Damage to Livestock From Radioactive Fallout in Event of Nuclear War: A Report (1963)

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?K0ILciIV2 cM3IvLKäII0N8 rM NU3L^vdNl1 9.l Leneral Lui6ance vurinß tde tir8t pda8e ot tallout, vnen little m2^ de knovn ot it8 inten8itv an6 nature, it vill de vi8e tor du8dan6men to keep tdeir per» 8onal expo8ure to tde minimum con8i8tent vitd tde 8urvival ot tdeir colnmunitie8, iamilie8 an6 8elve8. ^ ßeneral rule ot ßui6ance can de ßiven vden ra6iation level8 dave deen 6etermine6: It tde animal8 or poultrv are vell an6 can de atten6e6 to vitnout un6ue ra6iation da2ar6 to tde du8dan6- man (6ue to amdient ra6iation), tden tde tle8d or pro6uct8 ot 8ucn animal8 or dir68 can de u8e6 tor ioo6,tor a rea8onadle emerßenc^ perio6, to 8u8tain lite. ?inall^, vnen it i8 po88idle to i6entit^ ra6ionucli6e8, turtner reiinement8 in tne protective mea8ure8 vill de taken. It i8 empda8i2e6 tdat in 6etermininß vdetner animal8 in^ure6 d^ eitner dla8t or tdermal eitect8 01 a nuclear veapon are to de dan6le6 or 8laußdtere6, one mu8t con8i6er tde tollovinß: (l) Ine ra6iation ri8k to tne per8an8 cnarße6 vitd tne care or utili2ation ot tne animal8. (2) Ine nature ot tne in^urv to tne ioo6 animal in que8tion, tde 8equelae, an6 tde 8tate 01 it8 recoverv at tde time ot 8laußdter or dan6linß. (3) Ine total» or partial»do6^ irra6iation etiect8 in a66i» tion to dla8t or tnermal ettect8. (4) Ine contamination ot tne animal d^ ra6ioactive 8ud8tance8. (5) Ine critical 8tatu8 o1 tde too6 8tore8. (6) Ine availadilitv ot proce88inß iacilitie8 an6 tne mean8 ot 8toraße or pre8ervation ot tne 8alvaße6 meat, milk, or eßß8. Inere i8 a 8pecial varninß tnat 8doul6 de empda8i2e6. Inere ma^ de a ten6enc^ to 8laußdter animal8 nee6le88lv, i.e., panic 8laußdterinß. ?or example, poultrv are ea8ilv 8laußdtere6, dut it mu8t de rememdere6 tnat enoußd oi tnem mu8t de pre8erve6 to provi6e a 8ource 01 eßß8, an6, equall^ important, a dree6inß 8tock to repleni8d tne tlock. It i8 8ußße8te6 tdat contaminate6 ßrain de u8e6 tor animal iee6 an6 tde uncontaminate6 re8erve6 42

