Grass to cow milk transfer coefficient (Fm) of Iodine for equilibrium and emergency situations

Radioiodine ( 131 I) is one of the radionuclides likely to get released into the atmosphere in case of a reactor accident, though chances of such an accident are very remote due to stringent engineering safety features. If released to the environment during an accident, 131 I may enter the grass→cow→cow milk pathway, leading to increased thyroid dose to those consuming milk, especially infants and children. The estimation of site-specific grass to milk transfer coefficient (F m ) for iodine is essential for an accurate assessment of the radiological hazard to the population in the region surrounding a nuclear power plant. In this study, a method based on the chemical separation of iodine present in grass and cow milk, and subsequent neutron activation analysis (NAA) has been optimized for the determination of stable iodine concentration in grass and cow milk. The method involves preconcentration of iodine from the sample matrix, and determination of iodine by NAA. The detection limit of stable iodine in milk was found to be 1 ng/mL. For the validation of the result, iodine concentration in NIST reference materials was determined simultaneously. The present study has yielded a F m value of 5.6 × 10−3 d/L for dairy farm cows and 6.3 × 10−3 d/L for local breed cows under equilibrium conditions. These results are similar to the values given in International Atomic Energy Agency report (TRS-472). To simulate a rapid deposition of iodine on grass and for the estimation of F m value for an emergency situation, grass grown in the experimental field was sprayed with stable potassium iodide solution and fed to the adopted cows, and the milk samples were collected regularly and analyzed. The F m value for the simulated accidental situation was found to be 3.9 × 10−3 d/L.