There is a direct correlation between the amount of cesium in the blood and the amount of radioactivity in skeletal muscle: Cattle studies in the radiation-free zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

Abstract

Many radioactive substances were released into the air after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP). Beef contamination with radioactive cesium in 2011 also surpassed the 500 Bq/kg limit. Japanese consumers still worry about ingesting radioactive materials. Previous research showed a linear relationship between 500 and 2500 Bq/kg for radioactive cesium (137Cs) activity in cow blood and muscle. The radioactive concentrations around the current safety threshold of 100 Bq/kg were unknown, but the correlation still held. The blood 137Cs levels of 17 animals in the FNPP evacuation zone were determined to be less than 10 Bq/kg. The results showed a linear connection between cesium radioactivity in muscle and blood radioactivity (Y = 28.0X, R2 = 0.590) at low radioactivity concentrations. By spotting potentially harmful cattle before they reach the market, this strategy will help reduce the occurrence of food-borne illnesses.