CS-137 TRANSFER-COEFFICIENTS FROM FODDER TO COW MILK

The transfer of Cs-137 from the components of cows' diets to milk was followed in detail on 10 farms in the north-eastern region of Italy (F riuli-Venezia Giulia) from June to July 1988. Samples of milk, grass a nd other components of the cows' diet were collected regularly and ana lysed for radiocaesium content. The transfer factors, calculated for C s-137 after a four-week feeding period with contaminated silage, were higher (0.0064) than those calculated in 1987 in the same area (0.0030 ). This may be attributable to the fact that the Cs-137 associated to the forage administrated to cows in 1988 was completely incorporated i n the plant and thus more assimilable to the cattle.