EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION
5.47
Internal
Radioactive
Studies in Chickens
Decontamination
A study was undertaken to determine the
bility of both sodium EDTA and zirconium
citrate (15) to increase the excretion rate of
Internally deposited fission products in the contuminated chickens. On the basis of previous
experience, it wis not expected that any appre-
eaiable decoutamination could be effected at the
time of this experiment (4 months following
Internal racdionetive deposition).
- The excretion rates of 8 chickens with large
hody burdens of internal contaminants were
determined for a period of 4 days as the base
line forthestudly. Followtng this, two chickens
were Injected daily T. P. with 75 ing. sodium
EDTA for four days: two received injections
of TO ine. of zirconium citrate (14). and two
were injected with both zirconium: citrate and
sodium EDTAL Two chickens were kept as
controls, The mean beta and ganna activity
exereted by these chickens was determined in-
dividually for each of the treatment days and
for 1odity following cessation of treatment.
Neither the zirconium citrate nor the sodium
MDP A alone was effective in increasing the
excretion rate as reflected by the Leta activity
measurements made. <The conibined administration of zirconium citrate and sodium EDTA,
however, doubled the excretion rate of the beta
ativity. No detectable change in the rate of
F 5002793
The
excretion rate of fission products at this long
period post contamination was less than 0.1 per“cent per 24 hours. Thus, the enhancement of
the excretion rate by the combination of zirconium citrate and sodium EDTA did not significantly decrease the total body burden.
5.48
Summary
Studies of animals provided data on ‘the
nature and distribution of the radioisotopes in
the tissues and the excreta. Over 90 percent of
the activity in the body of animals was localized
in the skeleton. The pattern of deposition of
the fission products in the skeleton seen in autoradiographs resembles that of the alkaline
earths. Morphological changes which were observed in some of the bones maybe the result of
the exposure of the animal to external radiation,
although the etfects of severe dietary changes
and other disease cannot be ruled out.
The alkaline earths Sr® and Ba?” and the
rare earth group together constituted 75 percent
of the gross beta activity in the pig at 82 days
post detonntion. The fish and chim hada much
lower concentration of the alkaline and rare
earths, and a body burden considerably higher
than that of the Jand animals.
The internal distribution of fission products, in the pig is probably representative of the distribution in human beings. An estimate of the
human body burden was derived from the data
on pigs.
Studies made on egg production of contaminited hens gave no evidence of any effect of
radiation.
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The rate of production and the eags
produced were both normal. The extraordinary ability of fowl] to mobilize calcium in shell
formation resulted in the presence of very high
activity in the shells of the first few egas.. The
activity was associated with the fission products
of the alkaline earth group. uA) significant
amount of activity was found in the yolk, and
Jesser amounts in the albumen. The removal
of activity from the bady of chickens by egg
production provides an effective natural decontanilnation process.
ro AREY Lamak ans,
hatch, and 23 live chicks were hatched, one of
which had congenital perosis. The latter chick
and six normal ones were sacrificed and their
tissues radioanalyzed. Again, only barely detectable ninounts of internally deposited activity were found. The remaining baby chicks
are being raised ind observed for possible long
term etfects. At the present time all the chicks
are erowiig normally and-are in good health.
Comparison of the fertility and hatchability
data of Ronwelap hens with those from domestic
hens dues not denionstrate any effect of radiation on these phenomena,
excretion of gamma activity was noted.
Cqme
fertiio, 3 fertile ones were opened prematurely,
1! developed complete embryos but failed to
oem ee
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