Behavior of heavy elements in a simple microbial food chain

Kozai, Naofumi   ; Sakamoto, Fuminori  ; Onuki, Toshihiko; Sato, Takahiro; Koka, Masashi; Kamiya, Tomihiro; Esaka, Fumitaka  

To reveal the role of protozoa in environmental migration of radionuclides, this study investigated behavior of heavy elements (U, Eu) during culture of Paramecium sp. with yeast on which heavy elements were sorbed. Paramecium was chosen as model protozoa. After the exposure of yeast cells to a dilute heavy element aqueous solution, phosphates of these elements formed on yeast cells. Paramecium cells were cultured with those yeast cells. Only very small fractions of the presorbed heavy elements were dissolved from yeast cells during the Paramecium culture. As culture time advances, membranous precipitates formed which contained undigested and digested yeast cells and dense membranous organic substance filling gaps between those cells. In the precipitates many phosphate particles which size and morphology are similar to those on the yeast cells were observed. These results suggest that the immobilization effect of yeast cells for heavy elements was preserved in the prey-predator system.