We performed a literature review on the disposal and leakage of radioactive materials on various species of marine and freshwater fish using the following database sources: Science Direct, Ovid, Google Scholar, Access Science, Web of Science, and JSTOR Search.

Our literature review shows that accumulation of radionuclides can lead not only to increased mortality and morbidity rates, but also to changes in reproductive and developmental patterns as well as alterations in the genetic makeup. We have also found three papers that provide strong evidence that radionuclides can be passed across the trophic levels and in turn impact the entire food chain. Furthermore, there are indications that migratory aquatic organisms can introduce trace radiation into food webs in an unaffected area.

Nowadays, this topic is of great significance due to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident that occurred during 2011 in Japan. Our literature review shows that radiocesium (¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs) levels in the tissue samples of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) after the Fukushima accident were 10 times greater when compared with measurements taken before the accident.

Greater emphasis in future research should be placed on this issue as the release of radionuclides can have a long-lasting impact on global fish populations.