Trophic Transfer of Radioactive Micronutrients in a Shallow Benthic Food Web.

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world with widespread eutrophication and radionuclide contamination. Using key species of the Baltic Sea, the effects of eutrophication on uptake and trophic transfer of the radioactive micronutrients commonly found in nuclear power plant effluents were investigated using aquaria in a controlled environment. The aquaria included the brown macroalgae Fucus vesiculosus and the grazers Idotea balthica and Theodoxus fluviatilis. Rapid uptake of 54 Mn, 57 Co and 65 Zn from water was observed in all biota, and eutrophication combined with grazing pressure strongly influenced the uptake in F. vesiculosus. Uptake of 54 Mn, 57 Co and 65 Zn to I. balthica and T. fluviatilis grazing on F. vesiculosus was also observed. The results indicate that ecosystems could be open for further trophic transfer as radionuclides accumulate quickly in the producers and are transferred to primary consumers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.