Perna Viridis) from Nuclear Activities in Asia-Pacific Region
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Environment and Natural Resources Journal 2017; 15(1): 62-70 Relationship of Genetics and Cs-137 in Asian Green Mussel (Perna viridis) from Nuclear Activities in Asia-Pacific Region Wanwiwa Tumnoi1* and Yutthana Tumnoi2 1*Faculty of Science, Silpakorn University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand 2 Radiation Monitoring Group, Bureau of Technical Support for Safety Regulation, Office of Atoms for Peace, Bangkok, Thailand ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Received: 10 Jan 2017 This study focuses on the relationship of genetics and Cs-137 radiation doses Received in revised: in Asian green mussel (Perna viridis) collected from Chonburi province, 17 Mar 2017 Thailand. They might accumulate the radiocaesium from the nuclear power Accepted: 17 Mar 2017 plants in the Asia-Pacific region including the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear Published online: power plant via their routine or accidental releases. The radiation doses, 23 Mar 2017 DOI: 10.14456/ennrj.2017.6 estimated using ERICA Tool in the bivalves categorized into 3 different size classes including 4-6, 6-8, and 8-10 cm, were below 0.02 nGy/h. In parallel, Keywords: Micronucleus test and Comet assay were used to investigate genetic responses Cs-137 / Perna viridis / Size in the mussels. They revealed minimum micronucleus frequency (MNF) and class / Comet assay / %Tail DNA varying from 1.80-2.90‰ and 1.36-1.70%, respectively. Our Micronucleus / Thailand result indicates that neither particular accumulation of Cs-137 nor genetic responses among different size classes of the animals were observed. * Corresponding author: Furthermore, the radiation doses in the mussels were below the dose limit of E-mail: 10 µGy/h. Therefore, no radiation effect caused by Cs-137 was found and it [email protected] was also confirmed by minimal genetic damages. Data obtained can be used as site-specific data for radiological dose and impact assessment and as baseline data to establish the national radiation safety levels to protect Thai marine biota from any possible future nuclear accidents. 1. INTRODUCTION discharged from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear Presently, nuclear technology is frequently accident were transported offshore and settled in the used in various aspects such as medical, agricultural Pacific Ocean. Although several Fukushima-derived and industrial applications. One of the notable radionuclides were accidentally and deliberately utilizations is nuclear power widely known as low released into the ocean, some of them including I- carbon emission energy. In Asia, 128 nuclear power 131 with a half-life of 8 days had decayed away reactors are on operation and 40 are under from the environment few months after the accident. construction in order to generate electricity to meet Cs-137, however, remains to be detected and shows the demand of rapidly growing population in the high levels of contamination in the Pacific Ocean region (World Nuclear Association, 2017). In spite (MEXT, 2011; TEPCO, 2011; i Batlle et al., 2014). of so-called environmentally friendly energy, the This artificial radionuclide could possibly be risk of radioactive wastes consisting of several dispersed by the surface water circulation leading to fission products released into the nature through possible radioactive contamination in several distant either nuclear accident or routine operation still regions including the South China Sea and the Gulf remains. Therefore, radioactivities in the of Thailand. In addition, migratory animals such as environment would be elevated leading to an bird, fish, and turtle living in the Fukushima area increase of radiation doses in both human and non- and contaminated debris are expected to quickly human biota. In those cases, not only the countries spread radioactive material across the globe. It was where nuclear power plants (NPPs) inhabited will reported that an elevated Cs-137 radioactivity was be affected, but the seas nearby are also prone to be found in the Pacific Bluefin tuna migrating from radioactively contaminated. As reported by Japan to California, USA after the accident in 2011 Steinhauser et al. (2014), over 80% of radionuclides (Madigan et al., 2012). However, the radiocaesium This is a selected paper presented at the 2nd Environment and Natural Resources International Conference (ENRIC 2016) in 16-17 November, 2016, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand Tumnoi W and Tumnoi Y / Environ. Nat. Resour. J. 2017; 15(1): 62-70 63 persisting in the ocean is not only from the radiation dose and risk assessment software in other Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, but also from regions might not generate accurate results unless the historical nuclear weapon tests and the routine site-specific data such as radioactivity, releases from any other operating NPPs (Aarkrog et concentration factor (CF), distribution coefficient al., 1997; Hassona et al., 2008). Recently, Cs-137, a (Kd), and dose-response relationship are used as the beta- and gamma-emitting radionuclide with a input in the software. Even few previous