TRANSPORT OF PLUTONIUM VIA FOOD PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN W. W. Sutton and A. A, Mullen Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Las Vegas, Nevada ABSTRACT Various plutonium studies have been conducted using domestic animals in an attempt to determine what fraction of a quantified exposure would reach the edible animal products. Following either intravenous or oral plutonium doses to selected livestock species, milk, liver, eggs and skeletal muscle have been considered as critical deposition sites or materials almost irrespective of resulting nuclide concentrations. Milk and eggs received primary attention as their production represents an efficient way of converting dietary crude protein and energy into edible substances. Potential problems concerning the biological availability of plutonium from tn vivo labeled food materials and the hazards assoctated with recycling carcass residues have been considered. INTRODUCTION It is anticipated that with the increased use of nuclear power systems plutonium will be produced in greater quantities and may present a major health and ecosystem hazard. The long physical and biological half-life and high relative toxicity have dictated that considerable effort be devoted to quantifying plutonium transport through the various trophic levels. A relatively small number of plant and animal species contribute the majority of food products for the human population. In studies designed to assess potential nuclide transport via the ingestion of contaminated food, research efforts are directed toward those species which are of the greatest nutritive benefit to man. Dairy cows, chickens, beef cattle, goats and pigs have all been used as research animals at the Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory-Las Vegas (EMSL-LV) in order to investigate the blological transport of various radionuclides. Domestic animals are currently being utilized at EMSL-LV in a series of continuing experiments to assess the transport characteristics of transuranic elements.