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]

• Main Author: Miettinen, J K
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION; THERMAL; AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; CESIUM 137; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; DEER; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; FINLAND; FALLOUT DEPOSITS; FOOD CHAINS; RADIOACTIVITY; LICHENS; MAN; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM 240; BONE TISSUES; LIVER; LUNGS; MEAT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SAMPLING; TEETH; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALGAE; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOMASS; BODY; CESIUM ISOTOPES; CONNECTIVE TISSUE; DIGESTIVE SYSTEM; ENERGY SOURCES; EUROPE; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FALLOUT; FOOD; FUNGI; GLANDS; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; MAMMALS; MASS TRANSFER; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/7317255; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7317255; https://doi.org/10.2172/7317255

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.