A study was undertaken to determine the
ability of both sodium EDTA and sirconium
citrate (15) to increase the excretion rate of
internally deposited fission products in the contaminated chickens. Om the basis of previous
experience, it was not expected that any appreciable decontamination could be effected at the
time of this experiment (4 months following
internal radioactive deposition).
The excretion rates of § chickens with large
body burdena of internal contaminants were
determined for a period of 4 days as the base
line for the study, Following this, two chickens
were injected daily I. P. with 75 mg. sodium
EDTA for four days: two received injections
of 70 ing. of zirconium citrate (15), and two
were injected with both zirconium citrate and
4xodium EDTA. Two chickens were kept as
controls. The mean beta and gamma activity
excreted by these chickens was determined individually for each of the treatment days and
for 1 day following cesaation of treatment.
Neqiher the zirconium citrate nor the sodium
BDTA alose was edietive in increasing the
excretion rate ts reflects f by the beta activity
wade
The combined szdministration of seorsim. otiate aed ~elinn EDTA,
however, tube? cae egcre! on pate of the beta
MORN es,
activity.
fades «afinsation
No viet
teole chaage i che rate of
the exposure of the animal to external radiation,
although the effects of sevure dietary changes
and other disease cannot be ruled ont.
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 detonation. The fish and clam had a much
lower concentration of the alkaline and rere
earths, and a body burden considerably higher
than that of the land animals.
The internal distribution of tission products
in the pig is probably representative of the dis-
tribution in human beings. An estimate of the
human body burden was derived from the data
on pigs.
Studies made on egg production of contaminated hens gave no evidence of any effect of
radiation. The rate of production and the eggs
produced sere both normal. The extraordinaryability of fowl to mobilize calcium in shell
formation resulted in the presence of very high
activity in the shells of the first feweggs) The
activity was associated with the fission products
of the alkaline earth group. A significant
amount of activity was found in the yolk, and
leer amounts in the albumen. The removal
of activity froin the body of chickens by egg
production provides an effective natural de-
contamination process,
ee
me enee
rediographs resembles that of the alkaline
earths. Morphological changes which were observed in some of the bones may be the result of
4
netere and distribution of the radicisctepes im
the timsues and the excreta. ()ver 90 percent of
the activity in the body of animals was localised
im the skeleton. The pattern of deposition of
the fiesion products in the skeleton seen in aute-