Publication Abstract

Transfer across the human gut of environmental plutonium, americium, cobalt, caesium and technetium: Studies with cockles from the Irish Sea

Transfer across the human gut of environmental plutonium, americium, cobalt, caesium and technetium: Studies with cockles from the Irish Sea

G.J. Hunt

Our previous studies have indicated lower values of the gut transfer factor ("f1 values") for plutonium and americium in winkles (Littorina littorea) than adopted by ICRP. The present study was undertaken primarily to investigate whether this observation extends to other species. Samples of cockles (Cerastoderma edule) from Ravenglass, Cumbria were eaten by volunteers who provided samples of urine and faeces. Urine samples indicated f1 values which were higher than for winkles such that use of f1 = 2 x 10^-4 (as for winkles) would appear to be insufficiently cautious, but the value of 5 x 10^-4 as used by ICRP would provide adequate protection. Limited data based on volunteers eating cockles from the Solway suggest that f1 values for americium may increase at distance from Sellafield. Data for other nuclides were obtained by analysing faecal samples from the volunteers who ate the Ravenglass cockles. Cobalt-60 showed an f1 value in the region of 0.2, twice the value currently used by ICRP. For caesium-137, large variabilities were indicated within the ICRP value of f1 = 1.0. Technetium-99 gave f1 values up to about 0.6, showing the need for more data to establish the caution inherent in the ICRP value.

Reference:

G.J. Hunt, 1998. Transfer across the human gut of environmental plutonium, americium, cobalt, caesium and technetium: Studies with cockles from the Irish Sea. Journal of Radiological Protection, 18(2): 101-109

G.J. Hunt*

Journal of Radiological Protection, 18(2): 101-109