A comparison of 210Po in Mytilus edulis and Fucus vesiculosus in French and Irish coastal waters

The geographical variations of 210Po in Mytilus edulis and Fucus vesiculosus in French and Irish coastal waters have been measured. Possible sources of variation including environmental parameters, anthropogenic input and mussel condition have been considered. The effect of different sampling regimes on the comparability of measurements is discussed and the results of a joint sampling exercise are examined. The ranges of 210Po concentrations found in Mytilus edulis and Fucus vesiculosus were 80 - 700 Bq.kg-1 (dry wt.) and 3 - 39 Bq.kg-1 (dry wt.) respectively. Any enhancement due to anthropogenic input is masked by natural variation. While much of this natural variation remains unexplained, Mytilus edulis physiology and polonium physico-chemical form are clearly significant. Furthermore, different approaches to sample collection and processing can effect the comparability of measured concentrations. (author)