Involved Members: Prof. Vincent Chi Chiu KO, Prof. Rudolf Shiu Sun WU

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of using the ‘Artificial Mussel’ (AM) as a new tool for monitoring radionuclides in marine environments. It was found that the uptake and accumulation of 238U, 88Sr, and 133Cs by AMs were directly related to their concentrations in water and equilibrium could be reached within 7 to 8 weeks, with high concentration factors. The results suggest that AMs can be an effective and practical tool for monitoring of radionuclides in aquatic environments, overcoming the challenges faced by existing methods. By offering a low-cost and efficient alternative, AMs have the potential to revolutionize long-term and large-scale radionuclide monitoring, providing valuable insights into the presence and levels of radioactive substances in marine ecosystems.

Reference:
Yang, Y., Chow, T. W., Zhang, Y.Q., Yu, P.K., Ko, C.C., Wu, R.S.S., (2023). Artificial Mussels: A New Tool for Monitoring Radionuclides in Aquatic Environments. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 11(7), 1309. (impact factor: 2.744)