HUMAN UPTAKE OF CS-137 IN MUTTON

The uptake of radiocesium from mutton contaminated hy fallout from the Chernobyl reactor accident has been studied in eight healthy male vol unteers. Each subject consumed, on adjacent days, two meals prepared f rom the mutton containing a total of 0.8 kBq Cs-137. The elevation and subsequent decline in whole-body content were determined from body ra dioactivity measurements prior to the meals and at intervals up to 15 wk afterwards. Clearance of Cs-137 between 1 and 15 wk showed a biolog ical half-time of 102 +/- 24 (SD) d, (range 84-154 d). The fraction cl eared with this half-time was 80 +/- 4% (range 72-85%). No attempt was made to determine the early retention and excretion but, if the ICRP' s assumption of 10% clearance with a 2-d half-life were valid, the dat a would indicate an average uptake (f1) of 89%, i.e., marginally lower than the value of 100% assumed in setting limits on intake.