Does it run in the family? - Improving radiological risk assessment in the coastal environment using taxonomic and phylogenetic perspectives in macroalgae species

Hunt, D; Dewar, A; Dal Molin, F; Willey, N

Abstract

Marine macroalgae are widely used indicator species for monitoring environmental radioactivity. Empirical studies have demonstrated a range in radionuclide transfer coefficients, or concentration ratios (CRs), between taxonomic groups, however the CR values used for dose estimation assume that macroalgae are a homogenous group, represented by a single CR. This study demonstrates the presence of a taxonomic signal in macroalgae CRs for multiple anthropogenic and naturally occurring radionuclides ( Cs, Am, Pu, Po) based on a collation of available data. A Residual Maximum Likelihood (REML) mixed model was applied, producing relative estimate CRs specific to each species within the datasets. The collated data was also analysed for a phylogenetic signal, but only a weak signal was found for one radionuclide in one group ( Pu in Phaeophyceae). A theoretical case study using the estimated CRs and the ERICA tool was carried out to demonstrate the implications of these findings in a real-world scenario. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 14, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Aug 29, 2024
• Publication Date: Oct 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 28, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 28, 2024
• Journal: Marine pollution bulletin
• Print ISSN: 0025-326X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 207
• Article Number: 116863
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116863
• Keywords: Radioprotection, Radionuclides, Macroalgae, Concentration ratio, Phylogenetic signal
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/12889211