Chapter 10 



Radiation of Aquatic Orgajtisms 



101 



III. Other Considerations in Atomic Energy 

 Use 



When potential effects of atomic energy in- 

 stallations upon aquatic life are considered, ra- 

 diation damage resulting from the release of 

 radioactive isotopes is probably the primary con- 

 sideration. Conventional types of pollutants 

 must not be overlooked, however. Indeed, the 

 chemical toxicity or high temperature of effluent 

 released into a stream or lagoon could well be 

 of greater concern than the radioactive materi- 

 als. Olson and Foster (1955) have reported 

 that very high concentrations of effluent from 

 the Hanford reactors are toxic to young salmon 

 and trout, not because of the radioactive iso- 

 topes present, but because of the presence of 

 dichromate. Krumholz (1954) states that: 



"The waste effluent which enters White Oak 

 Creek consists of a heterogeneous mixture of 

 chemical wastes resulting from laboratory, pilot- 

 plant, and full-scale operations. Some of these 

 wastes are radioactive and some are not." 



Since a variety of toxic substances is apt to 

 be present in effluent from atomic energy plants, 

 just as from other types of industry, care should 

 be taken in appraising biological observations. 

 If adverse effects on aquatic populations are ob- 

 served, one should not immediately conclude 

 that these are a result of radiation damage 

 when, in fact, they may well result from altered 

 chemical or temperature conditions. 



Serious radiation damage to aquatic popula- 

 tions is certainly possible, however, under cat- 

 astrophic or emergency conditions. It could 

 also occur where there is continued release of 

 inordinate amounts of isotopes which are con- 



centrated in the organisms. Such damage ap- 

 pears unlikely, however, in situations where 

 adequate radiation hazard control is extended to 

 the environs of an atomic energy facility. Such 

 control must go well beyond the sole considera- 

 tion of maximum permissible concentrations 

 for drinking water. Foster (1955) has pointed 

 out that: 



"If radiophosphorus were allowed to reach 

 the maximum level permitted for drinking 

 water, organisms living in the water would suf- 

 fer radiation damage and the fish would be un- 

 safe for human food." 



If contamination in the fish and in other 

 edible forms is to remain at a level which is safe 

 for human beings, however, the radiation dose 

 received by the organisms may not be intolerable 

 to the organisms themselves. For example, the 

 International Committee on Radiation Protec- 

 tion recommends maximum permissible concen- 

 trations (MFC) for V^- in drinking water of 

 2 X 10-* fxc P^- per cc, equivalent to an in- 

 take of about 3 ixc P^- each week. If MFC's 

 were based on a nominal consumption of one 

 pound of fish per person each week, and an 

 additional safety factor of 10 were applied ow- 

 ing to the large populations involved, then the 

 MFC for edible parts (flesh) of the fish would 

 be 7 X 10"* /tc F32 per gram. This is only about 

 one per cent of the concentration which Watson 

 (unpublished data) found to be sub-lethal to 

 trout in a 12-week period (although some ra- 

 diation damage did occur). It seems unlikely, 

 therefore, that significant damage would result 

 to fish if the concentration of P^- in the flesh 

 remained below 10-^ ju,c/g. 



REFERENCES 



Back, A. 1939. Sur un type de lesions pro- 

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Back, A., and L. Halberstaedter. 1945. In- 

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BoNHAM, Kelshaw, and Ralph F. Palumbo, 



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