Question

Cesium is a radioactive element which was released into the ocean after the Fuushima nuclear power plant meltdown in 2011. Cesium's half-life is 30 years, which means that for every unit of cesium, half of it will decay over 30 years. How does this affect the human populations that eat fish from this area?

A.) Cesium's half-life is relatively long, so biomagnification could become a concern.
B.) All of the cesium will decay in approximately thirty years; therefore, humans can just avoid eating the contaminated fish for thirty years.
C.) Cesium levels will be acceptable in a short time, so biomagnification is not a concern and humans can eat fish as normal.
D.) Cesium will only decay by half in fifteen years, so human populations should avoid eating fish in this area and avoid contamination

Answer 1

Answer: Option A

Explanation:

A cesium's half life is relatively long( 30 years) which is quite a long period. This element can enter the food chain of the marine ecosystem and can lead to biomagnification.

Bio magnification can be defined as the phenomenon in which there is an increases in the toxic concentration as we move up in the food chain.

Cesium can enter into plankton and form there the concentration of cesium will increase as we will move towards the upper side of the food chain.