title: The effect of environmental remediation on the cesium-137 levels in white-tailed deer.
abstract: Due to activities involving nuclear energy research during the latter half of the 1900 s, environmental contamination in the form of elevated cesium-137 levels was observed within the Brookhaven National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy facility. Between the years 2000 and 2005, the laboratory carried out a major soil cleanup effort to remove cesium-137 from contaminated sites. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of the cleanup effort by comparing the levels of cesium-137 in the meat of white-tailed deer found within and around the laboratory. Results suggest that the cleanup was effective, with mean concentration of cesium-137 in the meat from within the laboratory decreasing from 2.04 Bq/g prior to 1.22 Bq/g after cleanup. At the current level, the consumption of deer would not pose any human health hazard. Nevertheless, statistically higher levels of cesium-137 were detected in the deer within the laboratory as opposed to levels found in deer 1 mi beyond the laboratory site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Dowling College, Oakdale, NY, 11769, USA, RispoliF@dowling.edu.
authors.forename: Fred J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rispoli
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Fasano
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003670:Deer; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009518:New York; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive