Radiation biology. Radioecology
ISSN: 0869-8031

Archives → 2020 → V. 60. № 1. → pp. 71-81

Article

Study of the Accumulation of Tritium in Some Aquatic Organisms: Eggs and Fish (Carassius gibelio), Aquatic Plants Ceratophyllum and Lemna

L. G. Bondareva

Federal Scientific Center of Hygiene named after F.F. Erisman, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Mytishchi, Russia

Abstract

The long-term studies on the tritium accumulation in the organisms: eggs, plants, fish consisting of three stages were performed. At the end of the first stage (25 days), the toxic effect of tritium (5000 and 50000 Bq/l) at the stage of embryogenesis of the crucian eggs (Carassius gibelio) was revealed. However, further transfer of the juvenile fish into the conditions without tritium allowed one to grow physiologically normal fish individuals. At the second stage tritium was accumulated by the biomass of the aquatic plants Ceratophyllum and Lemna. It was found that the main tritium decrease was observed in the first 48 hours after the beginning of the experiment (up to 70%). When the fish consumed the tritium-containing food prepared with the addition of the plants from the second stage of the experiment, it was established that up to 50% of the total accumulated tritium was located in the muscle tissue and 30% in the fish liver. Here, the biggest contribution into the tritium accumulation was found to be made by cholesterol (~30%, and taking into account the cholesterol ethers – 50%).

Keywords

tritium, accumulation, fish, eggs, Ceratophyllum, Lemna