Report on Bioaccumulation of Elements to Accompany the Inventory of Radionuclides in the Great Lakes Basin Nuclear Task Force International Joint Commission International Commission -1 joint m ixte --J ~ornrnission internationale TABLE OF CONTENTS > BACKGROUND ....................................................................................... I INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................2 PART1 ...............................................................................................3 ANALYTICALCONCEPTS .....................................................................3 LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUES FOR NUCLIDES IN FALLOUT .....................3 STATISTICAL APPROACHES - COMPOSITIONAL DATA .................................3 BIOACCUMULATION AND BIOMAGNIFICATION ........................................5 Bioaccumulation factors ..........................................................7 Referenceelements ..............................................................8 Reference elements and Great Lakes data ............................................9 Biotic needs for bioaccumulation data .....................................: ........ I0 Limitations of elemental composition data ...........................................11 Assimilationefficiency ..........................................................11 A lack of comprehensive data sets .................................................13 Pre-1970 data on bioaccumulation and biomagnification ................................ 13 Calcium control paradigm ........................................................15 Nuclides "in" and nuclides "on" organisms ..........................................16 Biomagnification of metals attached to organic molecules ..............................17 Use of nuisance species for bioaccumulation studies ...................................18 BIOUPTAKE DIRECTLY FROM ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION .............................18 Radionuclide data from Arctic ecosystems ...........................................25 BIOACCUMULATION IN SOIL MICROFLORA ...........................................28 BlOLOGICALPRODUCTIVITY .........................................................28 The "metabolism of lakes" .......................................................28 The "trophic cascade" concept ....................................................30 PART11 ............................................................................................31 BIOACCUMULATION OF SPECIFIC ELEMENTS .................................................31 TRITIUM ............................................................................31 GROUP Ia AND Ib ELEMENTS: SODIUM. POTASSIUM. LITHIUM. RUBIDIUM. CESIUM. FRANCIUM AND COPPER. SILVER. AND GOLD .............................................31 Sodium and potassium ..........................................................32 Rubidium .....................................................................37 Cesium ......................................................................37 Silver ........................................................................ 47 GROUP IIa ELEMENTS: BERYLLIUM. MAGNESIUM. CALCIUM. STRONTIUM. AND BARIUM ............................................................................. 48 Beryllium .................................................................... 48 Calcium and Magnesium ........................................................ 48 Strontium ..................................................................... 48 Barium .......................................................................49 GROUP 1Ib ELEMENTS: ZINC. CADMIUM. AND MERCURY ............................... 54 Zinc. cadmium. and mercury .....................................................54 GROUP IIIa ELEMENTS: BORON. ALUMINUM. GALLIUM. INDIUM. AND THALLIUM ........ 54 Boron ........................................................................54 Aluminum ....................................................................54 GROUP IIIb ELEMENTS: SCANDIUM. YTTRIUM. LANTHANUM. AND RARE EARTHS ........ 55 Ymium ......................................................................55 Lanthanum ...................................................................55 Cerium .......................................................................56 OtherLanthanides ..............................................................56 GROUP IVa ELEMENTS: CARBON, SILICON, GERMANIUM, TIN, AND LEAD . 60 Carbon .......................................................................60 Silicon .......................................................................60 Germanium ...................................................................60 Tin ..........................................................................61 Lead .........................................................................61 GROUPS IVb AND Vb ELEMENTS: TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, VANADIUM, ANTIMONY, ANDTANTALUM ............................................................63 Titanium . 63 Zirconium and niobium . 63 Hafnium . 64 Vanadium ....................................................................64 GROUP VIIa ELEMENTS (THE HALOGENS): FLUORINE, CHLORINE, BROMINE, IODINE, AND ASTATINE ....................................................................70 Fluorine ...................................................................... 70 Chlorine ......................................................................70 Bromine ......................................................................70 Iodine .......................................................................71 GROUP VIa ELEMENTS: SULFUR, SELENIUM, TELLURIUM, AND POLONIUM . 7 1 GROUP VIb ELEMENTS: CHROMIUM, MOLYBDENUM, AND TUNGSTEN . 73 Chromium ....................................................................73 Molybdenum ..................................................................73 Tungsten .....................................................................73 GROUP VIIb ELEMENTS: MANGANESE, TECHNETIUM, RHENIUM, IRON, RUTHENIUM, AND OSMIUM ....................................................................74 Ironandmanganese ............................................................ 74 Ruthenium .................................................................... 74 RheniumandOsmium ..................... ..................................... 75 Technetium ...................................................................76 GROUP VIIIB ELEMENTS: COBALT, RHODIUM, IRIDIUM, NICKEL, PALLADIUM, AND PLATINUM ..................................................................76 Cobalt ....................................................................... 76 Nickel ....................................................................... 76 TRANSURANICELEMENTS ........................................................... 77 CONCLUDINGREMARKS ............................................................................ 81 BlBLlOGRAPHY .................................................................................... 83 MEMBERSHIP OF THE NUCLEAR TASK FORCE . 58 TABLES & TEXT BOX LIST TEXT BOX I PROPERTIES OF RADIONUCLIDES THAT WOULD DIMINISH THE NEED TO ESTIMATE BIOACCUMULATION AND BIOMAGNIFICATION PARAMETERS ......................................... 4 TABLE 1 CLASSIFICATION OF ELEMENTS FOR REQUIRING ESTIMATES OF BIOACCUMULATION AND BIOMAGNIFICATION PARAMETERS FOR BIOTA OF THE GREAT LAKES .................................................................. 5 TEXT BOX 2 FACTORS AFFECTING OBSERVATION OF STEADY STATES - IN BIOACCUMULATION PROCESSES ................................................................ 6 TEXT BOX 3 BIOACCUMULATION FACTOR AND BIOMAGNIFICATION FACTOR FORMULAS ........................................................................................9 TEXT BOX 4 QUESTIONS TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF DATA USED TO EVALUATE BIOACCUMULATION AND BIOMAGNIFICATION ....................................... 10 TEXT BOX 5 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ASSIMILATION EFFICIENCY AND BIOACCUMULATION FACTORS ............. 12 TABLE 2 FRESHWATER BIOACCUMULATION FACTORS FOR VARIOUS ELEMENTS ..............................14 TABLE 3 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF A TROPICAL GROUND LICHEN ........................................21 TABLE 3 (continued) CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF A TROPICAL GROUND LICHEN .........................................22 TABLE 4 NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES IN LICHENS AND MOSSES FROM A FOREST IN WASHINGTON STATE, 1966-1967 .................................................23 TABLE 4 (continued) NATLIRALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES IN LICHENS AND MOSSES FROM A FOREST IN WASHINGTON STATE, 1966-1 967 .................................................24 TABLE 5 RADIONUCLIDES IN ARCTIC BIOTA (LICHENS AND MOSSES ..........................................26 TABLE 5 (continued) ELEMENTAL ANALYSES (INCLUDING RADIONUCLIDES) OF ARCTICBIOTA ...................................................................................27 TABLE 6 UPTAKE OF UNIVALENT ELEMENTS: Na. K, Li, Rb, Cs, Ag, CI, Br, AND I BY AQUATIC BIOTA PART1,LlNSLEYPOND ........................................................................... 33 TABLE 6 (continued) UPTAKE OF UNIVALENT ELEMENTS: Na, K, Li, Rb, Cs, Ag, CI, Br, AND I BY AQUATIC BIOTA PARTI.LINSLEYPOND ...........................................................................34 TABLE 7 UPTAKE OF UNIVALENT ELEMENTS: Na, K, Li, Rb, Cs, Ag, CI, Br, AND I BY AQUATIC BIOTA PARTII.CULTURES ..............................................................................35