Processes and Parameters Governing Accumulation and Elimination of Radiocaesium by Fish
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BY0000206 Processes and parameters governing accumulation and elimination of radiocaesium by fish. Rolf H. HADDERINGH KEMA, Environmental Services, P.O. Box 9035, 6800ETArnhem, the Netherlands Oleg NASVIT Institute of Hydrobiology, Geroev Stalingrada prospect 12, Kiev 254210, Ukraine M. Carolina V. CARREIRO DGA/DSPR, Estrada National 10, 2686 Sacavem Codex, Portugal Igor N. RYABOV Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology of Animals, Leninsky prospect 33, Moscow 117071, Russia Victor D. ROMANENKO Institute of Hydrobiology, Geroev Stalingrada prospect 12, Kiev 254210, Ukraine Abstract. After the Chernobyl accident in April 1986, high levels of fish contamination with radiocaesium were observed in different water-bodies in countries outside the former Sowjet Union, particularly in some lakes in Scandinavia. Therefore, due to the high levels of radionuclide deposition in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, high contamination in freshwater fish could be expected in these countries. It was considered that the contribution of the fish pathway to the individual and collective doses to the Ukrainian population was of lower significance in comparison with other pathways. However for local populations inhabiting contaminated areas, fish consumption could represent a higher risk. Large differences in contamination levels in fish were found in different water-bodies, and even in the same water-body between species. One of the important findings was the wide range of the levels of contamination within the same species by the "size effect". The European Commission was interested in reducing uncertainties in population doses estimates. Therefore the following studies, in collaboration between EU and CIS countries were started in 1992: * laboratory experiments concerning the dependence of radiocaesium biological half-life in fish upon the potassium concentration in water and food, water temperature and fish size • field studies in different water-bodies in Ukraine and Russia to understand the "size-effect" and reveal the critical groups of population. 1. Introduction After the Chernobyl NPP accident high contamination levels in fish with 137Cs were observed in different water-bodies in countries outside the former Sowjet Union, particularly in some lakes in Scandinavia and England [1,2,3]. Therefore due to - 137 - high levels of radionuclide deposition in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, high contamination in freshwater fish could there be expected. It was considered that the contribution of the fish pathway to the individual and collective doses to the Ukrainian population was of lower significance compared to other pathways. However for local populations inhabiting contaminated areas, fish consumption could represent a much higher risk. The level of 137Cs contamination in fish show large differences in relation to the water-body. This was already found in the period 1960-1970 after the nuclear weapon tests [4,5]. After the Chernobyl NPP accident these differences can be recognised again in Europe [2,6] and in Russia [7]. This can be explained only partly by the level of deposition and water chemistry such as the potassium concentration. Differences in 137Cs levels can also be found between fish species; these might be due to metabolic and diet differences [3]. Differences within the same species in relation to fish size ("size effect") are also well known [3,8,9,10]. Feeding rates, food type and metabolic activity may explain the large variations of 137Cs concentrations between different size classes and species [11]. This can result in different biological half-lives between species and between size classes within one species as reported by some authors [12,13]. In aquatic systems fish are top predators in the food chain. Local inhabitants can receive a protracted dose. The contamination level of inhabitants depends on the position of the fish catch in the prey predator series. Therefore nutritional habits and fish habitats and connectedly the fish size are important. The contribution of these parameters to the eventual contamination of the fish catch is a matter of importance. To study the above aspects, field surveys were carried out in different water- bodies in Ukraine, the northern part of Kiev Reservoir, the Cooling Pond of NPP Chernobyl and in Russia, Kajanovskoje Lake located in Bryansk Region. Laboratory experiments concerning the dependence of radiocaesium biological half- life in fish upon the potassium concentration in water and food, water temperature and fish size were carried out. Recommendations are given for fish consumption. 