Monitoring in animal breeding in response to nuclear or radiological emergencies: Chernobyl experience.

The main techniques of animal product sampling used in different time periods after the Chernobyl accident are summarised and lessons learned from this analysis are presented. It was shown that simple instruments for measurement γ-radiation in the environment can also be effectively implemented for measurement of γ-emitters in animal products even though these were not originally developed to measure radioactivity in food. The lessons learned related to the major tasks of the monitoring such "what to sample", "where to sample" and "when to sample". The role and example of application of supplementary data on radionuclide of concern properties for sampling planning are also discussed. Based on the statistical analysis of the data obtained in the affected settlement it was shown that radionuclide concentration in the animal products can be fitted by the log-normal distributions whilst the dispersion of the logarithms of the activity 137Cs concentrations in milk is not dependent on the local settlement specific factors. Based on these findings the novel approach for justification of the number of samples that should to be taken to obtain the GM estimate with predefined precision for given variability of the data is suggested.

Current radiological situation in areas of Ukraine contaminated by the Chernobyl accident: Part 1. Human dietary exposure to Caesium-137 and possible mitigation measures.

This study reports for the first time temporal trends for the period of 2011-2016 in 137Cs content in cow's milk originating from private farms and households of 14 settlements located in the territories of the Rivne region, Ukraine. These areas are still radioactively contaminated as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) in 1986. In 2016, the average 137Cs activity concentration in milk exceeded the Ukrainian Permissible Level (PL) for adults of 100 Bq/l in samples from 6 settlements and the PL for children of 40 Bq/l in 8 settlements, reaching activity concentration of around 500 Bq/l in some samples. Estimated annual effective doses calculated utilizing two different methodologies were in the range of 1.4-2.6 mSv/year and 1.2-1.8 mSv/year, respectively. The estimated effective period of milk semi-purification (T1/2_eff) from 137Cs in these settlements was in the range from 8 to 17 years. The estimated ecological period of milk semi-purification (T1/2_eco) from 137Cs was in the range from 11 to 36 years. The optimization of the remedial actions strategy for investigated settlements exposed to an effective dose above 1 mSv/year (as estimated in 2016) has shown that a diversity of measures can decrease effective dose for a representative person to below 1 mSv/year. Such measures include application of Ferrocyn to cows, mineral fertilization of potato fields, information campaigns on consumption of wild mushrooms and other forestry products, and feeding pigs with uncontaminated fodder. The total costs of such measures are estimated to be about 71,000 Euro per year for the combined population (8336 inhabitants) of the six villages investigated in this study that showed the highest median residual 137Cs activity concentrations in milk, with a subsequent decrease in cost in the future. This would result in an averted collective dose of 11 man-Sv, at an average cost of 6.5 kEuro/man-Sv averted. In the absence of governmental programs for implementation of necessary protective measures to reduce radiological risks to impacted populations, the exceedance of PL for the activity concentration of 137Cs in cow's milk for adults of 100 Bq/l in the Chernobyl-affected areas of Ukraine could persist for many more years - until at least 2040.

[The role of trace elements in radiation protection of plants and animals on radionuclide contaminated territories of Poles'e].

The retrospective review and analysis of works on some physiologically active trace elements influence on the radionuclides transfer from soil to plants and with forage to animals are presented. Also reviewed is their radioresistance in the contaminated territories. It is shown that some elements--zinc, manganese, cobalt--being appled to the soil at seeding or spraying plants with aqueous solutions and also in complex compounds are capable of reducing significantly the 90Sr and 137Cs transit to agricultural plants, and with forage--into the animals bodies. We have also shown that trace elements reduce the effects of radiation injury. The mechanisms of the radioprotective action of trace elements are also discussed in the paper.

[Application of the ferrocin containing waste of wine-making for reduction of 137Cs tansit from forage to laboratory animal organisms and cow milk].

Addition to rat ration of ferrocin containing wastes of wine-making formed during the process of wine demetalization in the amount of 0.2 g per animal per day reduces the 137Cs content in organs and tissues in 1.5-7 times. Addition of the above-mentioned substance to the ration of milk cows in the amount of 10-16 g per day reduces the radionuclide content in milk 1.5-2 times in two weeks and more than 3 times in four weeks.

Analysis of clustering in Al-Mg-Si alloy by density spectrum analysis of atom probe data.

Early stages of cluster formation in an Al-Si-Mg alloy were investigated by atom probe tomography and evaluated by a newly developed statistical method based on the nearest neighbour distributions. After solutionising and quenching, an alloy sample was naturally aged for one week. The atom probe data then measured was analysed for Mg, Si or Mg-Si clusters. For comparison specimen artificial aged with well developed precipitates was also investigated. A general approach for the analysis of density spectra was set up, which reduced the problem to the solution of an integral equation. Application of the method to the atom probe data set allowed us to detect clusters and to evaluate the atomic fractions within these clusters. This is also possible for an arbitrary number of nucleated phases. The higher-order next nearest neighbour distributions were used for the estimation of cluster sizes. Combining the density distribution method with a Monte Carlo simulation we found very small Si-Si and Mg-Mg clusters consisting of only a few atoms in the naturally aged state.

