Radionuclides in the terrestrial ecosystem near a Canadian uranium mill -- Part 2: Small mammal food chains and bioavailability

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Health Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-200006000-00004· OSTI ID:20075791

Thomas, P A

Food chain transfer through the soil-vegetation-small mammal food chain was measured by concentration ratios (CRs) for uranium, {sup 226}Ra, {sup 210}Pb, and {sup 210}Po at three sites near the Key Lake uranium mill in northern Saskatchewan. Plant/soil CRs, animal carcass/GI tract CRs, and animal/soil CRs were depressed at sites impacted by mill and tailings dusts relative to a nearby control site. Thus, radionuclides associated with large particulates in tailings and/or ore dusts may be less bioavailable to terrestrial plants and animals than natural sources of radioactive dust. These results show that reliance on default food chain transfer parameters, obtained from uncontaminated terrestrial ecosystems, may overpredict impacts at uranium mine and mill sites. Given the omnivorous diet of small mammals and birds, animal/soil CRs are recommended as the most cost-effective and robust means of predicting animal concentrations from environmental monitoring data at uranium mill facilities.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (CA)
• Sponsoring Organization: Environment Canada; Health Canada; Saskatchewan Health
• OSTI ID: 20075791
• Journal Information: Health Physics, Journal Name: Health Physics Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 78; ISSN HLTPAO; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
CANADA
CONTAMINATION
FOOD CHAINS
LEAD 210
POLONIUM 210
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIUM 226
SOILS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
URANIUM