2. Material and Methods 2.1. Field studies For the field studies samples were collected in the years 1992-1994 at four locations (Figure 1). The first location is near the village Stracholesye in the northern part of Kiev Reservoir. Within this area, sampling was carried out at distances of 0.3, 0.7 and 1.2 km from the shore. The average water depth is about 1 m. This area has a dense vegetation of water plants and reeds. The second area is an old arm of the Pripyat river just upstream from the inflow into Kiev Reservoir. The maximum depth is about 9 m. The shores of this area have a dense vegetation of submerged water plants and reeds. Sampling was carried out in the river arm itself and also in a shallow area at about 500 m from the old river arm. The third location is the Cooling Pond of the Chernobyl NPP where samples were collected in the cold and in the heated part. The fourth location is Kajanovskoje Lake, situated in the Bryansk area in Russia with a surface area of about 6 km2 and an average depth of 1.5 m. Sampling was carried out at three locations in the open water and in the vegetation on the eastern shore. - 138 - KAJANOVSKOJE LAKE Figure 1. Area maps showing the sampling areas in Ukraine and Russia. left map : overview map; middle map : Northern part of Kiev Reservoir with three sampling stations, Chernobyl NPP Cooling Pond, old arm Pripyat river (P) and Stracholesye (S); right map . Kajanovskoje Lake In total 12 fish species were investigated. The English and latin names of these species and the families are as follows: Esocidae: pike (Esox lucius); Cyprinidae: roach (Rutilus), rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), asp (Aspius), tench (Tinea ), silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna), bream (Abramis bratna), sabre carp (Pelecus cultratus), goldfish (Carassius auratus gibelio); Ictaluridae: channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), Percidae: perch (Percafluviatilis), pike perch (Stizostedion lucioperca). Fish was collected with gill nets, trawl nets, rod and line and with dipnets. The length of all individuals was measured to the nearest mm and the weight to the nearest g. For identification of the consumed food, stomach contents of were preserved. Sam- ples were taken from individual fish or from pooled fish. Pooled fish consisted of individuals of about the same size. Very small fish like young of the year were always pooled. Samples were taken from total body or from muscles. Each sample was dried at 105 °C and ground. Macroinvertebrates were collected with dip nets or by hand from waterplants. Water was collected by filling buckets at the water surface. From each station 3-4 1 water was concentrated by evaporation to about 100 ml. I37Cs and other gamma radionuclides were measured by hyperpure Ge detectors and Ge(Li) and Nal(Tl) detectors. To assess the size effect, regression analysis was carried out on all sets of fish data. The type of size effect is determined by the values of the slope. The size effect was judged as positive (" + ") if the slope b ± 2 S.E had a positive value, negative ("-") if the slope b ± 2 S.E was negative and as neutral ("0") if the slope b ± 2 S.E had values between positive and negative. To compare the level of 137Cs contamination in fish at the four sampling locations, the concentration for a "standard" fish of 0.5 kg was calculated from the regression equations. For pike a standard weight of 2.5 kg was used because the adults of pike reach a high weight. - 139 - 2.2. Laboratory experiments 2.2.1 Fish size effect Carp (Cyprinus carpid) from the Chernobyl NPP Cooling Pond, where this species showed a size effect, were brought to the laboratory to study radiocaesium excretion, for about 160 days. Fish weighed approximately 0.3 to 1.2 kg and were fed with uncontaminated food, about 2 % of their weight. Measurements were made on live fish. Radiocaesium excretion was also studied in goldfish (C. auratus gibelio), a species that does not show a size effect. Fish weight ranged from 35 to 110 g and each fish was orally given 137Cs in gelatine solution. Afterwards the procedure was the same. 2.2.2. Changing on environmental parameters The effect on the biological half-life of different K+ concentrations in water (0.35, 3.5 and 35 ppm) and watertemperature (20, 12 and 5 °C) was studied for the cyprinid species Chondrostoma polulepis polylepis. Fish weighing between 1 to 4 g, were held in aquaria in artificially prepared water with the required K+ concentrations. They were fed 5 times a week in separated aquaria, with uncontaminated bivalves, each meal representing 5 % of the total fish weight. After the radiocaesium (I34Cs+) uptake phase during 30 days, the elimination in the same artificial water was measured, on live fish, during periods of 35 up to 250 days. The biological half-lives were evaluated. The effect on the radiocaesium biological half-life of different K+ concentrations in food was studied in carp. Carp of 61 to 211 g were contaminated by injection of 137Cs in a 10 % gelatine solution. Food with different amounts of K+ (1.6-7 mg) was injected to individual fish. Radiocaesium excretion was measured during periods up to 80 days. 3. Results 3.1. Contamination level in fish at the four sampling locations Concentrations of 137Cs in fish with the standardized weight of 0.5 and 2.5 kg are presented in Figure 2.