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A Rapid Method for the Determination of Radioactive Caesium in Live Animals and Carcasses, and its Practical Application in Norway after the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Accident

Hurtigmetode for bestemmelse av radiocesium i levende dyr og slakteskrotter

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 35, pages 401–408 (1994)Cite this article

Abstract

A technique was developed for the measurement of levels of caesium radionuclides (137Cs+134Cs) in live reindeer, cattle, and sheep and in carcasses from these species. The instrument used was a sodium iodide scintillation detector coupled to a portable multi-channel analyser.

Based on a combination of background measurements and measurements of impulses from animals with the detector in different anatomical positions we recommmend the following procedures: Lamb: The detector placed on os sacrum (standing animal). Reindeer: The detector placed between the hind legs (animal lying on its side). Cattle: The detector placed on the back of the standing animal, midway between os sacrum and trochanter major.

Average geometrical factors for live animals were estimated. It was a linear correlation between measured activity levels in meat samples and counted impulses per sec in live animals. Geometrical factors were estimated at 95% confidence level with uncertainty between 6–14%. The detection limits varied between 50–200 Bq (becquerel)/kg in areas with ground depositions between 5–200 kBq/m2. Since the winter 1986/87 the technique has been the standard procedure for monitoring slaughter animals and carcasses for radiocaesium activity concentrations.

Sammendrag

Nedfallet av radioaktivt cesium etter reaktorulykken i Tsjernobyl 26. april 1986 førte tildels til sterk forurensning av norske landbruksprodukter. Dette gjaldt spesielt for småfe-, storfe- og reinsdyrkjøtt.

For å få oversikt over forurensningssituasjonen og for å kunne overholde myndighetenes tiltaksgrenser for radiocesium i næringsmidler ble Norge delt inn i soner mht høstslaktingen 1986. Soneinndelingene gjaldt spesielt for kjøtt av småfe, storfe og reinsdyr. Tiltak ble satt i verk for å redusere nivået av radioaktivt cesium i dyrene før slakting.

Soneinndelingene høsten 1986 ble foretatt ut fra målinger på kjøttprøver. På grunn av manglende muligheter for måling av radiocesiuminnhold før slakting ble sauekjøtt for 80 mill. NOK ikke godkjent for humant konsum.

I løpet av vinteren 1986/87 ble det utviklet en metode for måling av radioaktivt cesium på levende dyr og på slakteskrotter. Måleutstyret var en bærbar mangekanal analysator med en natriumjodid scintillasjonsdetektor.

Geometrifaktorer (forholdet mellom nivået av radioaktivt cesium målt i kjøttprøven og impulser pr sekund målt på det levende dyret) ble bestemt for alle dyreslagene. Det var en meget god korrelasjon (r=0,99) mellom målt aktivitet i levende dyr og nivået av radiocesium i kjøttprøver. Denne hurtigmetoden for måling av radioaktivt cesium i levende dyr ble raskt tatt i bruk under feltforhold og dannet i Norge grunnlaget for soneinndeling, tiltak og bestemmelse av slaktetidspunkt.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. O. Sandvik and Dr. B. Underdal for helpful discussions and critical comments to the manuscript, and Ms. A. A. Sørli for help and technical assistance during the study. This work was supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture, to whom our thanks are due.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Veterinary Services, The Ministry of Agriculture, P.O. Box 8007, Dep., N-0030, Oslo, Norway

    L. I. Brynildsen

  2. Department of Food Hygiene, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, Oslo, Norway

    L. I. Brynildsen

  3. Norwegian Radiation Protection Authorithy, Åsterås, Norway

    P. Strand

Authors
  1. L. I. Brynildsen
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  2. P. Strand
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Brynildsen, L.I., Strand, P. A Rapid Method for the Determination of Radioactive Caesium in Live Animals and Carcasses, and its Practical Application in Norway after the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Accident. Acta Vet Scand 35, 401–408 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548315

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147