Plutonium and americium in the foodchain lichen-reindeer-man

• Main Authors: Jaakkola, T., Hakanen, M., Keinonen, M., Mussalo, H., Miettinen, J.K.
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION; THERMAL; AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; AMERICIUM 243; METABOLISM; DEER; DIET; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; FINLAND; FALLOUT DEPOSITS; FOOD CHAINS; ARCTIC REGIONS; LICHENS; MAN; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM 240; AMERICIUM; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HUMAN POPULATIONS; LAPPS; PLUTONIUM; RADIOMETRIC ANALYSIS; SAMPLING; TISSUE DISTRIBUTION; TISSUES; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ACTINIDES; ALGAE; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; AMERICIUM ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BIOMASS; BODY; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; DISTRIBUTION; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; EUROPE; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FALLOUT; FUNGI; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; MAMMALS; MASS TRANSFER; METALS; NUCLEI; Arctic; elk
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/7211865; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7211865

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.