Scientists have found the radioactive waste are in some lakes, ponds, and marshes where the migratory fowl usually stopped by in their annual migration in Georgia. This finding is alarming as waterfowls are usually hunted for consumption during the waterfowls season.
Migratory waterfowls usually stop by the lakes, ponds, and marshes as their rest stop during the annual travel. However, scientists from the University of Georgia find the radioactive waste in the some of lakes and ponds, posing danger to the waterfowls.
Contamination from radioactive waste at the aquatic rest stops happened due to nuclear production or accident, according to the University of Georgia. Scientists found the high concentration of Radiocesium, a byproduct of nuclear production in the 1950's, in some aquatic rest stops used by the migratory waterfowls.
The uptake of radioactive waste by the waterfowls are influenced by two main factors. The first one is the time they spend in the contaminated water at the rest stops, and the second one is the foraging habits of the birds. As the birds, especially coots and ring-necked ducks are the target for waterfowls hunting, the radioactive waste contamination potentially endangers human that consumes the birds.
The team has published their finding in the Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. Volume 171, May 2017. The research was led by Professor of Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of Georgia, Robert A. Kennamer. During his investigation, he found the large concentration of Radiocesium radioactive waste in both coots and ring-necked ducks. Moreover, ring-necked ducks are the diving birds that foraging food at the bottom of the water, thus increasing the risk of contamination.
Fortunately, Radiocesium is completely released from the body of the ducks in 30 days, according to Kennamer, therefore minimizing the potential risk of the radioactive waste to human. Moreover, the waterfowl season in Georgia usually happens from September to January, where the hunters hunt ducks, coots, mergansers, and other kinds of waterfowls. Watch the last year's waterfowl season in Georgia from the Wildlife Resources Division of Georgia Department of Natural Resources below:
