The Uptake, Distribution and Excretion of Four Radionuclides in Australorbis Glabratus (Planorbidae)

Abstract

Summary Sr85, Fe59, Rb86 and Na22 were incorporated into media in which the snail Australortis glabratus was growing. The uptake, distribution, and degradation of each of the nuclides was studied. This snail takes up and concentrates Strontium > Iron > Rubidium > Sodium. Iron-59 was the only isotope transferred to the egg in appreciable quantities. The snail may serve as a biological indicator of low level radioactivity. The application of radioactive tagging to field studies of the ecology and population dyamics of snail intermediate hosts of parasitic diseases is proposed.