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Transuranic nuclides in plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) from the North-Eastern Irish Sea

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Abstract

The concentrations of a number of α-emitting nuclides, 238Pu, 239/240Pu, 241Am, 242Cm and 243/244Cm have been determined in the organs of plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L., caught in the vicinity of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Fish were taken for analysis every 3 months for a period of 2 years. During this period, the highest concentrations of plutonium and americium nuclides were found in the kidney and the lowest in muscle. In all of the organs analysed, the concentrations of americium were greater than those of plutonium: they were also greater than plutonium when related to the rates of discharge of these two elements and gave higher concentration factors over samples of filtered shore-line sea water taken from the area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries Radiobiological Laboratory, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England

    R. J. Pentreath & M. B. Lovett

Authors
  1. R. J. Pentreath
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  2. M. B. Lovett
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Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban

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Pentreath, R.J., Lovett, M.B. Transuranic nuclides in plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) from the North-Eastern Irish Sea. Mar. Biol. 48, 19–26 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390527

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390527

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