Transfer of aged Pu to cattle grazing on a contaminated environment

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198803000-00010· OSTI ID:5197249

Gilbert, R O; Engel, D W; Smith, D D; Shinn, J H; Anspaugh, L R; Eisele, G R

Estimates are obtained of the fraction of ingested or inhaled 239+240Pu transferred to blood and tissues of a reproducing herd of beef cattle, individuals of which grazed within fenced enclosures for up to 1064 d under natural conditions with no supplemental feeding at an arid site contaminated 16 y previously with Pu oxide. The estimated (geometric mean (GM)) fraction of Pu transferred from the gastrointestinal tract to blood serum was about 5 x 10(-6) (geometric standard error (GSE) = 1.4) with an approximate upper bound of about 2 x 10(-5). These results are in reasonable agreement with the value of 1 x 10(-5) recommended for human radiation protection purposes by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for insoluble Pu oxides that are free of very small particles. Also, results from a laboratory study by Stanley (St75), in which large doses of /sup 238/Pu were orally administered daily to dairy cattle for 19 consecutive days, suggest that aged 239+240Pu at this arid grazing site may not be more biologically available to blood serum than fresh 239+240Pu oxide. The estimated fractions of 239+240Pu transferred from blood serum to tissues of adult grazing cattle were: femur (3.2 X 10(-2), 1.8; GM, GSE), vertebra (1.4 X 10(-1), 1.6), liver (2.3 X 10(-1), 2.0), muscle (1.3 X 10(-1), 1.9), female gonads (7.9 X 10(-5), 1.5), and kidney (1.4 X 10(-3), 1.7). The blood-to-tissue fractional transfers for cattle initially exposed in utero were greater than those exposed only as adults by a factor of about 4 for femur (statistically significant) and of about 2 for other tissues (not significant). The estimated (GM) fraction of inhaled Pu initially deposited in the pulmonary lung was 0.34 (GSE = 1.3) for adults and 0.15 (GSE = 1.3) for cattle initially exposed in utero (a statistically significant difference).

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5197249
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 54:3; ISSN HLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560162* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BODY FLUIDS
CATTLE
CONTAMINATION
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FOOD CHAINS
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HEAVY NUCLEI
INGESTION
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POLLUTION
PREGNANCY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RUMINANTS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES