137Cs, 60Co and 125I bioaccumulation by seaweeds from the Angra dos Reis nuclear power plant region

As part of a broad research program on the behavior of critical radionuclides to be discharged into the sea by the first Brazilian nuclear powerplant, the uptake accumulation and loss of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co and ¹²⁵I by locally abundant seaweed species was studiedUptake in static 12 liter aquarium experiments reached apparent steady-state in 2–7 days (⁶⁰Co and ¹²⁵I) or 2–3 weeks (¹³⁷Cs). Elimination followed a reverse pattern, being comparatively fast for ¹³⁷Cs and slow for ⁶⁰Co and ¹²⁵I. Dry weight bioaccumulation factors (BFs) were variable, falling in the 10¹ range for ¹³⁷Cs, 10³ for ¹²⁵I and 10³–10⁴ for ⁶⁰Co. Various short-term experiments performed over a 16 month period, showed marked temporal variations of ⁶⁰Co BFs for all species.The results demonstrated that the studied species may play an important role in the transfer of the critical radionuclides through local food webs and can be employed as useful monitors for routine or accidental radionuclide releases.