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PubMed2003

Natural specific radioactivity in different soils. Transfer in the soil plant food chain.

In order to warrant customer's health we must pay attention to the quality of the environment and production processes; that means look all over alimentary chain. Media speak often about this topics, because of the interest of the public opinion regarding agribusiness; Nether the less much is know about soil radioactivity, but often scant attention is directed to the knowledge of the amount what remains in food and arrives to the man who is the last and main user of the product. As a consequence of that, we have done some originals studies concerning specific radioactivity in alimentary chain: soil-plant-food. These studies have been made in relation with geopedologic position of fields in volcanic, clayey, sandy soils of Latium. We have measured radioactive activity over some alimentary chains both annual (like turnip and garden cress) and pluriannual (such as vine). We made comparisons on the same soils studying the following natural markers: K40, Pb214, and Bi214; and Cs137, one of the main natural markers.

Food Chain↗

PubMed1977

Environmental radioactivity in Greenland in 1976.

Measurements of fall-out radioactivity in Greenland in 1976 are reported. Strontium-90 (and Caesium-137 in most cases) was determined in samples of precipitation, sea water, vegetation, animals, and drinking water. Estimates are given of the mean contents of 90Sr and 137Cs in the human diet in Greenland in 1976.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Consequences of the nuclear power plant accident at Chernobyl.

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR), on April 26, 1986, was the first major nuclear power plant accident that resulted in a large-scale fire and subsequent explosions, immediate and delayed deaths of plant operators and emergency service workers, and the radioactive contamination of a significant land area. The release of radioactive material, over a 10-day period, resulted in millions of Soviets, and other Europeans, being exposed to measurable levels of radioactive fallout. Because of the effects of wind and rain, the radioactive nuclide fallout distribution patterns are not well defined, though they appear to be focused in three contiguous Soviet Republics: the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR, and the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. Further, because of the many radioactive nuclides (krypton, xenon, cesium, iodine, strontium, plutonium) released by the prolonged fires at Chernobyl, the long-term medical, psychological, social, and economic effects will require careful and prolonged study. Specifically, studies on the medical (leukemia, cancers, thyroid disease) and psychological (reactive depressions, post-traumatic stress disorders, family disorganization) consequences of continued low dose radiation exposure in the affected villages and towns need to be conducted so that a coherent, comprehensive, community-oriented plan may evolve that will not cause those already affected any additional harm and confusion.

Accidents↗

PubMed1990

Weighted concentration of 137Cs equivalent in foodstuffs in Kuwait from June 1986 to December 1988.

The weighted monthly concentration of 137Cs equivalent (WMC) for various types of foodstuffs imported from June 1986 to December 1988 are discussed. The data presented are based on total concentration of 137Cs equivalent. The concentration was found below the disqualifying level applied in Kuwait. The radioactive contamination was higher in milk and baby milk relative to other types of foodstuffs. The calculation of Kuwait's disqualifying levels are based on the annual dose equivalent of 1 mSv (100 mrem). The measured WMC for most types of foodstuffs represents a small fraction to the annual dose limit recommended for the general public.

Accidents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Methods of analysis of protective measures in agriculture regarding radioactively contaminated land: evaluation of the effectiveness, intervention levels and comparison of different countermeasures].

Methodological aspects of the analysis of protective measures in agriculture in the long-term period of liquidation of the consequences of a nuclear accident are considered. Examples of the estimations of countermeasure effectiveness with the use of the cost-benefit analysis, as well as methods of the estimation of intervention levels and examples of a comparison of various protective measures with the use of several criteria of effectiveness are discussed.

Agriculture↗

PubMed1978

Environmental radioactivity in Greenland in 1977.

Measurements of fallout radioactivity in Greenland in 1977 are reported. Strontium-90 (and Cesium-137 in most cases) was determined in samples of precipitation, sea water, vegetation, animals, and drinking water. Estimates are given of the mean contents of 90Sr and 137Cs in the human diet in Greenland in 1977.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Environmental radioactivity in Greenland in 1974.

Measurements of fall-out radioactivity in Greenland in 1974 are reported. Strontium-90 (and Caesium-137 in most cases) was determined in samples of precipitation, sea water, vegetation, animals, and drinking water. Estimates are given of the mean contents of 90Sr and 137Cs in the human diet in Greenland in 1974. Three Greenlanders were measured by wholebody counting.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Human uptake of 137Cs in mutton.

