The influence of hot particle contamination on (90)Sr and (137)Cs transfers to milk and on time-integrated ingestion doses

Environmental behaviour of radioactive particles: Transfer to animals

Field data on behaviour of artificial polydisperse radioactive silica particles in the components of the cattle food chain are presented. The model fused radioactive particles reproduced the spherical shape of particles in the local deposition during nuclear tests, including their specific gravity and polydispersity. It is shown that the composition of radioactive particles entering the body of animals differs from those initially deposited on the surface of pasture grass. The intake of particles into the body of animals decreased with increasing particle size. The intake for particles of 400-800 μm was about 10 times lower than that for fine particles sized 0-100 μm. It was found that the excretion rate of radioactive particles from the animal body also depends on particle size. The deposition of radioactive particles on the fundal surface of the wall of the ventral rumen sac and reticulum, as well as the long-term retention of radioactive particles of all sizes in the abomasum was noted. This can result in substantial damage in the GIT system, in particular, in these parts of the cattle digestive tract the focal ulcerative lesions of the mucous membrane can be formed by « hot » radioactive particles.

Inorganic-organic magnetic nanocomposites for use in preventive medicine: a rapid and reliable elimination system for cesium

PURPOSE

To investigate the potential use of Prussian blue-coated magnetic nanoparticles, termed "Prussian blueberry", to bring about the magnetic elimination of cesium.

METHODS

Prussian blueberry were prepared by a layer-by-layer assembly method. The morphology, structure and physical properties of the Prussian blueberry were investigated as was their ability to magnetically eliminate cesium.

RESULTS

We confirmed that Prussian blueberry were composed of a magnetite nanoparticle-core and a Prussian blue-shell. Under a magnetic field, Prussian blueberry (5 mg) reduced the cesium concentration of seawater (3 ml) from 150 ppm to about 50 ppm; but regular Prussian blue could not magnetically eliminate cesium. Moreover, Prussian blueberry removed a similar proportion of cesium from a larger volume of seawater, and from fetal bovine serum and cow's milk.

CONCLUSIONS

Under a magnetic field, Prussian blueberry was able to rapidly eliminate cesium from seawater and from biological matrices such as serum and milk.