title: Influence of submarine groundwater discharge on (210)Po and (210)Pb bioaccumulation in fish tissues.
abstract: This study presents the results of the accumulation of (210)Po and (210)Pb in fish tissues and organs in a brackish-water marshland that is characterized by high concentrations of (222)Rn and (226)Ra supplied by submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Tissues and organs from Cyprinus carpio, Chelon labrosus and Carassius auratus in the wetland were significantly enriched by both (210)Pb and (210)Po (up to 55 and 66 times, respectively) compared to blanks. The major input route of (210)Pb and (210)Po into the fish body seems to be through ingestion, due to the high levels of (210)Pb and (210)Po found in the gut content as well as in organs involved in digestion and metabolism (i.e. gut, kidney and hepatopancreas). Results showed that (210)Po was more accumulated in all fish tissues and organs except for the spine, which showed a higher affinity for (210)Pb, due to its capacity to replace Ca from apatite in bones. Over all the variables analyzed, fish tissues/organs and, secondarily, fish species were the most important factors explaining the concentration of radionuclides, whereas fish length and the sampling location played a minor role. The relationship of the two radionuclides varied markedly among tissues and their concentration levels were only correlated in gills, gut and, marginally, in spines. In general, the highest values of (210)Pb and (210)Po concentrations in tissues were found on C. labrosus tissues rather C. auratus and C. carpio. This study demonstrates that inputs of natural radionuclides supplied by SGD to coastal semi-enclosed areas (such as marshlands, lagoons or ponds) may significantly increase the contents of (210)Pb and (210)Po in fish tissues/organs. Thus, this study represents one of the first evidences of direct ecological effects derived from SGD.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain. Electronic address: jordi.garcia@uab.cat.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia-Orellana
authors.affiliation: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López-Castillo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg, 5, CH 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Casacuberta
authors.affiliation: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Géosciences de l'Environment (CEREGE), Aix-Marseille Université, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodellas
authors.affiliation: Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain; School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup WA 6027, Australia; Oceans Institute & School of Physics, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masqué
authors.affiliation: GRECO, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de Girona, E-17071 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carmona-Catot
authors.affiliation: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vilarrasa
authors.affiliation: GRECO, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de Girona, E-17071 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García-Berthou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002347:Carps / Q000378:metabolism*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism; D005880:Gills / Q000378:metabolism; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D043143:Hepatopancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D011059:Polonium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D013030:Spain; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D011059:Polonium
keywords: (210)Pb; (210)Po; Fish tissues; Ingestion; Marsh; SGD