The uptake of radiocesium from mutton contaminated by fallout from the Chernobyl reactor accident has been studied in eight healthy male volunteers. Each subject consumed, on adjacent days, two meals prepared from the mutton containing a total of 0.8 kBq 137Cs. The elevation and subsequent decline in whole-body content were determined from body radioactivity measurements prior to the meals and at intervals up to 15 wk afterwards. Clearance of 137Cs between 1 and 15 wk showed a biological half-time of 102 +/- 24 (SD) d, (range 84-154 d). The fraction cleared with this half-time was 80 +/- 4% (range 72-85%). No attempt was made to determine the early retention and excretion but, if the ICRP's assumption of 10% clearance with a 2-d half-life were valid, the data would indicate an average uptake (f1) of 89%, i.e., marginally lower than the value of 100% assumed in setting limits on intake.

Accidents↗

PubMed1998

Evaluation of the Japanese health risks induced by global fallout tritium.

Radioactive tritium (3H) generated by the atmospheric nuclear detonation tests has been circulated in the global environment to cause, through various pathways, low-level world-wide contamination of the environment and potential health risks to human beings. In this study, the dynamic performance of tritium in the global environment was modeled considering its transport with foods/feeds imported from all over the world. The mathematical model was examined by comparing the numerically simulated results with the fallout monitoring data. Main results obtained in this study were as follows: (1) The mathematical model developed in this study can reproduce well the global scale tritium circulation and its concentration in food; (2) The excess fatality rate of Japanese by the dietary intake of tritium is estimated to be on the order of 10(-8) y(-1) at present, which is about two orders of magnitude smaller than that by 90Sr; and (3) About 70% of the Japanese internal radiation dose by tritium is due to drinking water. Farm products, especially imported wheat, are secondly important in the Japanese health risk evaluation; its contribution, however, becomes small if the isotopic exchange effect of tritium is considered.

Cesium Radioisotopes↗

PubMed2000

Radionuclides in the terrestrial ecosystem near a Canadian uranium mill--Part II: Small mammal food chains and bioavailability.

Food chain transfer through the soil-vegetation-small mammal food chain was measured by concentration ratios (CRs) for uranium, 226Ra, 210Pb, and 210Po at three sites near the Key Lake uranium mill in northern Saskatchewan. Plant/soil CRs, animal carcass/GI tract CRs, and animal/soil CRs were depressed at sites impacted by mill and tailings dusts relative to a nearby control site. Thus, radionuclides associated with large particulates in tailings and/or ore dusts may be less bioavailable to terrestrial plants and animals than natural sources of radioactive dust. These results show that reliance on default food chain transfer parameters, obtained from uncontaminated terrestrial ecosystems, may overpredict impacts at uranium mine and mill sites. Given the omnivorous diet of small mammals and birds, animal/soil CRs are recommended as the most cost-effective and robust means of predicting animal concentrations from environmental monitoring data at uranium mill facilities.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Thermodynamic approach to the selection of polyuronide sequestrants for preventive and medicinal nutrition.

An approach to the analysis of isotherms of cooperative binding is developed that allows to calculate approximately affinity profiles, i.e. dependencies of binding constants on binding densities. The comparison of the affinity profiles of the interactions of Ca2+ and Sr2+ ions with sodium pectate as well as sodium alginates with the different content of the blocks of alpha-L-guluronic acid residues (GG-blocks) and blocks of mixed composition showed that (1) pectate has higher affinity to both ions as compared with alginates; (2) the affinity of pectate to Ca2+ ions is comparable to its affinity to Sr2+ ions but in the case of Ca2+ ions the maximum of the affinity profile falls on the substantially lesser value of the binding density in comparison to Sr2+ ions that seems to be unfavorable from the standpoint of the use of this polyuronide in preventive or medicinal nutrition; (3) the affinity of both alginates to Sr2+ ions at relatively low binding densities exceeds their affinity to Ca2+ ions; (4) the affinity of alginates to Sr2+ ions increases with the increase in the content of GG-blocks, whereas the affinity to Ca2+ ions practically does not depend on the composition of the alginate; (5) the maximum binding density of Sr2+ ions to the alginates approximately corresponds to the content of GG-blocks. These results corroborate the practice of the use of alginates rich in residues of alpha-L-guluronic acid for the removal of radioactive strontium from the digestive tract. The binding constants of Pb2+ ions to pectate over a wide range of binding densities are more than an order of magnitude greater than those of alkali-earth metal ions.

Alginates↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Preliminary radiation hygiene evaluation of the meat of animals whose feed was supplemented with mine water].

Experiments were conducted on pigs given mine water as a salt additive to their food ration. The passing of radioactive substances from the mine water into the muscle and bone tissues of the animals was studied. It was shown that the levels of Sr-90, Cs-137, Ra-226 and U entering the body with the meat of pigs receiving food with mine salt water were significantly lower than their annual ingress limits.

