Abstract
Freshwater musselsVelesunio angasi (Sowerby) from Magela Creek, Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory, Australia, experimentally exposed to mean elevated Ra-226 water concentrations ranging between 0.95 and 1.85 Bq 1−1 for 28 days, accumulated Ra-226 in their tissue to mean concentrations ranging from 2.8 to 4.8 Bq per gram of dry tissue. The Ra-226 (log10) was accumulated in a linear pattern over exposure periods of 28 and 56 days. Mussel size and sex had little or no effect on the rates of uptake of Ra-226 per gram of tissue.
Increased Ca and Mg water concentrations, both in combination and singly, reduced the rate of uptake of Ra-226 by mussel tissue. The experimental data are consistent with Ra-226 accumulation being inversely proportional to both Ca and Mg water concentrations; for Ca the constant of proportionality i.e.\(Ra = \frac{C}{{[Ca]}}\) is unity; for Mg it is about 0.1.
The results indicate competitive inhibition of the uptake of Ra-226 by Ca, i.e. that the mussel treated Ra-226 as a metabolic analogue of Ca; however, there are other possible interpretations of these results that need not invoke competitive inhibition. For Mg the results suggest involvement of some other mechanism(s) apart from or in addition to competitive inhibition of Ra-226 by Mg.
Exposure of mussels that had accumulated Ra-226 under field and laboratory conditions to radium-free water for up to 286 days resulted in no significant loss (P > 0.05) of Ra-226 from the tissue. This indicates a very long biological half-life for Ra-226 in the tissue ofV. angasi.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benes, P., 1982. Physicochemical forms and migration in continental waters of radium from uranium mining and milling. In ‘Environmental migration of long-lived radionuclides’, Proc. int. Symp. on Migration in the Terrestrial Environment of long-lived Radionuclides from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Knoxville, U.S.A.: 3–23.
Benes, P., M. Obdrzalek & M. Ceschanova, 1982. The physicochemical forms of traces of radium in aqueous solutions containing chlorides, sulfates and carbonates. Radiochem. Radioanal. Lett. 50(4): 227–242.
Blanchard, R. L. (1964). An emanation system for determining small quantities of radium-226. U.S. Dept. Health, Education and Welfare, Division of Radiological Health. Public Health Service Publication No. 999-RH-9.
Brungs, W. A., 1965. Experimental uptake of strontium-85 by freshwater organisms. Health Phys. 11: 41–46.
Davy, D. R. & N. F. Conway, 1974. Environmental studies, Northern Territory Uranium Province 1971–73. In N. F. Conway, D. R. Davy, M. S. Giles, P. J. F. Newton (ed.) & D. A. Pollard. The Alligator Rivers Area Fact Finding Study. Four Reports. Australian Atomic Energy Commission Report, AAEC/E305: III 1–67.
Dean, R. C. & A. A. Paparo, 1983. Effects of changes of salinity and calcium concentration on ctenidial ciliary activity in the oysterCrassostrea virginica (Gmelin). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 74A(3): 587–594.
Dietz, T. H., 1978. Sodium transport in the freshwater musselCarunculina texasensis. Am. J. Physiol. 235(1): R35-R40.
Dietz, T. H., 1979. Uptake of sodium and chloride by freshwater mussels. Can. J. Zool. 57: 156–160.
Dixon, W. J., 1975. BMDP Statistical Software. Univ. Calif. Press.
Ellis, W. R. & R. A. Jeffree, 1982. Determination of the distribution of alpha emitters in the tissue of the freshwater musselVelesunio angasi using the alpha track etch method. Proc. 11th Int. Conf. on Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors, Bristol, September 1981 P. H. Fowler & V. M. Clapham (eds.) Pergamon Press, Oxford: 683–689.
Fox, R. W., G. G. Kelleher & C. B. Kerr, 1977. Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry Second Report. Aust. Gov. Publ. Serv., Canberra, pp. 415.
Gmelin, L., 1977. Gmelin Handbuch der Anorganischen Chemie. Springer-Verlag.
Hallden, N. A. & J. H. Harley, 1964. Radium-226 in diet and human bone from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Nature 204: 240–241.
Harrison, A. D., 1968. The effects of calcium bicarbonate concentration on the oxygen consumption of the freshwater snailBiomphalaria pfeifferi (Pulmonata: Planorbidae). Arch. Hydrobiol. 65(1): 63–73.
Harrison, A. D., W. Nduku & A. S. C. Hooper, 1966. The effects of a high magnesium-to-calcium ratio on the egg-laying rate of an aquatic planorbid snail,Biomphalaria pfeifferi. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol. 60(2): 212–214.
Harrison, F., 1969. Accumulation and distribution of54Mn and65Zn in freshwater clams. Proc. 2nd Nat. Symp. Radioecol.: 198–220.
Havlik, B., 1971. Radium in aquatic food chains: radium uptake by freshwater algae. Radiat. Res.: 490–505.
Hobden, D. J., 1970. Aspects of iron metabolism in a freshwater mussel. Can. J. Zool. 48: 83–86.
Jeffree, R. A. & D. R. Davy, 1983. The transfer of radium-226 from mine effluentvia mussels to man in the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province, Northern Territory, Australia. Proc. IAEA/CEC Seminar on the Environmental Transfer to Man of Radionuclides released from Nuclear Installations, Brussels, Belgium, 17–21 October.
Jeffree, R. A. & R. D. Simpson, 1984. Radium-226 is accumulated in calcium granules in the tissues of the freshwater mussel,Velesunio angasi: support for a metabolic analogue hypothesis? Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 79A(1): 61–72.
Jeffree, R. A., 1985. The accumulation of Radium-226 by populations of the freshwater mussel,Velesunio angasi, from the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province, Northern Territory, Australia. Verh. Intern. Ver. Limnol. 22: 2486–2492.
Jones, W. G. & K. F. Walker, 1979. Accumulation of iron, manganese, zinc and cadmium by the Australian freshwater musselVelesunio ambiguus (Phillipi) and its potential as a biological monitor. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 30: 741–751.
Lang, F., M. B. Cleveland & H. L. Atwood, 1979. Mg++ — Sensitivity of neuromuscular transmission in two crustaceans: correlation with blood Mg++ levels. J. Neurobiol. 10(6): 609–614.
Lucas, H. F., 1957. Improved low-level alpha-scintillation counter for radon. Sci. Intrum. 28(9): 680–683.
Marey, A. N., V. A. Knizhnikov & A. N. Karmaeva, 1967. The effect of calcium in drinking water on the accumulation of226Ra and90Sr in the human body. In B. Aberg & F. P. Hungate (eds.), ‘Radioecological concentration processes’, Proceedings of an International Symposium held in Stockholm, 25–29 April 1966, Pergamon Press, Oxford: 333–336.
Millington, P. J. & K. F. Walker, 1983. Australian freshwater musselVelesunio ambiguus (Philippi) as a biological monitor for zinc, iron and manganese. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 34: 873–892.
Muth, H. & B. Glöbel, 1983. Age dependent concentration of226Ra in human bone and some transfer factors from diet to human tissues. Health Phys. 44, Supp. 1: 113–121.
Muth, J., B. Rajewsky, H.-J. Hantke & K. Aurand, 1960. The normal radium content and the Ra-226/Ca ratio of various foods, drinking water and different organs and tissues of the human body. Health Phys. 2: 239–245.
Nduku, W. K. & A. D. Harrison, 1980. Cationic responses of organs and haemolymph ofBiomphalaria pfeifferi (Krauss),Biomphalaria glabrata (Say) andHelisoma trivolvis (Say) (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) to cationic alterations of the medium. Hydrobiologia 68(2): 119–138.
Ophel, I. L. & J. M. Judd, 1967. Experimental studies of radiostrontium accumulation by freshwater fish from food and water. In B. Aberg & F. P. Hungate (eds.) ‘Radioecological concentration processes’, Proceedings of an International Symposium held in Stockholm, 25–29 April 1966 Pergamon Press, Oxford: 859–865.
Pantin, C. F. A., 1959. Notes on Microscopical Technique for Zoologists, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge pp. 1–77.
Rope, S. K. & F. W. Whicker, 1985. A field study of Ra accumulation in trout with assessment of radiation dose to man. Health Phys. 49(2): 247–257.
Rosenthal, H. L., 1957. Uptake of calcium-45 and strontium-90 from water by fresh-water fishes. Science 126: 699–700.
Roushdy, H. M., M. K. Moloukhia & A. T. Abdel-Fattah, 1979. Dietary calcium levels and chemical treatments influencing radiostrontium radiostrontium uptake and release in mammalian bones. In ‘Biological implications of Radionuclides released from nuclear industries’, Proc. Symp. Vienna, 11: 65–75.
Satir, P., 1975. Ionophore-mediated calcium entry induces mussel gill ciliary arrest. Science 190: 586–587.
Schoffeniels, E., 1951. Mise en evidence par l'utilisation de radiocalcium, d'un mechanisme d'absorption du calcium a partir du milieu exterieur chez l'anodonte. Arch. Int. Physiol. 58(4): 467–468.
Schoffeniels, E., 1951. Etude par le radiocalcium de l'état physico-chimique du calcium sanguin absorbe à partir du milieu exterior chez l'anodonte. Arch. Int. Physiol. 59(1): 139–140.
Simpson, R. D., C. L. Humphrey & H. E. Allison, 1983. The biology, ecology and metal contents of the freshwater mussel,Velesunio angasi, in Magela Creek, and other water bodies, near mining ventures in the Alligator Rivers Region. Paper No. 36, Scientific Workshop, Environmental Protection in the Alligator Rivers Region, Jabiru, 17–20 May.
Snedecor, G. W. & W. G. Cochran, 1967. Statistical Methods, 6th edition. The Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, U.S.A., pp. 593.
Stehney, A. F., W. P. Norris, H. F. Lucas & W. H. Johnston, 1955. A method for measuring the rate of elimination of radon in breath. Am. J. Roentenol., Radium Ther. Nucl. Med. 73: 774–783.
Templeton, W. L. & V. M. Brown, 1963. Accumulation of calcium and strontium by brown trout from waters in the United Kingdom. Nature 198: 198–200.
Templeton, W. L. & V. M. Brown, 1964. The relationship between the concentrations of calcium, strontium and strontium-90 in wild brown trout,Salmo trutta L. and the concentrations of the stable elements in some waters of the United Kingdom, and the implications in radiological health studies. Int. J. Air Water Pollut. 8: 49–75.
Thomas, J. D., M. Benjamin, A. Lough & R. H. Aram, 1974. The effects of calcium in the external environment on the growth and natality rates ofBiomphalaria glabrata (Say). J. Anim. Ecol. 43: 839–860.
Van der Borght, O., 1963. Accumulation of radium-226 by the freshwater gastropodLymnaea stagnalis L. Nature 197: 612–613.
Van der Borght, O. & S. Van Puymbroeck, 1964. Active transport of alkaline earth ions as physiological base of the accumulation of some radionuclides in freshwater molluscs. Nature 204: 533–534.
Walker, T. D. & P. A. Tyler, 1979. A limnological survey of the Magela Creek system, Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory. An interim report to the Supervising Scientist covering the period April 1978 to December 1978, Univ. of Tasmania, pp. 1–184.
Walter, M. F. & P. Satir, 1978. Calcium control of ciliary arrest in mussel gill cells. J. Cell Biol. 79: 110–120.
Wasserman, R. H., C. L. Comar & D. Papadopoulou, 1957. Dietary calcium levels and retention of radiostrontium in the growing rat. Science 126: 1180–1182.
Williams, A. R., 1981. An international comparison of226Ra analysis by the emanation method. Health Phys. 41: 178–183.
Wu, T. Y. & P. S. Weng, 1977. Determination of radium-226 in bone of the native Taiwan buffalo and in environmental samples of Northern Taiwan power reactor site. Health Phys. 32: 565–567.
Zar, G. W., 1974. Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey, U.S.A.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jeffree, R.A., Simpson, R.D. An experimental study of the uptake and loss of Ra-226 by the tissue of the tropical freshwater musselVelesunio angasi (Sowerby) under varying Ca and Mg water concentrations. Hydrobiologia 139, 59–80 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00770242
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00770242