Variations in the transfer of radiocesium (137Cs) and radiostrontium (90Sr) from milk to cheese

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the transfer of 2 manmade radionuclides, radiocesium (137Cs) and radiostrontium (90Sr), from cow milk to whey and cheese in 3 different types of French cheese production with rennet coagulation. Most of the 137Cs was present in the aqueous phase and became concentrated in the whey. For 137Cs transfer to whey, the processing factor (Pf; i.e., the ratio of the activity concentrations) ranged between 0.86 and 1.30 (n = 12). The food processing retention factor (Fr), calculated using the processing efficiency, ranged between 0.85 and 1.19 (n = 9). No statistical difference of Pf and Fr to whey is identified for 137Cs and the cheese products. The Pf calculated for 90Sr transfer to cheese ranged between 3.95 and 12.16, with significant differences depending on the type of cheese. In addition, a linear correlation is observed between 90Sr Pf to cheese and the Ca level in the cheese (r2 = 0.57). Thus, the Pf is enhanced in hard cheeses that are enriched in calcium. This is confirmed by nearly constant Fr values, ranging between 0.66 and 0.83.

Distribution of Radioactive Cesium (134Cs Plus 137Cs) in a Contaminated Japanese Soybean Cultivar during the Preparation of Tofu, Natto, and Nimame (Boiled Soybean)

“…Studies of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident have provided knowledge about the dynamics of radioactive cesium in some processed foods, but literature on the behavior of radioactive cesium during the processing of soybeans is limited (2,5,8,(10)(11)(12)22). To our knowledge, this is the first study to report changes of the radioactive cesium content during processing of soybean foods like tofu.…”

Variabilité spatiale des activités en césium-137 dans les sols d’un bassin versant du massif du Jura : étendue et principales sources de variation

“…Les résultats du présent travail confirment le bien-fondé de cette proposition et montre qu'il convient de la compléter dans les régions montagneuses par l'échantillonnage de sites forestiers. Ceux-ci peuvent présenter des activités significativement différentes de celles des pâturages, étant entendu que bien d'autres facteurs tels que les caractéristiques locales ou la mise en valeur des productions agricoles (Besson et al, 2009) peuvent aussi influer fortement sur le devenir des contaminants radioactifs et moduler leur transfert dans la chaîne alimentaire.…”

Radionuclide Contamination as a Risk Factor in Terrestrial Ecosystems: Occurrence, Biological Risk, and Strategies for Remediation and Detoxification

“…At the same time, during this accident, only about 30% of the core radioactivity was released, suggesting that a full-blown reactor explosion can cause even greater damage to the environment. Another noteworthy peculiarity is that most reactor accidents The most significant anthropogenic radionuclides and their biological effects (data adapted from [3,4]).…”

“…Some radionuclides emit multiple types of particles. The anthropogenic radionuclide 137 Cs emits β − particles at two energies: 511 and 1173 kiloelectronvolts (keV), and γ-rays at 32 and 661.6 keV [3,4].…”