On the Accumulation of Radioactive Materials in Marine Organisms Along the Coast of Korea 3. Cesium-137 Activities in Several Edible Marine Algae

Continued to the previous papers, the present investigation is carried out to clarify cesium-137 activities and potassium contents among 54 samples of edible marine algae collected along the coast of Korea during September, 1973 and April, 1974. The potassium contents are variable, 1.5-29.6%, and 11.36% on an average, while most of the members contain them about 10-16% generally. Among the algal phyla, they are 13.49% in green, 10.82% in brown and 16.46% in red algae, respectively. Cesium-137 activities are variable, 0.19-8.13 pCi$\^$137/ Cs/g K, and 2.35 pCi$\^$137/Cs/g K on an average in the samples investigated. Among the algal phyla they are 4.35 in green, 2.17 in brown and 0.89 pCi $\^$137/Cs/g K in red algae, respectively. Green algae contain especially higher activities compared with the other two groups. The brown alga, Myelophycus caespitosus shows the highest activities, 8.13 pCi$\^$137/Cs/g K, among the members investigated. Considering the concentration factor, this plant would be an indicator plant of cesium-137 among the marine algae along the coast of Korea.