Transfer of radiocesium from different environmental sources to ewes and suckling lambs
- Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Cumbria (Scotland)
Indoor experiments are described that compare the transfer of radiocesium to ewe and lamb tissues from different sources. Lactating ewes were fed either perennial ryegrass contaminated by Chernobyl fallout, or saltmarsh vegetation contaminated by marine discharges from the Sellafield reprocessing plant. The transfer to ewe tissues and milk was greater from the Chernobyl contaminated herbage than from saltmarsh vegetation. Lambs receiving a mixture of vegetation and milk were given radiocesium from one of the two vegetation sources or from milk obtained from the experimental ewes. Transfer to lamb tissues declined in the order milk greater than Chernobyl fallout greater than Sellafield discharge. The radiocesium transfer to lamb tissues exceeded that to ewe tissues. Transfer coefficients for 137Cs in the Chernobyl fallout were higher than most previously published figures at 0.12 d kg-1 for ewe muscle and 0.50 d kg-1 for lamb muscle. The transfer coefficient for 137Cs from ewe milk to lamb muscle was 1.20 d kg-1.
- OSTI ID:
- 5223913
- Journal Information:
- Health Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Health Physics; (USA) Vol. 57:4; ISSN 0017-9078; ISSN HLTPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Radiocesium bioavailability: Transfer of Chernobyl and tracer radiocesium to goat milk
Seasonal variation of soil-to-plant transfer of K and fallout sup 134,137 Cs in peatland vegetation
Related Subjects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACCIDENTS
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMAL FEEDS
ANIMALS
ASIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY FLUIDS
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
CONTAMINATION
DISTRIBUTION
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
EASTERN EUROPE
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EUROPE
FALLOUT
FOOD
FOOD CHAINS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
ISOTOPES
LACTATION
LWGR TYPE REACTORS
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MILK
MUSCLES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POWER REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
RUMINANTS
SHEEP
THERMAL REACTORS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
UKRAINIAN SSR
UNITED KINGDOM
USSR
VERTEBRATES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WESTERN EUROPE
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES