Correlation of phytoplankton satellite observations and radiological doses in molluscs

In this work data of salinity, temperature, suspended particulate matter (SPM), chlorophyll-a, and phytoplankton concentration in the Gibraltar Strait coast, in the confluence of the Mediterranean Sean and the Atlantic Ocean, were analyzed together with ²¹⁰Po, ⁴⁰K, ²¹⁰Pb and ²³⁴Th activity concentration in different types of bivalve molluscs at the same time-period. The physicochemical parameters were evaluated using the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) products based on satellite observations. A multivariate statistical analysis, including contrasted natural radioactivity contents, allowed the discrimination of bivalve molluscs from Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Additionally, a cluster analysis determined a highly significant negative correlation ²¹⁰Po concentration in molluscs and phytoplankton concentration suggesting that phytoplankton concentration in the water column is a determinant factor to regulate ²¹⁰Po concentration in those animals. These results introduce a useful tool to calculate the radiological doses in seafood from chlorophyll satellite image.