Potassium metabolism and the accumulation of137Caesium by decapod Crustacea

Abstract

SUMMARYThe accumulation of137Cs from sea water has been examined in relation to potassium metabolism in the lobster Homarus vulgaris and in the prawn Palaemon serratus. In unfed animals137Cs is taken up and lost far more slowly than 42K. Although all the inactive K in the animals can be exchanged with 42K, higher whole-animal concentration factors are reached for137Cs (about eight for lobsters and twenty-five for prawns). This is because both species have higher plasma/medium ratios for137Cs than K at equilibrium despite the selective excretion of137Cs. Also, except for the hepatopancreas in lobsters and fed prawns, all soft tissues can probably attain higher tissue/plasma ratios for137Cs than inactive K.Uptake of both isotopes has also been studied in the freshwater crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes pallipes. In crayfish in o-i % sea water 137Cs is not concentrated to the same extent as K by whole animals (50-200 for137Cs against about 4500 for K). Although the situation between plasma and tissues resembles that in the marine animals,137Cs cannot be accumulated in the plasma to the same degree as K. Crayfish selectively excrete 137Cs in the urine relative to K at a lower concentration than in the plasma.In the accumulation of137Cs by all species, muscle is the principal limiting factor in uptake and loss, but with 42K the body surface becomes more limiting.Experiments on the absorption of137Cs from food in prawns and freshwater crayfish have been carried out. In prawns in a constant environment, feeding is probably less important than uptake over the body surface while in crayfish feeding is probably much more important.