Location

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Start Date

16-4-2011 12:30 PM

End Date

16-4-2011 2:00 PM

Description

Discovered by Pierre Curie and Marie Skłodowska-Curie in 1898, polonium is a chemical element with an atomic number of 84. This rare naturally occurring radioactive element is chemically similar to bismuth and tellurium, and forms in uranium ores. Polonium-210 is an naturally occurring radioactive element with a half-life of 138.376 days(1). This element is found in trace amounts in most organisms. Our research is focused on the accumulation of polonium-210 in fish that occupy in Lake Mead.

The sample species is chosen based on varying lake stratification (layers of the lake). This gives us a good idea of the difference in polonium-210 amounts, based on diet since it tends to change with lake stratification. This research will be based on a previous research that concluded that the polonium 210 is found generally in the internal organs especially the Gastro-intestinal tract of the fish and 97% of polonium acquired by fish is from food intake. The results from our research will help identify the causes for accumulation and compare the level of polonium 210 accumulation in different species based on the strata they are found in.

Keywords

Fishes; Polonium—Isotopes; United States — Lake Mead

Disciplines

Animal Sciences | Aquaculture and Fisheries | Biochemistry | Environmental Health and Protection | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment

Language

English


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Apr 16th, 12:30 PM Apr 16th, 2:00 PM

Accumulation of polonium-210 in different species of fish in Lake Mead

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Discovered by Pierre Curie and Marie Skłodowska-Curie in 1898, polonium is a chemical element with an atomic number of 84. This rare naturally occurring radioactive element is chemically similar to bismuth and tellurium, and forms in uranium ores. Polonium-210 is an naturally occurring radioactive element with a half-life of 138.376 days(1). This element is found in trace amounts in most organisms. Our research is focused on the accumulation of polonium-210 in fish that occupy in Lake Mead.

The sample species is chosen based on varying lake stratification (layers of the lake). This gives us a good idea of the difference in polonium-210 amounts, based on diet since it tends to change with lake stratification. This research will be based on a previous research that concluded that the polonium 210 is found generally in the internal organs especially the Gastro-intestinal tract of the fish and 97% of polonium acquired by fish is from food intake. The results from our research will help identify the causes for accumulation and compare the level of polonium 210 accumulation in different species based on the strata they are found in.