[Effects of chronic irradiation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Chernobyl exclusion zone].

The quantitative "dose rate-effect" dependences are presented for the cytogenetic damages in the seedlings and apical meristem of Scots pine growing in the Chernobyl zone. The specific patterns of dynamics of formation of the morphological effects in the studied species are considered for the conditions of the internal and external chronic irradiation. The correlation dependencies are established for the irradiation effects appearing at the morphological and cell level. The assumption concerning the mechanism of the morphological changes formation is done.

Rural areas affected by the Chernobyl accident: radiation exposure and remediation strategies.

Main objectives of the present work were to develop an internationally agreed methodology for deriving optimized remediation strategies in rural areas that are still affected by the Chernobyl accident, and to give an overview of the radiological situation in the three affected countries, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Study settlements were defined by having in 2004 less than 10,000 inhabitants and official dose estimates exceeding 1 mSv. Data on population, current farming practices, contamination of soils and foodstuffs, and remedial actions previously applied were collected for each of such 541 study settlements. Calculations of the annual effective dose from internal radiation were validated with extensive data sets on whole body counter measurements. According to our calculations for 2004, in 290 of the study settlements the effective dose exceeded 1 mSv, and the collective dose in these settlements amounted to about 66 person-Sv. Six remedial actions were considered: radical improvement of grassland, application of ferrocyn to cows, feeding pigs with uncontaminated fodder before slaughter, application of mineral fertilizers for potato fields, information campaign on contaminated forest produce, and replacement of contaminated soil in populated areas by uncontaminated soil. Side effects of the remedial actions were quantified by a 'degree of acceptability'. Results are presented for two remediation strategies, namely, Strategy 1, in which the degree of acceptability was given a priority, and Remediation Strategy 2, in which remedial actions were chosen according to lowest costs per averted dose only. Results are highly country-specific varying from preference for soil replacement in populated areas in Belarus to preference for application of ferrocyn to cows in Ukraine. Remedial actions in 2010 can avert a large collective dose of about 150 person-Sv (including averted doses, which would be received in the following years). Nevertheless, the number of inhabitants in Belarusian and Russian settlements with annual doses exceeding 1 mSv remains large. Compared to international values for the cost-effectiveness of actions to reduce occupational exposures, the recommended remediation strategies for rural areas affected by the Chernobyl accident are quite cost-effective (about 20 keuro/person-Sv).

Transfer of Cl from herbage into tissues and milk products of dairy cattle and pigs.

Cl-36 is an important component of nuclear waste. The concentrations of stable chlorine (Cl) in pig and cow tissues were measured to provide information which can be used to parameterize models of (36)Cl transfer into agricultural animals. The concentration of stable Cl in cows' milk was 1.0 +/- 0.2 g L(-1), in cow muscle it was 0.7 +/- 0.2 g kg(-1) wet mass (wm) and in pig muscle 0.4 +/- 0.1 g kg(-1) wm. The concentration of stable Cl in cow and pig liver was 0.9 +/- 0.3 g kg(-1) wm, which was about two-fold higher than that in the kidney and lung. Due to homeostatic control, stable Cl concentrations in animal tissues are not related to the amount ingested daily in herbage at intake rates in the normal physiological range of up to 188 g day(-1) for cows and up to 40 g day(-1) for pigs. Therefore, the commonly used transfer coefficient is not suitable for use in quantifying the transfer of (36)Cl to milk and meat. Since the metabolism of stable Cl and (36)Cl in an animal's body is identical, the average equilibrium ratios of (36)Cl to stable Cl in the daily ration ((36)Cl (g kg(-1))/Cl (g kg(-1))) and animal tissues will be the same. We therefore conclude that the average equilibrium Cl isotopic ratio in the dietary daily intake should be used to predict the contamination of meat and milk with (36)Cl.

[The transfer of 90Sr and of 137Cs radionuclides in the chain of soil-fodder-animal products in the area contaminated as a consequence of the Chernobyl AES accident].

The database on 137Cs and or 90Sr transfer factors in the soil-fodder-animal products chain compiled in the framework of the project "Radioecological Consequences of the Chernobyl Accident" under the French-German Initiative was analyzed. The 137Cs transfer factors were determined into 10 fodder types for farm animals. The 137Cs and 90Sr transfer from daily diet to milk is practically independent from milk yield and season and is about 0.83% and 0.16%. 137Cs transfer factor into beef (adult animals) is about to 2.4% from the daily uptake with fodder per 1 kg meat.

