ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION WITH SHORT-LIVED RADIO-NUCLIDES IN JAPAN IN 1961

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1962 · J. Radiation Research (Japan)

OSTI ID:4806193

Yamagata, N; Iwashima, K

Meeasurements were made on the radioactivity of dust, foodstuffs, lungs, and thyroids of man and animals from October to December 1961. The concentration of I/sup 131/ in air showed a maximum of 2.07 mu mu c/m/sup 3/ on November 6 and the average for the second half of November was 0.62. The value decreased to less than 0.2 in December. Spinach samples showed remarkable contamination with fission products, The maximum being 16 m mu c of I/sup 131/per fresh kg. Average intake of I/sup 131/ by population through ingestion of leafy vegetables was estimated as 100 to 300 mu mu c in November and 7 to 20 mu mu c in December. The contribution of milk in daily intake was less than 10% of that of leafy vegetables which was considered the main channel of transmittance of I/sup 131/ to the human population of Japan. A greater risk would be involved to breast-fed baby than bottle-fed one since the latter consumes canned powder milk in Japan and the former would be greatly influenced by its mother's diet composition. The level of I/sup 131/ in human thyroids from 52 persons who died during the period December 4 to 12 in Tokyo was less than 5.6 mu mu c/fresh g on the average; the thyroid burden was estimated as 100 to 165 mu mu c of human population in the period November and December 196l. (auth)

• Research Organization: Inst. of Public Health, Tokyo
• NSA Number: NSA-16-026727
• OSTI ID: 4806193
• Journal Information: J. Radiation Research (Japan), Journal Name: J. Radiation Research (Japan) Vol. Vol: 3: No. 1
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
ANIMALS
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CONTAMINATION
DIET
DUSTS
ENVIRONMENT
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCTS
FOOD
IODINE 131
JAPAN
LUNGS
MAN
MEASURED VALUES
MILK
POPULATIONS
RADIOACTIVITY
THYROID
VEGETABLES