Different factors determine 137Cs concentration factors of freshwater fish and aquatic organisms in lake and river ecosystems

Determination of radionuclide concentration factor (CF) allows estimating the transfer of environmental radionuclides and potential risks of consuming fish contaminated with radionuclides. Although it is known that biotic and abiotic factors affect fish CF, only a few studies have examined whether these factors differ among ecosystems. We estimated radiocesium (137Cs) CF of 30 different fish species and other aquatic organisms by monitoring three lakes and five rivers in Fukushima, 2–4 y after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The relative effects of biotic and abiotic factors on 137Cs CF in freshwater organisms were compared between river and lake ecosystems using generalized linear models. Our analysis demonstrated the following. (1) The factors critically affecting fish CF differed between rivers and lakes. The negative effects of suspended solid concentration (SS), total organic carbon (TOC), and salinity were significant for rivers, but not for lakes. Biomagnification of 137Cs in piscivore fish was significant only in the lakes. (2) Fish size significantly affected the CF in both rivers and lakes. Nevertheless, the correlation between 137Cs concentration and piscivore fish size was stronger in lakes than in rivers. (3) The SS, TOC, and salinity simultaneously influenced the CF at every trophic level. However, feeding habit was a stronger determinant of 137Cs bioaccumulation than water chemistry in organisms at higher trophic levels, such as aquatic insects, amphibians, and fish. Our findings indicate that 137Cs accumulation in aquatic organisms is ecosystem-dependent due to different environmental factors and food web structure. [Display omitted] •137Cs concentration ratio (CR) evaluated for 30 fish and other biota in Fukushima.•Statistical analysis identified major factors affecting CR in river and lake fish.•137Cs biomagnification occurred in lake-dwelling but not riverine piscivore fish.•Fish size had the strongest influence on CR in lake-dwelling piscivore fish.•Feeding habit affected CR more than water chemistry at higher trophic levels.