing experimental results of tests
"with" and "without" sediment those accumulated isotopes involved in metabolic
processes will be identified.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
The; seven radioactive elements used in these experiments were cerium-144,

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