Animal Feed↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Environment and biology of the Kara Sea: a general view for contamination studies.

The recent revelation that over the past 30 years there has been a history of dumping waste including high-level radioactive wastes in the shallow Kara Sea has caused wide-spread concern. The potential impact of these contaminants and other non-nuclear pollutants in the Arctic ecosystem and on human health need to be assessed and, thus, a better insight gained on radioecological processes in cold waters. The present paper proposes a general view on the biology and the environment of the Kara Sea, as a basic tool for the experimental and modelling assessments of the impact of these contaminants.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

The secretion of radioactive iodine (131J) into the milk of small ruminants following their experimental contamination.

"Peak" levels of radioiodine (131J) in sheep and goats milk were reached between 12-24 hrs following their contamination. At the end of the nine days period for sheep and of 12 days period for goats, following a single contamination with the prescribed 131J dose, the radioiodine level is 0,25% of the contamination dose. Following a multiple biweekly radioiodine contamination, the corresponding radioactivity levels in milk are much higher than in blood. From the fourth day on, the ratio between the respective levels in milk and blood remains constant. Following a biweekly multiple contamination in goats, average concentration of 131J in thyroid is about 220% of the daily contamination dose, whereas the corresponding concentrations in milk and blood are 33% and 5% of the daily contamination dose. The corresponding values in sheep are 140% for thyroid and 26% and 3.5% for milk and blood. Chemicals used as "iodine metabolic inhibitors" do sensibly reduce radioiodine levels in milk, while simultaneously increasing the corresponding levels in blood.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Optimization of radiation protection in the agrosphere: methods of optimization and computer systems for decision support with respect to management of protective measures].

Principles and methods of radiation protection optimisation for countermeasure implementation on areas subjected to radioactive contamination are discussed. Methodological aspects of the protective measures analysis in agrosphere are presented. Methods of estimation of intervention levels, examples of assessment and comparison of countermeasure effectiveness with the use of various criteria are considered. The brief review of up-to-date decision support systems is submitted along with the description of computer system PRANA DSS for estimation of the consequences and countermeasures management in agrosphere in the long-term period of liquidating the consequences of a nuclear accident.

Agriculture↗

PubMed1990

Examination of the impact of radioactive liquid effluent releases from the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant.

A project has been carried out by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to estimate the concentrations of radionuclides in the environment resulting from the release of radioactive materials in the liquid waste effluents from the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant (RSNPP) and to estimate possible radiation doses to man resulting from current environmental concentrations. To accomplish the objectives of this project, ORNL staff members conducted an environmental sampling program around the plant site during November and December 1984. Elevated levels of some anthropogenic radionuclides were found in the immediate environment of the plant. This radioactive contamination occurs primarily along streams receiving effluent from the plant and in fields irrigated with water from these streams. The primary contaminants are 137Cs and 134Cs, with lesser amounts of 60Co and 58Co. The ingestion of fish was the single most important pathway identified in this analysis. However, all specific pathways of exposure and usage factors were not precisely known for a complete dose assessment of current and potential use of contaminated water and soil around the RSNPP. The liquid effluent radionuclide releases from the RSNPP pose no significant health hazard to persons living near the RSNPP.

California↗

PubMed1977

Environmental radioactivity in the Faroes in 1976.

Measurements of fall-out radioactivity in the Faroes in 1976 are presented. Strontium-90 (and 137Cs in most cases) was determined in regularly collected samples of precipitation, grass, milk, fish, sea water, bread, and drinking water. In addition, analyses were made of spot samples of lamb, sea birds, potatoes, sea plants, vegetables, eggs, and human bone. Estimates are given of the mean contents of 90Sr and 137Cs in the human diet in the Faroes in 1976.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

The uptake of plutonium-238, 239, 240, americium-241, strontium-90 and caesium-137 into potatoes.

Transfer factors have been measured for 239 Pu + 240 Pu, 241 Am, 90 Sr and 137 Cs into potatoes grown in a blend of soil which included silt polluted with radioactive waste discharged into the Irish Sea. The experiment has been carried out over four seasons and attempts to assess the radiological consequences to the consumer which would arise if potatoes were to be grown in land heavily contaminated with the silt. During the course of the experiment plutonium and americium became less available for uptake, 90 Sr became slightly more available and 137 Cs remained nearly constant in its availability. The values of the transfer factors are among the lowest reported for these radionuclides into potatoes.

Americium↗