Reference material for radionuclides in sediment IAEA-384 (Fangataufa Lagoon sediment)

Author Posting. © Springer, 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 273 (2007): 383-393, doi:10.1007/s10967-007-6898-4.A reference material designed for the determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in sediment, IAEA-384 (Fangataufa Lagoon sediment), is described and the results of certification are presented. The material has been certified for 8 radionuclides (40K, 60Co, 155Eu, 230Th, 238U, 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Am). Information values are given for 12 radionuclides (90Sr, 137Cs, 210Pb (210Po), 226Ra, 228Ra, 232Th, 234U, 235U, 239Pu, 240Pu and 241Pu). Less reported radionuclides include 228Th, 236U, 239Np and 242Pu. The reference material may be used for quality management of radioanalytical laboratories engaged in the analysis of radionuclides in the environment, as well as for the development and validation of analytical methods and for training purposes. The material is available from IAEA in 100 g units

Reference Material for Radionuclides in Sediment, IAEA-384 (Fangataufa Lagoon Sediment)

The IAEA Marine Environment Laboratory (IAEA-MEL) in Monaco has conducted intercomparison exercises on radionuclides in marine samples for many years as part of its contribution to the IAEA's program of Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS). An important part of the AQCS program has been a production of Reference Materials (RMs) and their provision to radioanalytical laboratories. The RMs have been developed for different marine matrices (sediment, water, biota), with accuracy and precision required for the present state of the art of radiometrics and mass spectrometry methods. The RMs have been produced as the final products of world-wide intercomparison exercises organized during last 30 years. A total of 44 intercomparison exercises were undertaken and 39 RMs were produced for radionuclides in the marine environment. All required matrices (seawater, biota, sediment) have been covered with radionuclide concentrations ranging from typical environmental levels to elevated levels affected by discharges from nuclear reprocessing plants. The long-term availability of RMs (over 10 years) requires the use of very specific techniques to collect and pretreat large quantities of material (e.g., in excess of 100 kg) in order to ensure sample stability and homogenization of any analytes of interest. The production of a RM is therefore a long process, covering the identification of needs, sample collection, pre-treatment, homogenization, bottling, distribution to laboratories, evaluation of data, preliminary reporting, additional analyses in expert laboratories, certification of the material, and finally issuing the RM. In this paper we describe a reference material IAEA-384, Fangataufa lagoon sediment, designed for determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in the marine environment. This RM has been prepared with the aim of testing the performance of analytical laboratories to measure the activity of these radionuclides in a sediment sample contaminated by elevated levels of fallout from nuclear weapons tests. Participating laboratories were requested to determine as many radionuclides as possible by radiometric (alpha, beta and gamma-spectrometry) as well as by mass spectrometry methods (e.g., ICPMS - Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, TIMS - Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry, AMS - Accelerator Mass Spectrometry)

Isolation of Shewanella putrefaciens from cultured european sea bass, (Dicentrarchus labrax) In Turkey

This study describes the etiological agent that caused mortalities on cultured European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, L., in Turkey. The sick fish showed lethargy, loss of appetite, exophthalmus, and ulcers over the dorsal part of the body. Internally, liver haemorrhages, spleen enlargement (splenomegaly) were observed. The spleen, liver and kidney were pale. Ascites in the abdominal cavity was also observed. Gram-negative, cytochrome oxidase and catalase positive and H(2)S producing rods were isolated from skin ulcers, kidney, spleen, liver and blood and identified as Shewanella putrefaciens by using both standard methods and API 20 E test system. Histological examination of sea bass naturally infected with S. putrefaciens indicated depletion of white and red pulpas and deposition of haemosiderin in the melanomacrophage centres in the spleen. The kidney was severely affected, displaying necrosis in renal tubules. Intestinal mucosa membrane sloughed into the lumens. There were vacuole degeneration. necrotic areas in the fatty liver tissue

The first observation of viral erythrocytic infection associated with pathogenic bacteria and some ectoparasites in cultured Mediterranean sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) in Turkey

This paper describes the first occurrence of viral erythrocytic infection associated with pathogenic bacteria and some ectoparasites in cultured Mediterranean sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Turkey. Generally, fish infected by the organisms were anaemic, and experienced moderate or high levels of mortality during disease outbreaks. While Photobacterium damselae subsp damselae, Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, Aeromonas sobria, Listonella (Vibrio) anguillarum, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were isolated from diseased fish, haematological and electron microscopical examination also indicated the presence of viral erythrocytic infection in diseased sea bass. Erythrocytes of affected sea bass had. single, double or multiple intracytoplasmic inclusions ranging in size from 0.3 to 1.6 mu m. Some of these erythrocytes had single or multiple, small or large vacuoles which were usually associated with inclusion bodies. Confirmation of viral erythrocytic infection is based on the observation of polyhedral virions 85-157 nm in diameter in the cytoplasm of the affected erythrocytes using electron microscopy. Clinically infected sea bass had low haematocrit values (Ht) ranging from 2% to 29% and low RBC counts ranging from 14,200 to 3,760,000 per ml

First Occurrence of Erythrocytic Inclusion Body Syndrome (EIBS) in Marine Reared Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Turkey

Heavy mortalities were observed in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in floating cages of five fish farms in the Black Sea, Turkey, in April 2004. Microbial, histological, hematological, and electron microscopy were used to determine the reason for these mortalities. The fish were affected with erythrocytic inclusion body syndrome (EIBS). One or two pathogenic bacteria were isolated from each sampled fish. The bacteria were identified as Aeromonas hydrophila, Flexibacter maritimus, Listonella (Vibrio) anguillarum, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Erythrocytes of the affected fish had single, double, or multiple inclusion bodies. Necrotic and deformed red blood cells (RBC) had segmented or swollen lysed (karyolitic) nuclei. The virions had a diameter of 75-100 nm and appeared to be five or six-sided. Individual virions had a spherical appearance and were scattered throughout the cytoplasm. Diseased fish had low hematocrit values (Ht), low RBC counts, and usually high leukocyte counts. This is the first time that EIBS associated with pathogenic bacteria was evidenced in marine reared rainbow trout in Turkey

First observation of rickettsia-like organisms in cultured sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Turkey

This paper describes the first observation of rickettsia-like organisms (RLOs) in cultured European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Turkey. Generally, fish infected by the organism were anorexic, lethargic and experienced high levels of mortality during disease outbreaks. Internally, most of the affected fish exhibited grey to yellow coloured multifocal nodules in their kidneys and spleens. Although Listonella (Vibrio) anguillarum and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida were isolated from diseased fish, clinical and pathological examination also indicated the presence of RLOs in diseased sea bass. Histopathologically, multifocal necrosis of parenchyma cells of the spleen, liver, kidney skeletal and heart muscle was observed, associated with an inflammatory reaction. Diseased fish also contained what appeared to be RLOs within the cytoplasmic vacuoles of their blood monocytes. The presence of RLOs in tissues of diseased fish was confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC)