Effects of the Biological Specificity of Zinc on the Distribution of Fallout Zinc-65 in the Lagoon of Rongelap
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
410435 EFFECTS OF THE BIOLOGI~ SPECIFICITY OF ZINC ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF ZINC-65 IN THE FISH FAUNA OF A CORAL ATOLL LAGOON by TIMOTHY JOYNER A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOP= UNIVERSI~ OF WASHINGTON 1962 EFFECTS OF THE BIOU3GIUL SPECIFICI~ OF ZINC ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF ZINC-65 IN THE FISH FAUNA OF A CORAL ATOLL LAGOON by TIMOTHY JOYNER A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHIULSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON 1962 Approved by Department in which College of Fisheries degree is granted Date August 16, 1962 Abstract Some effects of the biological specificity of zinc on the distribution of fallout zinc-65 in the lagoon of Rongelap Atoll were studied by means of radiometric and chemical analy- ses of fish tissues. Stable zinc, after chromatographic sepa- ration from the first series transition elements, was determined by a colorirnetric method using dithizone. Zinc-65 was determined by gamma spectrometry. Fallout radiozi.nc apparently became associated with a particulate phase in the water of the lagoon. Biological uptake and retention in the ecological systems of the lagoon prevented its flushing out of the atoll in the exchange of water between the lagoon and the ocean. ‘l”heingestion, by heterotrophs, of particulate matter in the water favored the concentration of radiozinc in car- nivorous fish. Eyes were shown to be useful and convenient organs for determining the relative accumulation of radiozinc by different fish. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ......................................... 1 2. Historical Red=< ................................... 8 2.1 Nuclear Test Series in the Marshall Islands ...... 8 2.2 Early Environmental Studies ..* ● O ● . .0. ● . ● 0 . ● ● . ● . ● 8 2.3 Accidental Contamination from 19S4 Thermonuclear Test ............................... 9 2.31 Japanese surveys ....................o.t. 9 2.32 Operation Troll ...*.*.. ...*.*.* ● *...... ● 10 2.4 University of Washington Surveys ...............-. 11 2.41 Walton and Marsh surveys, 1956........0. 11 2.42 Rongelap surveys ........................ 11 3. Review of Literature. ................................ 14 3.1 Geochemistry of Trace Elements in Sea Water ...... 14 3.11 Composition ............o...............O 14 3.12 l?hysica lstate ......~................... 15 3.13 Impoverishment of trace elements in the sea ● ...,..., .**.*.**. ● .*..*..* ..0 18 3.131 Scavenging by inorganic hydrosols. ........... 19 3.132 Concentration in biological systems .............,*.*.*.*.** 21 3.2 The Biological Significance of Trace Metals ...... 24 3.21 Heavy metals in general ................. 24 3.22 Zinc . ● .● ● .......**..**. ● .....s.........● 27 4 ii 3.3 Ecological Factors in the Distribution of Radioisotopes in a Marine Environment ........... 32 4. Materials and Methods .● .● ● ... ● * ● .● ....● ● ● ..● *......● .● . 37 4.1 Collection and Selection of Samples. ............... 37 4.11 Collection ................................ 37 4.12 Selection of samples for analysis ......... 37 4.2 Sample Preparation ● .● ...*# ● ..● O**. ● ● *.● ● ● ● .● ● ● ● .. ● ● 38 4.21 1958 samples. .● ..● *.. ● =● ** ● ● ● ● =* ● ● ● ● ● ● .● ● ● 38 4.22 1959 samples ..● .0.*..0 ● .*.0. ● *● * . ● . ● ● . ● . 39 4.3 Analyses ........................................... 40 4.31 Radiometric analyses of 1958 samples ...... 40 4.32 1959 samples .............................. 40 4.321 Radlometric analyses. ............. 40 4.322 Stable zinc analyses ............. 41 5. Analytical Results ..................................... 49 5.1 Relevant Information from Early Surveys ............ 49 5.11 Radioactivity of reef fishes of Belle Island, Eniwetok Atoll, April 1954 tiNOvtier 1955, .............. 49 5.12 Radiobiological studies of fish collected at Rongelap and Ailinginae Atolls, JUly 1957 .....*.........*......*.* 50 5.2 August 1958 Rongelap Survey ........................ 51 5.21 Gross beta and total gamma radioactivity. 51 5.22 Gamma spectrometric analyses .............. 54 iii 5.3 September 19S9 Rongelap Survey ..................... 57 5.31 Goatfish from Rongelap and Kabelle Islands ........................... 57 5.32 Convict surgeonfish from Rongelap 57 Island ...● ● ....● .......●.00”0● * ● ● *** ● ● ● ● ● .● 5.33 Assorted fish from Iamuilal and Kabelle Islands ........................... 62 6. Discussion ............................................. 64 6.1 preliminary Surveys.. .............................. 64 6.11 Eniwetok, 1954-1955 ....................... 64 6.12 Rongelap and Ailingi.nae Atolls, July 1957 ..* ● ● ..● .● ● *● .● ● .● ● 0 ● ● ● ● .● ● ..