studies physical half-life of 30 years, plays a key role as a performed radiation dose and impact assessments main contributor to radiation doses received by using ERICA Tool and the radioactivity in the coastal and marine biota, excluding K-40 and Po- seawater and the marine animals, dose-response 210 which are naturally occurring radioactive correlation was not investigated (Tumnoi, per.com.). material. Accumulation of Cs-137 in such Future thorough works are, therefore, needed to organisms belonging to different trophic levels is generate data necessary for the software. more likely to be high due to high water solubility Mussel, a group of bivalves, has worldwide and chemically similar behaviour to K (Peters and distribution. Several species of them are Newman, 1999; Leung and Shang, 2003). Gamma commercially important. Furthermore, since the radiation from radiocaesium is able to penetrate into mollusc is sessile animal and filter feeder, it is organisms causing DNA damages, cell widely used as a sentinel organism for aquatic abnormalities, increased mutation rates, and reduced pollution monitoring in particular radiation impact individual and population fitness in those biotas (AlAmri et al., 2012; Hagger et al., 2005; Jaeschke with varying degrees of severity depending on and Bradshaw, 2013; Jaeschke et al., 2015; Jaeschke exposure time and DNA repair mechanisms. et al., 2011, Jha et al., 2005; Jha et al., 2006). Asian Prior to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear green mussel Perna viridis (Family Mytilidae) is accident, only one comprehensive marine native in the Asia-Pacific region as well as Thailand environmental radioactivity measurement was which can be found in both the Gulf of Thailand and conducted by Office of Atomic Energy for Peace the Andaman Sea. (OAEP), Thailand in collaboration with the The present study aimed (1) to evaluate Cs- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during 137 radiation dose rates in different shell lengths of 1989-1991. Radioactivities from both natural and Asian green mussel Perna viridis and (2) to artificial radionuclides including Cs-137 in investigate genetic responses in the mussel using seawater, sediment, and marine animal collected micronucleus test and comet assay. Data obtained from the Gulf of Thailand were reported will enable the national regulatory body to be able (Mahapanyawong et al., 1992). There was no to correctly assess radiation doses and radiological radiation dose in the studied marine biota estimated. risks on local organisms. In addition, the Until recently, as the result of the recent nuclear information can be used as the national, regional, accident, radiation dose and risk assessments and international baseline data in case of future became very important to reveal whether or not radioactive contaminations in the marine marine organisms are radiologically impacted. This environment. More appropriate guidelines and is due to the fact that there are no safety levels in regulations can be established based on the data terms of concentration established for radiological obtained to protect local marine biota from impact assessments. ERICA Tool and the dose limit radiological impacts caused by radioactive material of 10 µGy/h (UNSCEAR, 2011) were used to from the NPPs and any possible emerging nuclear estimate radiation dose rates and to assess threats to the marine environment in the region. radiological risks for marine organisms, respectively. No observable impact is found if they 2. METHODOLOGY receive radiation doses below the dose limit. It has, 2.1 Sample Collection nevertheless, been widely known that not only A total of 153 kg of Perna viridis was ERICA Tool but also other predictive computer collected from mussel rafts in the coast of Sriracha, software, RESRAD-Biota for example, contains all Chonburi Province, Thailand in dry season parameters derived from their own animal & plant (December 2015 and January 2016). The sample species and environment. Hence, applying those was then categorised into three different size classes This is a selected paper presented at the 2nd Environment and Natural Resources International Conference (ENRIC 2016) in 16-17 November, 2016, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand 64 Tumnoi W and Tumnoi Y / Environ. Nat. Resour. J. 2017; 15(1): 62-70 based on the total shell length: 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 cm (51 sufficient to perform the assays. A 20 µl aliquot of kg each). Forty litres of seawater were sampled at each Eppendorf tube was mixed at 1:1 with trypan the mussel culture area. blue and consequently loaded into a haemocytometer. THC and their viability were counted under a light 2.2 Cs-137 Concentration Measurements and microscope. Dead cells stained blue. The sample Dose & Risk Assessments contained minimum 1x106 cells/ml and 75% An individual mussel flesh was extracted from viability were used in the assays. The remaining the shell of a total 50 kg mussel wet weight from samples of 2 qualified individuals were pooled so each size class and was freeze-dried prior to thorough that the volume would be plenty for further analyses grinding. The prepared mussel samples were and to reduce inter-individual variation.