JOURNAL OF SEA RESEARCH, cilt.176, ss.1-11, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
Accumulation and depuration kinetics
in the samples of mussel (Mytilus
galloprovincialis L. 1758) and sea snail (Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846)) exposed to 137Cs radioisotope via seawater exposure were investigated under
laboratory conditions. Accumulation and depuration kinetics
were monitored for 49 and 59 days, respectively. Concentration factor and
biological half-life values were calculated from the accumulation and
depuration kinetics of mussel and sea snail samples. Concentration factors at
equilibrium were 16.25 ± 4.41 and 19.50 ± 1.17 for large
and small mussels, respectively, while 16.34 ± 0.70 and
14.31 ± 0.63 for large and small snails, respectively. The biological
half-lives at slow components were 38.50 and 77.00 days for large and
small mussels, respectively, while 49.50 and 57.75 days for large and
small snails, respectively. Compared to the literature, the slightly higher
concentration factor and biological half-life values obtained in this study for
both mussel and snail samples may help to identify these species as
bio-indicators of the 137Cs radioisotope in
the marine environment. In addition, it was statistically determined that body
size is an important parameter for both living organisms in bioaccumulation experiments
unlike the depuration experiments. In the light of all these results, it has
been determined that mussel and sea snail organisms are extremely valuable
indicators in terms of reflecting radioactive pollution in the sea in
monitoring the 137Cs radioisotope for possible inputs of any
radioactive pollution in the marine environment.