Radiocesium concentrations in two populations of naturally contaminated feral hogs (Sus scrofa domesticus). [/sup 137/Cs]

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6296554

Stribling, H L

Two populations of feral hogs (Sus scrofa domesticus) were studied during the summer and winter seasons from 1976 to 1978 in order to determine concentrations, distributional patterns, and predictability of cesium-137 in the whole body and various body compartments of these animals. One population inhabited the Savannah River Plant (SRP) Aiken, South Carolina, an area contaminated by reactor waste and natural fallout; the other inhabited Ossabaw Island (OI), Georgia, an area contaminated by natural fallout alone. Whole-body burdens on the SRP averaged about 2 and about 1.5 times higher than those samples on OI during the summer and winter seasons, respectively. Radiocesium levels in feral hogs on SRP were not only influenced by the additional source of contamination but apparently fluctuated seasonally as well since the whole-body burdens of SRP hogs sampled were about 1.5 times higher in the summer than in the winter. Levels of cesium-137 in skeletal muscle have decreased in the SRP feral hog population since 1968. On the SRP, feces best predicted whole-body burdens with an r/sup 2/ of 0.67. All internal organs examined predicted levels in skeletal muscle well for SRP animals but best predictability of muscle (R/sup 2/ = 0.94) was achieved when brain, liver, and feces were combined in a multiple regression equation. Muscle was the best predictor of cesium-137 in all body compartments.

• Research Organization: Clemson Univ., SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-05-0033
• OSTI ID: 6296554
• Report Number(s): TID-290-21
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560162 -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
BODY BURDEN
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
DATA
DATA FORMS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FALLOUT
GLANDS
INFORMATION
ISOLATED VALUES
ISOTOPES
LIVER
MAMMALS
MUSCLES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
POPULATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SWINE
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES