Umwelt- und analytische Toxikologie

An Experimental Study of the Uptake and Loss of Radioactive Cesium by Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

Abstract

Varinlioglu A, Turhan S and Karatasl M

The uptake of radioactive cesium by mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, collected from Marmara Sea exposed over one month to radioactive contaminated sea water and the subsequent loss in non-radioactive sea water were studied with 137Cs. The uptakes and losses of 137Cs by mussels observed experimentally were plotted and fit to appropriate functions. The experiments clearly showed that the activity concentrations of 137Cs in mussels reached a peak which is a saturation state in 30 days while the loss of a substantial of the 137Cs activity by mussels was observed within 15 days. The activity concentrations of 137Cs in soft parts of the mussels were higher than those measured in whole body of the mussels.