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Radionuclides in biota collected near a dicalcium phosphate plant, southern Catalonia, Spain

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Abstract

Industrial waste containing radioactive U-decay series isotopes was released into the Ebro River, Spain, over a period of >20 years from a dicalcium phosphate (DCP) plant. This release raised activities of several natural radionuclides (e.g. 238U, 234U, 230Th, 232Th and 226Ra) in biota taken from the area near the DCP plant. Plants and animals selected for this study included the green algae (Cladophora glomerata), the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and the scavenger catfish (Silurus glanis) because they are all common in the area. Multiple sampling points were chosen for this study: (1) a site in the Riba-Roja Reservoir, above the DCP plant’s area of influence, (2) four sites in the area surrounding the DCP plant, close to the town of Flix, and (3) a location in the Ebro Delta Estuary in Fangar Bay. Significant differences in the activities (in Bq kg−1 of dry weight) for the radioisotopes included in this study among samples were attributed to sample location and the species evaluated. For instance, relatively high activities for uranium and radium were obtained in algae collected around the DCP plant, compared to results obtained for algae samples taken from the unimpacted Riba-Roja Reservoir. In contrast, for zebra mussels, enhanced activities were observed for all radionuclides and, in particular, for thorium and radium isotopes within the area of influence. Among catfish samples, activity values from different locations were not significantly different, though slightly higher activities were observed at the sampling point just downstream of the DCP factory.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are greatly indebted to the Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona (CAT) for their invaluable collaboration. This study was financially supported by the General Research Directorate of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology, project CTM2011-28765-C02-01, and by Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d’Innovació, Universitats i Empresa through project 2009 SGR 223. Last but not least, we also appreciate the cooperation of the Sebes Nature Reserve and Flix Meander.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Química Analítica i Química Orgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Marcel lí Domingo s/n, 43007, Tarragona, Spain

    M. Mola, M. Palomo, A. Peñalver, C. Aguilar & F. Borrull

  2. Unitat de Radioquímica Ambiental i Sanitària (URAIS), Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona (CAT), Ctra Nacional 340, km 1094, 43895, L’Ampolla, Spain

    M. Mola, M. Palomo, A. Peñalver, C. Aguilar & F. Borrull

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  1. M. Mola
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  2. M. Palomo
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  3. A. Peñalver
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  4. C. Aguilar
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  5. F. Borrull
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Correspondence to M. Mola.

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Mola, M., Palomo, M., Peñalver, A. et al. Radionuclides in biota collected near a dicalcium phosphate plant, southern Catalonia, Spain. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 298, 2017–2024 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-013-2690-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-013-2690-9

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