title: (137)Cs baseline levels in the Mediterranean and Black Sea: a cross-basin survey of the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch programme.
abstract: The common mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected as unique biomonitor species to implement a regional monitoring programme, the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch (MMW), in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As of today, and upon standardization of the methodological approach, the MMW Network has been able to quantify (137)Cs levels in mussels from 60 coastal stations and to produce the first distribution map of this artificial radionuclide at the scale of the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas. While measured (137)Cs levels were found to be very low (usually < 1 Bq kg(-1) wet wt) (137)Cs activity concentrations in the Black Sea and North Aegean Sea were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those in the western Mediterranean Basin. Such effects, far from representing a threat to human populations or the environment, reflect a persistent signature of the Chernobyl fallout in this area.
authors.affiliation: IRSN, LERCM, Centre Ifremer, BP 330, F-83507 La Seyne sur Mer, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thébault
authors.forename: Alessia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rodriguez Y Baena
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andral
authors.forename: Delko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barisic
authors.forename: José Benedicto
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Albaladejo
authors.forename: Alexandru S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bologa
authors.forename: Redouane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boudjenoun
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delfanti
authors.forename: Victor N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Egorov
authors.forename: Tahar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: El Khoukhi
authors.forename: Heleni
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Florou
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kniewald
authors.forename: Abdelkader
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noureddine
authors.forename: Vasile
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patrascu
authors.forename: Mai Khanh
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scarpato
authors.forename: Nikolay A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Stokozov
authors.forename: Sayhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topcuoglu
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warnau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002587:Cesium Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D049878:Mytilus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011210:Power Plants; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002587:Cesium Isotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive