Radionuclide transfer to freshwater biota species: review of Russian language studies

Around 130 publications reporting studies on radionuclide transfer to freshwater biota species conducted in the former USSR were reviewed to provide the concentration ratio values. None of these studies were available up to now in the English language reviews or publications. The values derived have been compared with the CR values used for freshwater systems in the International reviews. For some radionuclides reviewed in this paper, the data are in good agreement with the mean CR values presented earlier, however for some of them, in particular, for 241Am (bivalve molluscs, gastropods and pelagic fish), 60Co (gastropods, benthic fish and insect larvae), 90Sr and 137Cs (benthic fish and zooplankton), the mean values given here are substantially different from those presented earlier. The data reported in this paper for thirty five radionuclides and eleven groups of freshwater species markedly improve the extent of available data for evaluation of radiation impact on freshwater species.

Research highlights
► The paper provides information on concentration ratios to freshwater biota species for 35 radionuclides. Many of the data are for 90Sr and 137Cs.
► For the majority of radionuclides reviewed in this paper, the CR values are in good agreement with those given in the recent International reviews.
► For 241Am (bivalve molluscs, gastropods and pelagic fish), 60Co (gastropods, benthic fish and insect larvae), 90Sr and 137Cs (benthic fish and zooplankton), the mean values based on review of the Russian language publications are substantially different from those presented in the International reviews.
► Information presented in the paper significantly increases the availability of data on radionuclide accumulation in freshwater species.