Small isotope effect of diffusion in disordered structures.

The isotope effect E of a single jump vacancy diffusion mechanism in statically disordered lattices is investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. It is found that E decreases significantly with increasing disorder. This effect is attributed to percolation processes and ensuing reduction of the effective dimension of space for the diffusing particle.

[Information technology of diagnostics of the operator's functional status]. / Informatsionnaia tekhnologiia diagnoskiti funktsional'nogo sostoianiia cheloveka-operatora.

Consideration has been given to the theoretical and applied aspects of regulation of the operator's functional state and its impact on work quality from the standpoint of preparation for and implementation of space mission. Determinations of the reflectory and regulatory functions of the operator's state are given and the neurophysiological mechanism of the latter is characterized. Analyzed were fresh methods of controlling the states of healthy persons and patients subjected to psychogenic depression via remote monitoring of voice, motor activity, etc., and recording of electrical indices (EEG, autonomous functions, etc.). Peculiarities of modifications of errors made by human subjects in identification of masked visual images within the "fatigue--negative emotions" range were investigated.

[The hygienic characteristics of the medical technology accompaniment to the development, creation and operation of installations equipped with video display terminals]. / Gigienicheskoe osobennosti mediko-technicheskogo soprovozhdeniia razrabotki, sozdaniia i ékspluatatsii ob''ektov, osnashchennykh videodispleinymi terminalami.

Radiation measuring on the work places of operators in command and control installations proved that environment parameters depending on electronic display functioning are in line with the regulations' requirements. Nevertheless the operator health estimates show that the problem of personnel security still exists. The authors recommend some measures to improve the situation.

[Behavior of fuel hot particles in the body of cows at oral intake]. / Povedenie toplivnykh goriachikh chastits v organizme korov pri peroral'nom postuplenii.

It was studied the behaviour of fuel hot particles (analogous to Chernobyl) in gastrointestinal tract of cows. The values of caesium and strontium radionuclides transfer to the cows organism and its transition parameters to milk after the single per oral intake to the organism of animals are estimated. It is shown, that the biological simplicity of radionuclides in the fuel hot particles at two parameters lower, than the same radionuclides in washed phases.

[Evaluation of hormonal status indicators and adenylate cyclase activity in animals in the follow-up of the Chernobyl AES accident]. / Otsenka pokazatelei gormonal'nogo statusa i aktivnosti adenilattsiklazy u zhivotnykh v otdalennye sroki posle avarii na Chernobyl'skoi AES.

Enhancing stimulation effect of prostaglandin E1 on adenylate cyclase, decrease in basal activity of adenylate cyclase in platelets and reducing thyroxine concentration in cow plasma 5 years after radioiodine damage to thyroid gland with doses higher than 200 Gy were detected, whereas only decrease in adenylate cyclase activity in platelets from animals irradiated with 40 Gy to thyroid gland was observed. No changes in platelet adenylate cyclase in cows exposed to less than 1 Gy to thyroid gland after 5 years of maintenance on the territory with 137Cs contamination density lower than 0.37 MBq/m2 were found.

[Modification of Ca2+ metabolism in the blood cells of cattle with radiation-induced thyroid disorder after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident]. / Modifikatsiia obmena Ca2+ v kletkakh krovi korov s radiatsionnym povrezhdeniem shchitovidnoi zhelezy posle avarii na Chernobylskoi AES.

Increasing of Ca2+ concentration in cytoplasm and of the rate of 45Ca iflux into cows erythrocytes in 19-24 month after Chernobyl accident was revealed. Correlation between Ca2+ concentration in cytoplasm of erythrocytes and thyroxin content in plasma of cows with radioiodine damage of thyroid gland was found. Reduction of the rate of 45Ga influx into erythrocytes in cows with radiation doses of 20-60 By on thyroid gland was shown in later time after accident (3-5 years). Changes in Ca2+ permeability through membranes of erythrocytes and neutrophils after injection of 131I into calves in doses of 300 Gy and more on thyroid gland was found.

The treatment of hypertrophy of the prostate of rats with 4-nitro-3-trifluoromethylisobutyranilide (Sch 13521).

A study was carried out in 146 common rats to assess the effects of 4'-nitro-3'-trifluoromethylisobutyranilide (Sch 13521) on the hypertrophied prostate gland. The hypertrophy was induced in castrated, sexually immature males by s.c. implantation of a pill of testosterone-propionate. After 20 days of administration of Sch 13521 in oral doses of 5, 10 and 25 mg/kg, the dimensions and weight of the hypertrophied prostate gland were reduced by 1.5 to 2 times. After 2 months of administration of the preparation in doses of 10 and 25 mg/kg a reduction of the hypertrophied prostate gland to the dimensions of the intact control was observed. Morphological studies confirmed the efficacy of the therapeutic action of Sch 13521.