● ● ● ● 66 6.13 Rongelap survey, Auvst 1958...Dc*~~~”ocD= 67 6.131 Gross beta radioactivity .......... 67 6.132 Gamma radioactivity ............... 68 6.2 Rongelap Survey, SePte~r 1959********=****-*** SC” 72 6.21 Goatfish from Rongelap and -el~e Islands ● ***. ● ● *...● .● ..● .. ● ..● ● ● ● ● 75 6.22 Convict surgeonfish from Rongelap Island.. 86 6.23 Assorted fish from Lomuilal and Kabelle Islands ........................... 88 6.3 General Discussion ● ..● *..● ..● *.....* ● *O*.. ● ● ,..● ● .● 90 7. Summary and Conclusions ..........,... ● *..............● *101 8. Literature Cited ...● *● ● ....** ● ..00 ● ● ● .* ● **.● ● ● ** ● ● ● .● ● ● 105 6 iv List of Tables Reliability of the method of chromatographic sep=ation and calorimetric determination of microgram quantities of zinc ........................48 2 Relative radioactivity in ashed tissues of fish collected at Rongelap Atoll, August 195s .......52-53 3 Fish tissue correction factors ......................54 4 Gamma spectrometric analyses of tissues of carnivorous fish collected at Rongelap Atoll, August 1958 ● .● ● .. ● .● .*....● .● ..● ...● O............,.● 55-56 5 Total zinc and zinc-65 in eye and liver tissues of Rongelap Island goatfish .................58 6 Total zinc and zinc-65 in various tissues of Kabelle Island goatfish... .......................59-60 7 Total zinc and zinc-65 in various tissues of convict surgeonfish from Rongelap Sslmd . ..6l 8 Total zinc and zinc-65 in the eyes of assorted fish from Umuilal and Kabelle Islands ..............63 9 Relative rank of the levele of stable and radioactive zinc in the tissues of Kabelle goatfish ..● ............,,..● .......................● 78 10 Estimate of relative turnover rate of Zinc in the tissues of goatfish ..**. ● .● *..**.......● *.● ● ● 78 11 Parametric and non-parametric tests of significance of the differences in the specific activity of zinc-65 between tissues and between areas for goatfiah from Rongelap Lagoon .....82 v —“NO 229.s 12 Parametric and non-parametric tests of corr~lation between the concentration of zinc in certzin tissues and the size (wet weight) of goatfish .......t...........=...cocoo84 13 Parametric and non-parametric tests of correlation between the concentration of zinc in certain tissues and the size (wet weight) of convict surgeonfish .................89 vi List of Fiqures Rss!a” Map of Rongelap Atoll ..*.,*... ● *...*..* .*....**. ● ..* 6 Map of Central Pacific ....*...* ....00.s. ● ...,0.00.0012 Elution constants of some divalent transition elements in hydrochloric acid ..........*.43 4 Ion-exchange calm..... ............................45 5 Relative gamma radioactivity in stomachs of fish from various ecological habitats in Rongelap Atoll lagocm ..● .● ..........● ..● *..,..● ...● ● 70 6 S~cific activity of zinc-65 in tissues of o Rongelap and Kabelle goatfish . ...80 7 The cycling of life in a coral atoll lagoon .........92 0 The cycling and loss of fallout radiozinc in acoral atoll lagoon. ............................94-95 9 Uptake, cycling and loss of zinc in fish ...........agg Acknwledqements It is a pleasure to take this occasion to thank the per- sonnel of the Laboratory of Radiation Biology and the faculty of the College of Fisheries of the University of Washington whose efforts have provided support, stimulation and encourage- ment in this work. I am particularly indebted to Dr. A. D. Welander for his counsel and guidance throughout the entire period in which this work was undertaken, and to Dr. Xauren R. Donaldson for the allocation of funds, travel, laboratory equipnent and space, and instrument time under A.E.C. Contract No. AT(45-1)1385, without which this work could not have been attempted. Especial thanks are due to Dr. Frank G. Wwman who first stimulated my interest in the role of transition elements in marine biota, and who taught me the techniques of gamma spec- trometry. 1 am grateful to Dr. Diptiman Chakravarti for his assist- ance in working out the chemical techniques for the separation and determination of stable zinc employed in this work. To Dr. A. M. Dollar I am indebted for many stimulating discussions which proved invaluable in developing my understand- ing of many of the physico-chemical and biochemical aspects of /’0 this work and also for his constructive criticism during the preparation of this thesis. It is with considerable satisfaction that I acknowledge my gratitude to Dr. Kelshaw Bonham for advice, criticism and assistance with biological problems &n the field, laboratory and office, frequently sought and always willingly rendered; to Dr. Edward E. Held for his support with the field work and his counsel on many phases of the laboratory programs; to Dr. Ronald Eisler for his cooperation with the field collec- tions and for his provision of analytical data from the 1958 collection; to Dr. John Listen for his helpful criticism