The Uptake of Radioactivity by Fish and Shellfish I. 134Caesium by Whole Animals

Abstract

The uptake of 134Cs by 36 species of marine and freshwater fish and shellfish has been measured, and for selected species has been shown to depend on a power of the weight. For plaice, lobster, and eel, over thousand-fold ranges of weight, the uptake varies according to ω0.78. The times taken to reach half-equilibrium concentrations vary according to a value between ω0.25 and ω0.29, e.g. for a 100-fold increase in weight there is a 3.5-fold increase in half-value time.