Establishing a database of radionuclide transfer parameters for freshwater wildlife

Citation

Yankovich TL, Beresford NA, Fesenko S, Fesenko J, Phaneuf M, Dagher E, Outola I, Andersson P, Thiessen K, Ryan J, Wood MD, Bollhofer A, Barnett CL & Copplestone D (2013) Establishing a database of radionuclide transfer parameters for freshwater wildlife. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 126, pp. 299-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.07.014

Abstract
Environmental assessments to evaluate potentials risks to humans and wildlife often involve modelling to predict contaminant exposure through key pathways. Such models require input of parameter values, including concentration ratios, to estimate contaminant concentrations in biota based on measurements or estimates of concentrations in environmental media, such as water. Due to the diversity of species and the range in physicochemical conditions in natural ecosystems, concentration ratios can vary by orders of magnitude, even within similar species. Therefore, to improve model input parameter values for application in aquatic systems, freshwater concentration ratios were collated or calculated from national grey literature, Russian language publications, and refereed papers. Collated data were then input into an international database that is being established by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The freshwater database enables entry of information for all radionuclides listed in ICRP (1983), in addition tothe corresponding stable elements, and comprises a total of more than 16,500 concentration ratio (CRwo-water) values. Although data were available for all broad wildlife groups (with the exception of birds), data were sparse for many organism types. For example, zooplankton, crustaceans, insects and insect larvae, amphibians, and mammals, for which there were CRwo-water values for less than eight elements. Coverage was most comprehensive for fish, vascular plants, and molluscs. To our knowledge, the freshwater database that has now been established represents the most comprehensive set of CRwo-water values for freshwater species currently available for use in radiological environmental assessments.

Keywords
Concentration ratio; Radionuclides; Concentration factor; Bioaccumulation factor; Transfer parameters; Freshwater biota; Recommended values; IAEA; ICRP; Database; Reference organism; Reference animals and plants; RAPs

Journal
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity: Volume 126

People

Professor David Copplestone

Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences