title: A study of radiocesium contamination and decontamination of sheep's milk.
abstract: The radiocesium contamination and decontamination of sheep's milk were studied under a constant level of activity concentration in the sheep's diet. Two sets of experiments were performed: one at the end of the animal's lactating period and one during the main lactating period. The data were in satisfactory agreement with the predictions of a simple two-compartment model. At the stage of equilibrium the data yielded the transfer coefficient fm with an average value of fm = 0.063 +/- 0.005 d L-1. In the second experiment a detailed study of the decontamination phase revealed a two-component decay with amplitudes 53% and 43% and half-lives 1.5 d and 6.9 d, respectively. A small 4% long-lived (T1/2 = 170 d) third component could not be distinguished from an overall background decay, measured in control animals.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Physics Laboratory, University of Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Assimakopoulos
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Ioannides
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pakou
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mantzios
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive; D007774:Lactation; D008433:Mathematics; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes