HUMAN AND CATTLE THYROID RADIOACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH FALLOUT: OCTOBER 1955 TO OCTOBER 1956

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1957

OSTI ID:4337026

White, M R

Thyroids from humans, obtained at autopsy, were followed for radioactivity from January 1956 to October 1956. There is less than one chance in one thousand that human thyroid tissue could have been irradiated to the extent of 0.001 rep from I/sup 131/ fallout. The probable value is no more that 0.000l6 rep during this period. Thyroids from cattle slaughtered in the San Francisco Bay Area were followed for radioactivity from October 1955 to October 1956. Two periods of increase in radioactivity, possibly due to smallyield detonations in Nevada, were seen in December 1955 and January 1956. A period of high activity in cattle thyroid, probably due to a Russian detonation, began in March, and radioactivity from this delivered a maximum of 0.2 rep. Another period of high activity, presumably due to the Bikini tests, began in May 1956 and was continuing at the time this report ended. It delivered (up to October thyroid tissue. This level of radiation exposure would produce no change in physiological function of the thyroid and would not be detrimental to cattle. (auth)

• Research Organization: California. Univ., Berkeley. Radiation Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• NSA Number: NSA-12-004673
• OSTI ID: 4337026
• Report Number(s): UCRL-3703
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CALIFORNIA
CATTLE
FALLOUT
IODINE 131
MAN
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PHYSIOLOGY
RADIOACTIVITY
SAN FRANCISCO BAY
TESTING
THYROID
TISSUES