Absorption of radiocaesium by sheep after ingestion of contaminated soils

The absorption of 137Cs by sheep following ingestion of contaminated soil was studied using an established dual isotope method. Two agricultural soils were studied: an alluvial gley contaminated by discharges to the sea from the Sellafield Reprocessing Plant, and a lowland organic soil that had been artificially contaminated. Values of the true absorption coefficient of radiocaesium of 0.19 ± 0.03 and 0.03 ± 0.01, respectively, were obtained for these soils. This implies that availability of soil-associated radiocaesium for uptake following ingestion is up to about 20% of that when the activity is incorporated in vegetation. These results have been compared to estimates of availability made using an in-vitro approach described previously and found to be in good agreement. However, comparison with in-vitro data obtained for an upland peat indicated that absorption from some upland organic soils could be greater than from the lowland organic soil.