Preliminary observations on californium-252 behaviour in sea water, sediments and zooplankton

We carried out radiotracer experiments on the behaviour of 252Cf in the marine environment. The particulate fraction of californium in sea water approached 45% after four days. Californium rapidly adsorbed onto marine coastal and deep-sea sediments with Kd values from 1.4 X 10(4) to greater than or equal to 1 X 10(5). The concentration of 252Cf in euphausiids reached near-equilibrium factors of 3 X 10(2) in water after one week; in contrast, the assimilation from food was very low. Excreted fecal pellets, molts and zooplankton carcasses are potentially important vectors for californium re-distribution in the oceans.