Strategies for Radioactive Decontamination of Livestock

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Strategies for Radioactive Decontamination of
Livestock

• Thomas E. Johnson, PhD
• Alexander Brandl, PhD
• Department of Environmental
• and Radiological Health Sciences
• Colorado State University
• tj_at_colostate.edu
• 970-491-0563

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Overview

• Goal Removal of radioactive materials from
  surfaces of livestock possibly from a dirty
  bomb, nuclear weapon or reactor accident

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Definitions

• Background radiation
• Source Term
• Contamination/Radiation
• Radioactive Contamination External
• Internal Contamination
• Fugitive dusts and re-suspension
• Plume
• Noble Gases
• Fallout/Fission products

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Background Radiation

• Radiation from the sun, cosmic rays, rocks, soil,
  plants, water
• Usually naturally occurring
• Bulk is from the sun or when the earth was formed
• Almost ALL radiation detection instruments will
  read above zero when no radioactive material is
  present
• Demonstration

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Definitions

• Source term Quantity of radioactive materials
  that are available to be dispersed
• Radiation emission of particles or energy from
  an atom that may cause damage to the body
• Contamination unwanted radioactive material in
  an unwanted place. Usually particles

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Definitions (2)

• Radioactive contamination External
• Radioactive particles or other radioactive
  materials that adhere to the outside of a body
  and are NOT incorporated into the tissues
• Internal Contamination
• Radioactive materials that are taken into the
  body.
• Some radioactive materials may be incorporated
  into the body tissues
• Some radioactive materials may just pass
  through

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Definitions (3)

• Fugitive Dusts and re-suspension
• Radioactive particles that are on the ground or
  in the air and are spread by wind.
• Those that settle and are picked up by the wind
  again to re-spread.
• Plume a generally large cloud of radioactive
  particles that spread over an area, and the
  resulting settling of radioactive particles on
  the ground.

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Definitions (4)

• Noble Gases In this context, the radioactive
  gases that are found in reactors and as a product
  of nuclear weapons. They do not react with
  anything and do not form particles.
• Generally short lived (minutes)
• Only a hazard if you are in them!
• Generally only a hazard to skin
• Fallout Radioactive particles that fall from the
  sky, generally associated only with weapons

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Definitions (5)

• Fission Products the radioactive materials
  resulting from reactors or weapons
• Generally a wide range of radioactive materials
• MOST are short (minutes) lived
• Radioactive decay/half life time for half of the
  material to disintegrate.

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Radiation Dose

• Deposition of energy from radioactive materials
  in living tissue
• Many units, some not scientifically correct, but
  used anyway
• Lethal human dose if delivered in a short time
  (in various units) to the whole body
• 400 rems 400 rads 400 roentgens (R)
• 4 Sieverts (Sv) 4 Gray (Gy)
• How many clicks on a GM would this be?

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Types of Radiation Events

• Radioactive Dispersal Devices
• Dirty Bombs
• Reactor Accident
• Nuclear Weapons

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Radioactive Dispersal Devices (RDD)

• Any method used to deliberately disperse
  radioactive material to create terror or harm. A
  dirty bomb is an example of an RDD.
• It is made by packaging explosives (like
  dynamite) with radioactive material to be
  dispersed when the bomb goes off.
• GENERALLY
• No fatal doses of radiation
• Only covers small area

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Reactor Accident

• Accidental release of radioactive materials from
  a Nuclear Reactor
• Chernobyl
• Fukushima
• Three Mile Island
• Generally a Dispersal of volatile materials
• over a period of time
• over a wide area
• Lots of time to panic

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Nuclear Weapons

• Detonation of a uranium or plutonium based weapon
  that yields fission products
• Hiroshima, Nagasaki
• Large amounts of multiple types of radioactive
  materials
• Large area involved
• Transported by atmosphere over entire hemisphere
  if surface/air burst

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Distances from Source Term to Significant
Contamination

• RDD Not expected to travel far meters not
  miles
• Reactor May travel meters to miles from source
  Generally lower concentrations at distance
• Snow, rain will impact
• Weapon impact from meters to miles

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What to do if (precautions)

• Know in advance of radioactive plume
• It is currently happening
• Plume has passed

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Evacuation

• May or may not be the best action
• Shelter in place for noble gases
• If radioactive contamination expected to be low,
  may not be important
• Example Three Mile Island
• Food, water, shelter for animals may be a problem
• May be very costly
• Always move cross wind or upwind of source term
  (release point)

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Shelter

• If radioactive particulate anticipated to fall on
  livestock
• Move animals under shelter
• ANYTHING is better than nothing
• Use feed that has been kept under cover
• Tarps may be sufficient for most feed (hay)
• If not covered, only upper layers may have
  radioactive contamination, lower layers may still
  be usable
• You may be able to see the radioactive
  contamination, depending on the event
• Use water that has been under cover

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Shelter (2)

• Keep animals under shelter until plume (cloud of
  radioactive contaminants) has passed.
• Remember re-suspension is still possible
• Try to move animals into facilities or pasture
  that is not contaminated (upwind)
• Note that if sheltering in place you should stop
  unfiltered ventilation
• Any filtering will help
• Filters will be filled with radioactive
  contaminates when plume has passed

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No Shelter, No Evacuation

• Still possible that animals did not get
  contaminated as plumes tend to be unpredictable
• External contamination levels may be low
• If so, move animals to uncontaminated area and
  uncontaminated feed
• Over time, radioactive materials eaten will be
  removed by natural processes
• May require extensive monitoring

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External Contamination

• Unlikely that animals will drop dead due to
  radiation, regardless of the event
• Best course may be to leave animals in
  contaminated pasture where they were when event
  occured
• Limited information on what is effective at
  removing external contamination
• Current subject of research at CSU
• May take large volumes of water
• Runoff is contaminated

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External Decontamination

• Anti-contamination clothing will cause animal
  stress
• Person in street clothes to help keep calm
• Small amounts probably not a concern
• Brush/vacuum off
• How much is small?
• May be best to provide clean feed until no
  internal contamination
• Not as easy to detect!
• May be able to delay

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Internal Contamination

• Animals eating radioactive contamination
• Radioactive particles fall onto plants and water
  and are consumed
• Feed animals uncontaminated food and water
• Radioactive contaminants become incorporated into
  the tissues
• May take up to three months to remove, or longer
• Must be kept in uncontaminated areas
• Droppings will be contaminated

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Perception Problems

• Snowball
• Euthanizing animals may produce a bigger problem
• Disposal of bio-rad-waste is expensive
• May not be necessary
• Difficulty in finding slaughterhouse to take
  decontaminated animals
• Difficulty in selling decontaminated animals
• Consider alternative uses/markets

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Fear and Panic

• Few people understand radiation
• Most are afraid, even if decontaminated
• Find experts to assist
• Unlikely that radioactive contamination will
  cause immediate injury to animals (or humans)
• CSU faculty and staff are available to help!

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References

• http//www.euranos.fzk.de/index.php?actioneuranos
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• http//www-naweb.iaea.org/nafa/news/radioactive-co
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• http//www.iaea.org/nafa/dx/emergency/agricultural
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• Guidelines for Agricultural Countermeasures
  Following an Accidental Release of Radionuclides,
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• Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear
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  nation-2nd_Edition_FINAL.pdf
• C. D. Berger, J. R. Frazier, R. T. Greene, B. R.
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• Survival of Food Crops and Livestock in the Event
  of Nuclear War, D.W. Bensen, A.H. Sparrow, US.
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• USDA Radiological Monitoring Handbook,
  Agricultural Research Service, Agriculture
  Handbook No. 246, 1963.
• B.J. Howard, N.A. Beresford, G. Voigt,
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• R.M. Alexakhin, Countermeasures in Agricultural
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• Handbook of Radioactive Contamination and
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• USDA Radiological Monitoring Handbook,
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