Chapter 10 



EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON AQUATIC ORGANISMS 



Lauren R. Donaldson, Applied Fisheries Laboratory, University of Washington, 



Seattle, Washington 



and 

 Richard F. Foster, Biology Operation, Hanford Laboratories, General Electric Company, 



Richland, Washington 



I. Somatic Effects of Ionizing Radiation 



The effects of ionizing radiations on marine 

 and fresh-water organisms have been studied by 

 a few investigators since the early part of the 

 century. The total volume of such work can 

 by no means compare with that which has re- 

 sulted from the intensive studies with more con- 

 ventional laboratory animals. The value of much 

 of the early work is impaired by inadequate or 

 imperfect dosimetry. Nevertheless a sufficient 

 block of information has been accumulated to 

 permit several generalizations and at least some 

 well-defined conclusions. 

 A. Relative sensitivity of different organisms 



A broad review of the results obtained with 

 the organisms of different phyla indicates that 

 the lower or more primitive forms are generally 

 more resistant to ionizing radiation than are the 



more complex vertebrate forms. Welander (un- 

 published data) has summarized much of the 

 data for which some approximation of dose can 

 be made. Table 1 is a further condensation of 

 these data which were obtained in experiments 

 where whole body doses (usually X-rays) were 

 administered. Owing to the great variety of 

 circumstances under which the experiments 

 were conducted, these data represent only orders 

 of magnitude of effects. 



The algae and protozoa are most resistant 

 with LD50 values in the order of many thou- 

 sands of roentgens. The molluscs and crusta- 

 ceans are somewhat more sensitive, with LDgg 

 values of a few thousand roentgens (aquatic in- 

 sects probably also fall in this category) and 

 the fish are most sensitive with an LD50 of 

 about one thousand roentgens — in the same 



TABLE 1 Relative Sensitivity of Different Groups of Organisms to Radiation 



(r) 



Dose which caused 



Group 

 Algae . . 



507o mortality 

 8,000-100,000 



Protozoa 10,000-300,000 



Molluscs 

 Crustaceans 



Fish 



Insects 1 . . 



5,000- 20,000 

 500- 90,000 

 600- 3,000 



100% mortality 

 25,000- 600,000 



10,000- 



5,000- 



370- 



50,000 

 80,000 

 20,000 



1 No data except for Culex and non-aquatic forms. 



"Latent' 



45 days 



18,000-1,250,000 45 min.-40 days 



period Investigators 



Bonham and Palumbo (1951); 

 Crowther (1926) Bonham, et 

 al. (1947). 

 Ralston (1939); Back (1939); 

 Back and Halberstaedter 

 (1945); Halberstaedter and 

 Back (1943); Powers and 

 Shefner (1950); Feldman- 

 Muhsam and Halberstaedter 

 (1946). 



3 weeks-2 years Bonham and Palumbo (1951). 



5 days-80 days Bonham and Palumbo (1951). 



14-460 days Corbella (1930) ; Welander et al. 



(1948); Foster et ah (1949); 

 EHinger (1939) (1940); 

 Ssamokhvalova (1938); Sol- 

 berg (1938). 



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