Fungi: A major source of radiocesium contamination of grazing ruminants in Norway
Transfer of radiocesium from vegetation to milk was studied in dairy goats grazing heavily contaminated mountain pasture in southern Norway in the years following the Chernobyl accident. Radiocesium activity in milk and green vegetation remained stable throughout 1986 and 1987. In 1988, a sudden three- to fivefold increase in milk radioactivity occurred during the second half of the summer. Whole-body content of radioactivity in sheep and reindeer also increased rapidly. This coincided with an abundant growth of fungal fruit bodies with radiocesium levels up to 100 times higher than green vegetation. Fungal radiocesium was found to be highly available in a digestibility study with goats. Milk radioactivity levels in the field could be accounted for by consumption of as little as 20-100 g d-1 of fungal dry matter (DM). The importance of fungal fruit bodies in transferring radiocesium to ruminants was further substantiated by comparing meat activities in grazing ruminants in 1988 and 1989. Fungal fruit bodies were present in minor quantities in 1989, and radioactivity levels in sheep and reindeer in August-September were only 28-35% of those in 1988. This ability of fungi to mobilize radiocesium from natural soils and transfer the isotopes into the human food chain greatly enhances the vulnerability of food production in natural ecosystems to radiocesium pollution.
- OSTI ID:
- 6604753
- Journal Information:
- Health Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Health Physics; (USA) Vol. 59:2; ISSN 0017-9078; ISSN HLTPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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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
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY FLUIDS
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
CONTAMINATION
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EUROPE
FALLOUT
FOOD
FOOD CHAINS
FUNGI
GOATS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
INGESTION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
LWGR TYPE REACTORS
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MEAT
MILK
NORWAY
PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
RUMINANTS
SCANDINAVIA
SOILS
THERMAL REACTORS
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WESTERN EUROPE