Can zeolites decrease the uptake and accelerate the excretion of radio-caesium in ruminants?
The zeolite group of minerals has been suggested as a means of decreasing the uptake of radio-caesium by humans and domestic animals, and also to accelerate the excretion of radio-caesium which has already been absorbed. Artificial mordenite, one of the zeolites being considered for this purpose, was dispersed in liquid paraffin and administered to goats and lambs fed radio-caesium-contaminated hay. Faeces and urine were collected separately and analyzed by gamma spectrometry on each day of the experimental period. At a dose of 10 g day-1 of mordenite, the amount of radio-caesium excreted was more than double the amount ingested with the fodder, due to extraction of the radio-caesium stored in the body. Initially, the effect/dose ratio was even higher. It is shown conclusively that mordenite can reduce the uptake of radio-caesium by goats and lambs, and also, without changing the fodder, reduce their body burden. A similar, preliminary experiment on man was less successful. In another experiment, boiling reindeer meat with mordenite reduced its radio-caesium content to 8%.
Forberg
S
S
Department of Nuclear Chemistry, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
Jones
B
B
Westermark
T
T
D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006041:Goats / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D017641:Zeolites
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D017641:Zeolites