Animal investigation program, 1981 annual report: Nevada Test Site and vicinity
Data are presented from the radioanalysis of tissues, collected from animals that resided on or near the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Other than naturally occurring potassium-40, cesium-137 was the only gamma-emitting radionuclide frequently detected and was within a narrow range of activity. For example, 12 of 14 cattle muscle samples contained 15 to 65 pCi of cesium-137 per kilogram. Strontium-90 and plutonium-238 or -239 tissue concentrations were similar to those of recent years. Nanocurie levels of tritium were found in tissue from two deer that drank contaminated water draining from the tunnel test areas. Annual dose estimates to man were calculated based on the daily consumption of 0.5 kg of tissue with peak radionuclide levels. The highest postulated dose was 45 millirems to the whole body from ingestion of deer muscle that drank from the tritium contaminated waters. This dose is about 9% of the radiation protection guide. Movement of deer on the NTS is discussed. In general, deer from Pahute Mesa winter in the Timber Mt. area with some movement off the NTS, while deer from Rainier Mesa winter in the Shoshone Mt. area. The sudden death of an offsite goat kid was investigated and death was attributed to enterotoxemia. No gross or microscopic lesions in necropsied animals were found that could be attributed to the effect of ionizing radiation.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV (USA). Environmental Monitoring Systems Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI08-76DP00539
- OSTI ID:
- 6087278
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/DP/00539-047; EPA-600/3-83-014; ON: DE83014397
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Animal investigation program 1980 annual report: Nevada Test Site and vicinity
Animal Investigation Program 1976 annual report: Nevada test site and vicinity. [Radioanalysis of tissues from animals residing on or near NTS in 1976]
Related Subjects
CATTLE
CONTAMINATION
CESIUM 137
BODY BURDEN
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
STRONTIUM 90
WILD ANIMALS
BEHAVIOR
DEER
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GOATS
HORSES
MAN
NEVADA TEST SITE
PATHOLOGY
RADIATION DOSES
SAMPLING
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
DOSES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PRIMATES
RADIOISOTOPES
RUMINANTS
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
510302* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)