Accumulation of Zn Sup 65 from Prolonged Consumption of Columbia River Fish

摘要

Zinc-65 is one of several radionuclides released to the Columbia River in cooling water from the Hanford plutonium production reactors. At Pasco, Washington, about 60 curies of this nuclide are transported by the river each day; based on a concentration in the river water of from 1 x 10 sup -7 mu c/cc to 5 x 10 sup -7 mu c/cc. Calculations of the rate at which Zn sup 65 is ingested by people in the environs of Hanford (and thus fractions of permissible limits) are now based on rational estimates of the quantities of local fish which might be consumed by the more successful fishermen and their families. Refinement of these estimates has been in progress by a program which includes, (1) determination of the weight of fish flesh consumed at a typical meal, (2) measurement of the body burden of Zn sup 65 associated with a sustained intake of Columbia River fish, and (3) a survey of fishermen to obtain their estimates of the quantities of local fish caught and eaten each year. This paper describes the changes in the Zn sup 65 burden in the body of the author who ate Columbia River fish at approximately weekly intervals for more than one year.