Radioactive foodchains in the subarctic environment. Progress report, August 15, 1975--August 14, 1976. [/sup 137/Cs and /sup 239/Pu, /sup 240/Pu distribution]

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7317255· OSTI ID:7317255

Miettinen, J K

Cesium-137 is accumulated in the foodchain lichen-reindeer-man causing high body burdens in Lapps who have reindeer meat as staple food. A group of Finnish Lapps has been whole body counted for /sup 137/Cs annually since 1961. Results of the measurements made in April 1976 show 18 percent decrease in /sup 137/Cs body burdens from the previous year. A dietary study confirmed that there was no mentionable change in the total amount of reindeer meat consumed although winter consumption has slightly decreased and summer consumption increased in recent years. Plutonium analyses of stockpiled lichen and reindeer samples from 1960 to 1973 were begun in 1973; since then the sampling has continued. Lichen had 200 pCi per kg dry weight in 1963 to 1964, 100 pCi/kg in 1966 to 1970, 20 pCi/kg in 1973 to 1975. Biological half-time of plutonium in lichen is 2 years. Reindeer liver contained about 20 pCi per kg fresh weight in 1963, 2 pCi in 1973. The ratio of plutonium in liver to its lifelong total intake gave a lower limit to absorption in reindeer. Of bones, plutonium concentration is highest in teeth, medium high in sternum, vertebra and humerus, and lowest in solid long bones. Human autopsy samples gave for lungs 0.19 liver 0.02 and bone 0.09 pCi /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu per kg of wet weight.

• Research Organization: Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Radiochemistry
• Sponsoring Organization: US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
• OSTI ID: 7317255
• Report Number(s): COO-3011-6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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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
ALGAE
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOMASS
BODY
BONE TISSUES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DEER
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EUROPE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FALLOUT
FALLOUT DEPOSITS
FINLAND
FOOD
FOOD CHAINS
FUNGI
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LICHENS
LIVER
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MAN
MASS TRANSFER
MEAT
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORAL CAVITY
ORGANS
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PRIMATES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RUMINANTS
SAMPLING
SCANDINAVIA
TEETH
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES