Saturday, August 29, 2015

Bio Accumulation


Here is a research abstract on bioaccumulation in orcas modeled by scientists at Simon Fraser University.

I strongly recommend viewing the presentation, which is in poster format at the link:



Juan Jose Alava and ; Frank Gobas. A Marine Food Web Bioaccumulation model for Cesium 137 in the Pacific Northwest,” Conference for Society for Environmental Toxciology & Chemistry (SETAC); 2014 Nov 9 – Nov 13; Vancouver, Canada. Available https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268982476_A_Marine_Food_Web_Bioaccumulation_model_for_Cesium_137_in_the_Pacific_Northwest

ABSTRACT BODY: The Fukushima nuclear accident on 11 March 2011 emerged as a global threat to the conservation of the Pacific Ocean, human health, and marine biodiversity. On April 11 (2011), the Fukushima nuclear plant reached the severity level 7, equivalent to that of the 1986-Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 

This accident was defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as “a major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects requiring implementation of planned and extended countermeasures”. Despite the looming threat of radiation, there has been scant attention and inadequate radiation monitoring. 

This is unfortunate, as the potential radioactive contamination of seafoods through bioaccumulation of radioisotopes (i.e. 137Cs) in marine and coastal food webs are issues of major concern for the public health of coastal communities. 

While releases of 137Cs into the Pacific after the Fukushima nuclear accident are subject to high degree of dilution in the ocean, 137Cs activities are also prone to concentrate marine food-webs. With the aim to track the long term fate and bioaccumulation of 137Cs in marine organisms of the Northwest Pacific, we assessed the bioaccumulation potential of 137Cs in a North West Pacific foodweb by developing, applying and testing a simulation time dependent bioaccumulation model in a marine mammalian food web that includes fish-eating resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) as the apex predator.

 The model outcomes showed that 137Cs can be expected to bioaccumulate gradually over time in the food web as demonstrated through the use of the slope of the trophic magnification factor (TMF) for 137Cs, which was significantly higher than one (TMF > 1.0; p < 0.0001), ranging from 5.0 at 365 days of simulation to 30 at 10,950 days.

 From 1 year to 30 years of simulation, the 137Cs activities predicted in the male killer whale were 6.0 to 182 times 137Cs activities in its major prey (Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

 Bioaccumulation of 137Cs was characterized by slow uptake and elimination rates in upper trophic level organisms and dominance of dietary consumption in the uptake of 137CS. This modeling work showed that in addition to the to the ocean dilution of 137Cs, a magnification of this radionuclide takes place in the marine food web over time. 

       KEYWORDS: Bioaccumulation, Ecological risk assessment, Ecotoxicology, Monitoring


BELOW FIND IMAGES FROM TODAY'S RAIN STORM AT FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI

  
 

 

5 comments:

  1. Hi Majia, I've been feeling so helpless lately, trying in vain to read what the Fukushima webcam watchers have to say. Jec, horse, wotcha, lostworld, chasaha, nuckelchen, rockyourworld, mungo, timemachine, norbu, wideawake, pure water,and you Majia ... your input and all the webcam watchers crew can't report anymore. The forum is deeply missed.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPHQDp_PZi0

    Thx to William St George for the link.
    To you, dear majia, thanks for keeping reporting here.
    Peace. Elibi @twelibi




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    Replies
    1. Fukushima has been proven not harmful to human health. Buoaccumulation occurs all the time.

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    2. Hang in there Elibi...

      I find strength in our growing numbers....

      Delete
  2. Don't eat fish and move away from NPPs to reduce your bioaccumulation of radiation. Sendai is an accident waiting to happen. Fukushima was captured with its nuclear pants on fire by webcam watchers. The forum may be broken but watchers will find a way to get the word out even as censorship and distractions flood the internet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hilarious that the Atomsforpeace troll shows up here at Loose Nuke, wow.

    Majia, you hit the big time!

    ReplyDelete

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