Evaluation of distribution coefficients and concentration ratios of (90)Sr and (137)Cs in the Techa River and the Miass River.
Empirical data on the behavior of radionuclides in aquatic ecosystems are needed for radioecological modeling, which is commonly used for predicting transfer of radionuclides, estimating doses, and assessing possible adverse effects on species and communities. Preliminary studies of radioecological parameters including distribution coefficients and concentration ratios, for (90)Sr and (137)Cs were not in full agreement with the default values used in the ERICA Tool and the RESRAD BIOTA codes. The unique radiation situation in the Techa River, which was contaminated by long-lived radionuclides ((90)Sr and (137)Cs) in the middle of the last century allows improved knowledge about these parameters for river systems. Therefore, the study was focused on the evaluation of radioecological parameters (distribution coefficients and concentration ratios for (90)Sr and (137)Cs) for the Techa River and the Miass River, which is assumed as a comparison waterbody. To achieve the aim the current contamination of biotic and abiotic components of the river ecosystems was studied; distribution coefficients for (90)Sr and (137)Cs were calculated; concentration ratios of (90)Sr and (137)Cs for three fish species (roach, perch and pike), gastropods and filamentous algae were evaluated. Study results were then compared with default values available for use in the well-known computer codes ERICA Tool and RESRAD BIOTA (when site-specific data are not available). We show that the concentration ratios of (137)Cs in whole fish bodies depend on the predominant type of nutrition (carnivores and phytophagous). The results presented here are useful in the context of improving of tools for assessing concentrations of radionuclides in biota, which could rely on a wider range of ecosystem information compared with the process limited the current versions of ERICA and RESRAD codes. Further, the concentration ratios of (90)Sr are species-specific and strongly dependent on Ca(2+) concentration in water. The universal characteristic allows us to combine the data of fish caught in the water with different mineralization by multiplying the concentration of Ca(2+). The concentration ratios for fishes were well-fitted by Generalized Logistic Distribution function (GLD). In conclusion, the GLD can be used for probabilistic modeling of the concentration ratios in freshwater fishes to improve the confidence in the modeling results. This is important in the context of risk assessment and regulatory.
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia. Electronic address: lena@urcrm.ru.
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Shishkina
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Pryakhin
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Popova
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Osipov
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Tikhova
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Andreyev
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Shaposhnikova
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia; Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Egoreichenkov
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Styazhkina
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Deryabina
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia; Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Tryapitsina
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Melnikov
Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Oslo, Norway; University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
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Rudolfsen
Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), Center of Excellence in Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Ås, Norway.
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Teien
Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Oslo, Norway.
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Sneve
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68A, Vorovsky Str., 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia; Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Akleyev
D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D005399:Fishes; D049851:Gastropoda; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012426:Russia; D012624:Seaweed; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive
Aquatic ecosystems; Background radiation; Cesium-137; Concentration ratio; Distribution coefficient; Strontium-90