Review of parameters describing terrestrial food-chain transport of lead-210 and radium-226

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · Nucl. Saf.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6747099

McDowell-Boyer, L M; Watson, A P; Travis, C C

Because of the technological enhancement and environmental persistence of naturally occurring /sup 210/Pb and /sup 226/Ra, food-chain transport of these nuclides is important to the evaluation of man's potential internal radiation exposure. Parameters describing this transport are determined in this article for use in currently available equilibrium models through which potential dietary exposures may be evaluated. Element-specific literature describing soil-plant and plant animal relationships is reviewed and interpreted in terms of deriving concentration factors and transfer coefficients for /sup 210/Pb and /sup 226/Ra. Also provided are unweighted means and associated ranges for these parameters, which represent averages of data collected over a variety of environmental conditions, soil types, and chemical forms of lead and radium. A comparison of mean values determined in this review with values for the same parameters that are recommended in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's March 1976 draft of Regulatory Guide 1.109 indicates that the latter estimates for /sup 210/Pb and /sup 226/Ra may not be appropriate for generic exposure assessments. The predietive capabilities of the average values are tested against measured dietary concentrations of /sup 210/Pb and /sup 226/Ra. Predicted values differed by no more than an order of magnitude from observed values. Reasons for discrepancies between predicted and measured values are discussed. Although site-specific data are desirable in assessing food-chain transport, these average values may be useful in preliminary assessments when site-specific information is not available.

• OSTI ID: 6747099
• Journal Information: Nucl. Saf.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Saf.; (United States) Vol. 21:4; ISSN NUSAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510302* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DIET
DOSES
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FOOD CHAINS
FORECASTING
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERNAL IRRADIATION
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEI
PLANTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SOILS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
UPTAKE
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES