The radioecological consequences for lowland pastures used to fatten upland sheep contaminated with radiocaesium

doi:10.1016/0048-9697(91)90354-H

Science of The Total Environment

Volume 103, Issue 1, 1 April 1991, Pages 73-87

https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-9697(91)90354-H Get rights and content

Abstract

Current farming practice in upland areas of Cumbria, England, affected by Chernobyl fallout is to remove lambs to lowland pastures for fattening prior to slaughter. The radiocaesium (¹³⁷Cs and ¹³⁴Cs) burden of lambs is rapidly lost via excreta deposited on the pasture. This may increase the radiocaesium activities in vegetation of these pastures. Studies were performed to assess the radioecological consequences of this practice.

Results obtained from experiments were used to calibrate a soil/vegetation model which was used to predict long-term radiocaesium behavior.

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Radioecology of Cs-137 and Cs-134 in upland sheep pasture systems following the Chernobyl accident

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Cited by (7)

Radiocaesium in natural systems - AUK coordinated study Environmental Radioactivity Special Topic Steering Committee
1993, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
This review summarizes the findings of a research programme in the UK following the Chernobyl accident. The projects provide a degree of integrated coverage of environmental transfers of radiocaesium from cloud deposition through studies of soil chemistry and soil-plant uptake to measured and modelled transfers along food chains. The results highlight the spatial and temporal variability of environmental transfer parameters and emphasize the need for care both in experimental design and in generalizations on magnitudes of nuclide transfer.
Radiocaesium in natural systems - A UK coordinated study
1993, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
This review summarizes the findings of a research programme in the UK following the Chernobyl accident. The projects provide a degree of integrated coverage of environmental transfers of radiocaesium from cloud deposition through studies of soil chemistry and soil-plant uptake to measured and modelled transfers along food chains. The results highlight the spatial and temporal variability of environmental transfer parameters and emphasize the need for care both in experimental design and in generalizations on magnitudes of nuclide transfer.
Does soil adhesion matter when predicting radiocaesium transfer to animals?
1993, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
A sward will often have significant amounts of soil adhered to the vegetation surfaces which will be ingested by grazing animals. If the soil is contaminated by radioactive fallout then it can serve as a dietary source of radionuclides, in addition to any root uptake by the plants. This study is an attempt to quantitatively assess the importance of soil adhesion as a source of radiocaesium to sheep using the RUINS model which simulates radiocaesium transfer in grazing systems.
The method of simulating the contamination of vegetation surfaces used by the RUINS model is described, and the importance of the availability of radiocaesium associated with adhered soil relative to plant incorporated radiocaesium discussed. Two sets of simulations are presented: one in which the soil is treated as a medium providing a uniform availability of radiocaesium, and the second in which account is taken of the partitioning of radiocaesium in the soil between ‘fixed’ and ‘labile’ phases.
The results demonstrate that, because of the reduced absorption in the gut of radiocaesium associated with soil, animals grazing pastures with significant amounts of radiocaesium associated with adhered soil will not be as contaminated as radiocaesium activity concentrations measured in bulk vegetation samples would suggest. Therefore, the extent of soil adhesion needs to be considered if predictions of radiocaesium contamination of animal products are to be made on the basis of measured activities of sampled vegetation. However, soil adhesion is unlikely to be a significant dietary source of available radiocaesium, unless the soil concerned exhibits an unusually high bioavailability of radiocaesium. Moreover the simulation results indicate that differences in availability between soil types observed experimentally are consistent with the partitioning between fixed and labile soil compartments made by the RUINS model.
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The radioecological consequences for lowland pastures used to fatten upland sheep contaminated with radiocaesium

Abstract

Br. Vet. J.

Sci. Total Environ.

Soil Nutrient Bioavailability

Radioecology of Cs-137 and Cs-134 in upland sheep pasture systems following the Chernobyl accident