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Title: Feeding green-cut forage contaminated by radioactive fallout to dairy cows

Abstract

Grass contaminated by radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident was cut with 150 mm (Treatment 1) and 50 mm (Treatment 2) stubble height and fed to 20 dairy cows. The transfer of 137Cs and 131I from the greencut forage to milk was studied during a four-week and a two-week period, respectively. The four-week period was followed by a three-week period with nearly uncontaminated feeds. Cutting with high stubble height significantly reduced the activity concentration in forage compared with low stubble cutting, the average contents kg-1 dry matter being 385 Bq 137Cs and 24 Bq 131I in Treatment 1 versus 6656 Bq 137Cs and 249 Bq 131I in Treatment 2. Apparent treatment effects were also demonstrated by the 137Cs concentration in milk, with maximum weekly means of 23 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 1) and 92 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 2). Single day maximum concentrations of 131I in milk were 4 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 1) and 9 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 2). The mean transfer coefficients (d kg-1) were calculated to be 0.67 X 10(-2) and 0.19 X 10(-2) for 137Cs (weeks 2-4) and 1.8 X 10(-2) and 0.2 X 10(-2) for 131I (week 2) in Treatments 1 and 2, respectively. The lower value formore » 137Cs might possibly be associated with an enhanced ash content of the forage. Feeding nearly uncontaminated rations rapidly decreased the 137Cs levels in milk in both treatments with calculated effective half-times over the three-week period of 10 and 7 d, respectively.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala
OSTI Identifier:
6514120
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Health Phys.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 55:6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; CESIUM 137; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; FOOD CHAINS; CONTAMINATION; GRASS; IODINE 131; MILK; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE; CATTLE; CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR; FALLOUT; REACTOR ACCIDENTS; SWEDEN; ACCIDENTS; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BODY FLUIDS; CESIUM ISOTOPES; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DOMESTIC ANIMALS; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS; EUROPE; FOOD; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; IODINE ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LILIOPSIDA; LWGR TYPE REACTORS; MAGNOLIOPHYTA; MAMMALS; MATERIALS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; PLANTS; POWER REACTORS; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTORS; RUMINANTS; SCANDINAVIA; THERMAL REACTORS; VERTEBRATES; WATER COOLED REACTORS; WESTERN EUROPE; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 560162* - Radionuclide Effects, Kinetics, & Toxicology- Animals, Plants, Microorganisms, & Cells; 220900 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety

Citation Formats

Bertilsson, J, Andersson, I, and Johanson, K J. Feeding green-cut forage contaminated by radioactive fallout to dairy cows. United States: N. p., 1988. Web. doi:10.1097/00004032-198812000-00001.
Bertilsson, J, Andersson, I, & Johanson, K J. Feeding green-cut forage contaminated by radioactive fallout to dairy cows. United States. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198812000-00001
Bertilsson, J, Andersson, I, and Johanson, K J. 1988. "Feeding green-cut forage contaminated by radioactive fallout to dairy cows". United States. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198812000-00001.
@article{osti_6514120,
title = {Feeding green-cut forage contaminated by radioactive fallout to dairy cows},
author = {Bertilsson, J and Andersson, I and Johanson, K J},
abstractNote = {Grass contaminated by radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident was cut with 150 mm (Treatment 1) and 50 mm (Treatment 2) stubble height and fed to 20 dairy cows. The transfer of 137Cs and 131I from the greencut forage to milk was studied during a four-week and a two-week period, respectively. The four-week period was followed by a three-week period with nearly uncontaminated feeds. Cutting with high stubble height significantly reduced the activity concentration in forage compared with low stubble cutting, the average contents kg-1 dry matter being 385 Bq 137Cs and 24 Bq 131I in Treatment 1 versus 6656 Bq 137Cs and 249 Bq 131I in Treatment 2. Apparent treatment effects were also demonstrated by the 137Cs concentration in milk, with maximum weekly means of 23 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 1) and 92 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 2). Single day maximum concentrations of 131I in milk were 4 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 1) and 9 Bq kg-1 (Treatment 2). The mean transfer coefficients (d kg-1) were calculated to be 0.67 X 10(-2) and 0.19 X 10(-2) for 137Cs (weeks 2-4) and 1.8 X 10(-2) and 0.2 X 10(-2) for 131I (week 2) in Treatments 1 and 2, respectively. The lower value for 137Cs might possibly be associated with an enhanced ash content of the forage. Feeding nearly uncontaminated rations rapidly decreased the 137Cs levels in milk in both treatments with calculated effective half-times over the three-week period of 10 and 7 d, respectively.},
doi = {10.1097/00004032-198812000-00001},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6514120}, journal = {Health Phys.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 55:6,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1988},
month = {Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1988}
}