Plutonium and americium in the foodchain lichen-reindeer-man
The atmospheric nuclear tests have produced a worldwide fallout of transuranium elements. In addition to plutonium measurable concentrations of americium are to be found in terrestrial and aquatic environments. The metabolism of plutonium in reindeer was investigated by analyzing plutonium in liver, bone, and lung collected during 1963-1976. To determine the distribution of plutonium in reindeer all tissues of four animals of different ages were analyzed. To estimate the uptake of plutonium from the gastrointestinal tract in reindeer, the tissue samples of elk were also analyzed. Elk which is of the same genus as reindeer does not feed on lichen but mainly on deciduous plants, buds, young twigs, and leaves of trees and bushes. The composition of its feed corresponds fairly well to that of reindeer during the summer. Studies on behaviour of americium along the foodchain lichen-reindeer-man were started by determining the Am-241 concentrations in lichen and reindeer liver. The Am-241 results were compared with those of Pu-239,240. The plutonium contents of the southern Finns, whose diet does not contain reindeer tissues, were determined by analyzing autopsy tissue samples (liver, lung, and bone). The southern Finns form a control group to the Lapps consuming reindeer tissues. Plutonium analyses of the placenta, blood, and tooth samples of the Lapps were performed.
- Research Organization:
- Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Radiochemistry
- OSTI ID:
- 7211865
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-770409-11
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560171 -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
560172 -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Animals-- (-1987)
560173 -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALGAE
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM
AMERICIUM 243
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
ARCTIC REGIONS
BIOMASS
BODY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DEER
DIET
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EUROPE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FALLOUT
FALLOUT DEPOSITS
FINLAND
FOOD CHAINS
FUNGI
HEAVY NUCLEI
HUMAN POPULATIONS
ISOTOPES
LAPPS
LICHENS
MAMMALS
MAN
MASS TRANSFER
METABOLISM
METALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POLAR REGIONS
POPULATIONS
PRIMATES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RUMINANTS
SAMPLING
SCANDINAVIA
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TISSUES
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES