DROPPINGS from seabirds could be introducing radioactive isotopes into the food chain. That’s the conclusion of researchers who found high levels of radioactivity in droppings and plants on an island close to the Arctic.
If tests confirm that the guano is bringing radioactivity ashore, it will need to be factored into pollution assessments that gauge radiation risks to human health and ecosystems. The risk is probably low at temperate latitudes, but could be much greater in the fragile wastes of the Arctic. There, guano is a major source of nutrients for plants, which are then eaten by animals.
Radioactive material…
