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PRELIMINARY GRAZING STUDIES WITH RUMEN-FISTULATED STEERS AT SELECTED NUCLEAR-TEST SITES
Citation:
Smith, D. AND K. Brown. PRELIMINARY GRAZING STUDIES WITH RUMEN-FISTULATED STEERS AT SELECTED NUCLEAR-TEST SITES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-81/004 (NTIS PB81199994).
Description:
Rumen-fistulated steers (steers with a capped tube inserted into a permanent surgical opening into the stomach) were allowed to graze the fallout zones of six selected nuclear-test sites on the Nevada Test Site and Tonopah Test Range. Ingesta samples were analyzed for radionuclide and botanical content to provide information on the inventory of radionuclides present and on the condition of the range at each site. The greatest variety and concentrations of gamma-emitting radionuclides were present in the ingesta from the Cabriolet-Palanquin Site. The highest levels of Plutonium-238 and -239 were found at the Clean Slate II Site. Strontium-90 levels were highest at the Smoky Site while tritium levels were highest at the Schooner Site. Each site's carrying capacity for grazing animals was determined. Food habit analyses were also performed for each animal. These data plus the radionuclide data were considered in the recommendation that the Cabriolet-Palanquin Site be selected for any future long-term grazing studies.