A presentation on radioactive waste and their impact on aquatic organisms.

1. M.C.Prabhath
AS2012180
Department of Zoology
University of Sri Jayawardenepura
30.03.2016
Radioactive waste and their impact
on aquatic organisms
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2. Content
 Introduction
 Radiation and radioactivity
 Radiation health effects
 Radioactive waste
 Development of radiation injury
 Effects on aquatic animals of acute and chronic exposure
to ionizing radiation from radioactive waste.
 Radiological effects on aquatic organisms in the areas
with high levels of radioactive contamination.
 Laws and regulations and radiation
 Radioactive waste and Sri Lanka
 Summary
 Discussion
 References2

3. Introduction
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4. Radiation and Radioactivity
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 Radiation is the transport of energy through
space .
 Two types of radiation.
- Ionizing radiation
- Non ionizing radiation
 When radiation transfers enough energy to
displace electrons from atoms and break the
bonds that hold molecules together, it is called
ionizing radiation.
 Radioactivity is the property of certain unstable
atoms to disintegrate spontaneously, releasing
radiation and forming a different nucleide.

5. Radiation Health Effects
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 Radionuclides are carcinogens and at high doses
can also cause rapid sickness and death.
 The health effects of exposure to radiation
depend on many factors.
- type of radiation
- the amount of energy it delivers
- the length of exposure time
- the organs and tissues exposed
- characteristics of the exposed person

6. Radioactive waste
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 Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain
radioactive material.
 Radioactive wastes are usually by-products
of nuclear power generation and other
applications of nuclear fission
or nuclear technology, such as research and
medicine.
 Radioactive waste is divided into three broad
categories.
- High Level Waste
- Intermediate Level Waste

7. 7
 Five main sources of radioactivity to the
enviornment.
- Primordial and natural sources
- Nuclear weapons testing
- Nuclear Power generation
- Nuclear reprocessing industry
- Various military, industrial,medical and
research
establishment

8. 8
 There are four principal methods of radioactive
waste disposal .
- Air Dilution
- Water and Mud Dilution
- Storage and shipping
- Burial

9. Development of radiation injury
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 The development of radiation injury occurs at
three levels of biological organization .
- Molecular level
- Cellular level
- Organismal level
 Modifications of Radiation Injury

10. Summary
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11. 11
 When an organism has been exposed to
ionization radiaion , energy absorbed in tissues
induces atomic changes.
 These changes may occur through ionization or
excitation.
 Direct and indirect effects

12. Effects on aquatic animals of acute
and chronic exposure to ionizing
radiation from radioactive waste.
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 Mortality
 Pathophysiology
 Reproduction
 Development
 Genetics

13. Mortality
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 Salmo gairdnerii
- 58R one cell or blastodisc stage is most
sensitive
- 300 – 500 R Irregular relationship of
sensitivity and
incresed dose
 Paralichthys lethostigma
- LD 50/50 2500 R

14. Pathophysiology
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 Effects on
- Haemopoietic
tissue
- Immunity
- Intestinal
epithelium

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 Gambusia affinis – depression of hemopoiesis
 Oncorhynchus tschwytscha – Number of
hemopoietic cells
significantly decreesed.
 Plaice – susceptibility for infection increased .
 Gold fish – developed intestinal damage which
lead to death.
 Grass shrimp- amino acid generation is affected
 Salmo gardnerii- depressed immune response

16. Reproduction
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 Oryzias latipes – 500R significant decrese in
oviposition
frequency
 Salmo gardenerii – induction of sterility.
 Amphipod – reduced egg production
 Brine shrimp – progressive decrease in
sensityvity of oocytes
throughout prophase and into
metaphase.
 Freshwater snail – Reduced fecundity ,viability
and fertility

17. Development
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 Salmo gardnerii – Retardation in
growth,abnormalities in
embryos.
 Cyprinus carpio – hatiching decreased
 Chinook salmon – opecular defects ,
 Guppy – lower weights ,
 Freshwater snail- embryo development
decreased
 Brine shrimp- decrease of body weight

18. Genetics
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 Mutation
 Chromosome breakage
 Chromosome rearrangements
 Faulty segregation of
chromosomes

19. Chromosome aberrations
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 Umbra limi – aberrant metaphase
 Plaice – high level of mitosis
 Midges- inversions and deletions ,aberrations in
salivary
gland chromosomes.
 Polychaete- Increased frequency of chromosomal
aberrations

20. Mutations
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 Mosquito fish – presence of radiation induced
lethal
mutations
 Rainbow trout – mutations in germ cells
 Guppy – color pattern mutation
 Brine shrimp – mutations in germ cells

21. INCIDENTS and IMPACTS
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 Mayak complex of nuclear reprocessing plant
- Techa river and lake Karachai 1949-1956
- Radioactive waste from the plant
- Number of lakes radiation accident(Kystym
accident )
- Annual doses 300- 800 Gy/d
- ecosystem destruction
-Abnormalities in developing larvae
- Bottom dwelling and phytophagous fishes
are affected
- commercial catches of fishes are prohibited
-

22. 22
 Chernobyl NPP-
- one of the worlds most highly contaminated
waterbody
- Various radioactive elements
- abnormalities in fish
- Changed morphology of gonads
- Reproductive system of silver carp

23. 23
 Leningrad NPP-
- very low contamination
- accumulation in algae
- Abnormalities in fishes

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25. Fukushima nuclear disaster
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 Whole food chain was affected
 Ecosystem death in near shore area
 Various radionuclides
 On going researches
 Chemical . Physical changes in the
ecosystem

26. Radioactive waste and Sri Lanka
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 Atomic Energy Agency – Act no 19 in 1969
 It functions as the National regulatory Authority in
the use of radiation and radioisotopes to ensure
the protection of the workers , the public and the
environment from potentially harmful effects of
ionizing radiation.
 Categories – High risk, Medium risk and Low risk

27. Laws, regulations and Radiation
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 International
- Comprehensive Nuclear test ban treaty
- European Environmental law
- Handbook of Nuclear low
- International Atomic Energy Agency
conventions and
legal agreements
 Countries
Japan – the atomic energy basic low
UK- Atomic energy act

28. Discussion
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29. References
 Aarkrog, A. (1994). Radioactivity in polar regions—main sources.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 25(1), 21-35.
 Anderson, S. L., & Harrison, F. L. (1986). Effects of radiation on
aquatic organisms and radiobiological methodologies for effects
assessment.
 Fuller, N., Lerebours, A., Smith, J. T., & Ford, A. T. (2015). The
biological effects of ionising radiation on Crustaceans: A review.
Aquatic Toxicology, 167, 55-67.
 Higgins, E. (1950). Radioactive wastes and their significance in stream
ecology. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 79(1), 217-232.
 Krumholz, L. A., Goldberg, E. D., & Boroughs, H. (1957). The
Effects of Atomic Radiation on Oceanography and Fisheries.
NAS-NRC Publ, 551, 69-79.
 Kryshev, I. I., & Sazykina, T. G. (1998). Radioecological effects on
aquatic organisms in the areas with high levels of radioactive
contamination: environmental protection criteria. Radiation
Protection Dosimetry, 75(1-4), 187-191.
 Woodhead, D. S. (1971). The biological effects of radioactive
waste. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological
Sciences, 177(1048), 423-437.
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30. Thank you !!!
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31. Questions
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