Dose Estimates from Ingestion of Marine and Terrestrial Animals Harvested in the Beaufort Sea and Northwestern Alaska

• Main Authors: W. C. T. Inkret, M. E. Schillaci, D. W. Efurd, M. E. Ennis, M. J. Hameedi, J. M. Inkret, T. H. T. Little, G. Miller
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY; WEAPONRY; AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALASKA; ANIMALS; BEAUFORT SEA; CONSUMPTION RATES; INGESTION; LANL; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; RADIOISOTOPES; Beaufort Sea; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/775833; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/775833; https://doi.org/10.2172/775833

Between 1993 and 1995, marine and terrestrial animal samples were collected from the Beaufort Sea and northwest Alaska. These samples were analyzed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the presence of the anthropogenic radionuclides, {sup 90}Sr, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239+240}Pu, and {sup 241}Am. The measurement data were combined with food consumption rates based on survey results for populations residing in three northwest Alaskan communities and published age-dependent ingestion dose coefficients to estimate potential radiological impacts from the consumption of traditional animal foods harvested in this region. The results of this study indicate that committed equivalent doses to adults from {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs, due to consumption of traditional food sources are consistent with currently accepted estimates of average doses to adults in North America due to atmospheric nuclear weapons testing fallout.