tor man in or6er to take a6vantaße ot tne adilitv ot animal8 to 8erve a8 tilter8 ot contaminatinß ra6ionucli6e8. In 8pecial circum8tance8 8ome urlcontaminate6 ßrain8 mißdt de u8e6 to pre8erve a nucleu8 ot live8tock an6 tovl8 tor dree6inß purpo8e8. 9.2 rutility ot Inerapy Inerapv tor larße numder8 ot total»do6v-irra6iate6 animal8 i8 prodadlv tutile. It value6 animal8 are expo8e6 to mo6erate level8 ot total»do6v irra6iation, tne u8e ot antidiotic8 mav de ot value vnere dacterial in» tection i8 pre8ent. It i8 8ußße8te6, dovever, tdat vden expo8e6 animal8 dave deen 8ud^ecte6 to 8ud8tantial total»do6v irra6iation, it vill de detter to 8alvaße tnem tor too6 detore tne 6evelopment ot tne lrra6iation 8vn6rome tdan to attempt treatment. 3ucd a 6eci8ion 8noul6 de ma6e onlv atter 6etermininß tdat too6»pre8ervation metdo68 an6 tacilitie8 are acieo^uate to avoi6 va8te. 9.3 protection trom?allout ^ 8inßle driet expo8ure ot up to 300 r ot total»do6v lrra6iation vill de rea8onadlv vell tolerate6 dv mo8t tarm animal8. It it i8 at all po88i» dle, dovever, too6 animal8 8doul6 de remove6 trom pa8ture in tallout area8 , place6 in darn8, an6 ßiven 6rv, uncontaminate6 dav. It i8 6itticult to 8et an exact external 6o8e rate at vnicn it voul6 de 8ate to return tde animal8 to pa8ture, dut at 25 r per veek all animal8 voul6 8urvive an6 coul6 de dan6le6 vitd 8atetv. ^nimal8 6irectly expo8e6 to tallout can de va8ne6 or vet»dru8ne6 (dut not 6rv»dru8ne6) to remove externallv 6epo8ite6 ra6ionucli6e8 ii tdi8 can de 6one vitdout 6anßer to tne du8dan6man. Ii availadle, 6eterßent8 an6 cnelatinß or complexinß aßent8 can de u8e6 to a6vantaße. üare mu8t de taken dv animal dan6ler8 not to indale or inße8t contaminate6 6u8t or 8pray- 9.^ ?ee6in« ?ractice8 3upplemental iee6inß irom uncontaminate6 roußd toraße 8tock8 can materially re6uce tne 6ailv 6o8e 01 inße8te6 ra6ioactive material vnen ßra2inß on contaminate6 pa8ture8 i8 nece88ary. It po88idle, dotd 8upple» mental tee6inß an6 limite6 ßra2inß time mißdt de utili2e6 vnen no cover i8 availadle an6 vnen tne level ot ra6ioactivitv i8 onlv mo6eratelv nißd or tocxi re8ource8 are limite6. In extreme ca8e8 an6 tor 8nort pericxl8 01 time, vitddol6inß all too6 an6 vater can de re8orte6 to. «

9.5 3ome 3pecial ?rodlem8 Unen meat proce88inß can de re8ume6 un6er rea8onadlv normal con6ition8, tde u8ual va8ninß an6 6i8car6inß ok ine6idle part8 ot 6ome8tic animal8 ex» po8e6 to ra6ioactive tallout vill 6ecrea8e tne total ra6ioactivitv dv 8ev» eral or6er8 ot maßnitu6e. Inere vill un6oudte61v de ra6 iocontami nation ot tne proce88inß plant8, 8o con8i6eration mu8t de ßiven to protection ot tne vorker. Ine 8kin an6 vi8cera ot animal8 8noul6 de 6i8car6e6 in 8ucn a manner tdat ra6iation8 trom tne8e 8ource8 vill not en6anßer tde proce88or. lHon8i6eradle tecnnical proßre88 da8 deen ma6e in tne pa8t tev vear8 concerninß tne removal ot ra6io8trontium trom milk. ?ilot mo6el8 ot ion» excnanße column8 capadle ot removinß adout 90 per cent ot ra6io8trontium trom milk dave deen 6evelope6, dut tneir u8e da8 deen contine6 to ladora» torv experiment8. Ine utilitv ot tne ion»excnanße proce88 tor clean8inß milk ot ra6ionucli6e8 mav 6epen6 upon economic tactor8 tdat are mo8t im- portant. vi8po8al ot ra6iocontaminate6 ion»excnanße re8in8 can de a criti» cal prodlem it re8in8, container8, an6 tran8port are in 8dort 8upplv. Ine conver8ion ot milk into 8ucn lonß»term pro6uct8 a8 6rv milk, cnee8e, dutter, etc. tor 8toraße da8 receive6 con8i6eradle attention an6 8eem8 a verv tavoradle vav to 6ecrea8e tne ra6iocontamination ot 8nort» live6 ti88ion pro6uct8 8ucn a8 ra6ioio6ine tnroußd ra6ioactive 6ecav. It i8 not expecte6 tdat all too6»proce88inß plant8 can de operate6 vitd tull pover or vitd 8utticient equipment tor pre8ervinß too68 tor tuture u8e. Koreover, it i8 expecte6 tdat tran8portation mav de ßreatlv 6ecrea8e6 or 6i8turde6 to tde extent tdat too6 animal8 tor 8laußdter an6 nece88arv operatinß 8upplie8 mav not de rea6ilv availadle at tne proce88inß plant. It i8 tor tni8 rea8on tdat it i8 vital tdat metdo68 ot pre8ervinß too6 at tne tarm or rancn de utili2e6 to make availadle tdat 8ource ot protein in time ot national emerßencv. ^4