DISTRIBUTION OF IODINE-127 IN MARINE ORGANISMS FROM COASTAL WATERS AROUND AOMORI, JAPAN

We measured the concentrations and determined the distribution of the stable isotope 127I in the marine organisms. Marine fish were collected from the Pacific Ocean near Aomori, Japan. The mean 127I concentrations in the muscle of marine fish ranged from 0.67 μg g-1-wet weight (ww) in cherry salmon to 0.84 μg g-1-ww in fat greenling. Among the tissues measured, the muscle showed the lowest levels of 127I in all fish species. The highest 127I concentration in the tissues of marine fish was observed in the ovary of fat greenling. The mean 127I concentration in the of Japanese scallop ranged from 0.06 μg g-1-ww in adductor muscle to 5.49 μg g-1-ww in mid-gut gland. The 127I concentrations in seaweeds were 67 μg g-1-dry weight (dw) in sea lettuce and 1783 μg g-1-dw in kombu. Thus, the distribution of 127I concentration in marine organisms varied considerably depending on the tissue.