Chemical forms of radioactive iodine in seawater and its effects upon marine organisms

Chemical forms of radioactive iodine and its effects upon marine organisms were studied by the tracer experiments. Seaweeds or fish were held in the aquarium in which the 125I tracer in either iodide or iodate form was inoculated. Iodide form of 125I was taken by Dorome (Chasmichthys gulosus) with the concentration factor of about 10 and excreted with the biological half-life of 15 days, while iodate form of 125I was not taken up appreciably and the concentration factor did not greatly exceed unity. Uptake and loss of 125I were studied as well for 3 species of seaweeds, Hijiki(Hizikia fusiforme), Nejimoku (Sargassum sagamianum) and Tsunomata (Chondrus ocellatus). Iodate form of 125I was accumulated less than iodide form by these seaweeds but the concentration factor of iodate by these seaweeds was very high compared to those by fish.