Radionuclide transfer to reptiles

Wood, MD; Beresford, NA; Semenov, DV; Yankovich, TL; Copplestone, D

Abstract

Reptiles are an important, and often protected,
component of many ecosystems but have rarely been fully
considered within ecological risk assessments (ERA) due
to a paucity of data on contaminant uptake and effects. This
paper presents a meta-analysis of literature-derived environmental
media (soil and water) to whole-body concentration
ratios (CRs) for predicting the transfer of 35
elements (Am, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cm, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu,
Fe, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Po, Pu, Ra, Rb, Sb,
Se, Sr, Th, U, V, Y, Zn, Zr) to reptiles in freshwater ecosystems
and 15 elements (Am, C, Cs, Cu, K, Mn, Ni, Pb,
Po, Pu, Sr, Tc, Th, U, Zn) to reptiles in terrestrial ecosystems.
These reptile CRs are compared with CRs for
other vertebrate groups. Tissue distribution data are also
presented along with data on the fractional mass of bone,
kidney, liver and muscle in reptiles. Although the data were
originally collected for use in radiation dose assessments,
many of the CR data presented in this paper will also be
useful for chemical ERA and for the assessments of dietary
transfer in humans for whom reptiles constitute an important
component of the diet, such as in Australian aboriginal
communities.

Citation

Wood, M., Beresford, N., Semenov, D., Yankovich, T., & Copplestone, D. Radionuclide transfer to reptiles. Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 49(4), 509-530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-010-0321-1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Deposit Date: Nov 30, 2011
• Journal: Radiation and Environmental Biophysics
• Print ISSN: 0301-634X
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 509-530
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-010-0321-1
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00411-010-0321-1