Performing Department
Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The prospect of fallout from nuclear weapons or from other radiological incidents has increased significantly with the proliferation of enrichment technologies to countries such as North Korea and Iran and the surge in international terrorist activity. The potential for possession of nuclear weapons by non-state actors greatly increases the probability of the deployment of nuclear weapons in the future. The fallout from a nuclear weapon, a nuclear reactor accident, or a radiological dispersal device will most likely lead to deposition of radioactive materials upon agricultural animals. Although animals may be evacuated from a contaminated area, the animals may themselves be contaminated, and spread this contamination to the new location. An alternative frequently considered is the mass slaughter of the animals. This project seeks to minimize both physical and monetary damage to agriculture from external, and where applicable internal, contamination of animals. Testing will be performed on ex-vivo samples of cows, pigs, chickens and horses, followed by proof testing on live animals. A unique aspect of this project is the use of irradiated uranium (U3O8) to produce fission products similar to those seen from an actual nuclear weapon, allowing testing of a plethora of radionuclides at once. Decontamination methods to be tested include weathering (control), soap and water, dry vacuuming, wet vacuuming, and development of a novel agent as designed by CBI. The measurement of contamination using common instruments to develop rapid sorting techniques is key to this project. Possibly the most challenging aspect of the project will be the determination of what levels of contamination will result in salvageable livestock, as this will require consideration of a multi-variable set of exposure, husbandry, and future use conditions combined with the social aspects of public acceptance of contaminated livestock, foodstuffs, and animal products.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Knowledge Area
314 - Toxic Chemicals, Poisonous Plants, Naturally Occurring Toxins, and Other Hazards Affecting Animals;
Subject Of Investigation
3210 - Egg-type chicken, live animal;
3220 - Meat-type chicken, live animal;
3310 - Beef cattle, live animal;
3510 - Swine, live animal;
3410 - Dairy cattle, live animal;
3810 - Horses, ponies, and mules;
Field Of Science
2010 - Physics;
Goals / Objectives
OBJECTIVES 1. Identify and address the most critical research and extension gaps relating to the response to, and recovery from, catastrophic exposure of agricultural animals to contaminating radioactive agents to: a. minimize potentially catastrophic damage to American agriculture and the environment, b. ensure safety and security of the food supply, and c. better protect animal and public health in the event of an accidental or intentional radiological release. 2. Establish a collaborative effort that will assemble existing information for dissemination using existing local, regional, national, and international capabilities and capacities SPECIFIC AIMS 1. Develop model(s) tools to help delineate zones of likely salvage potential, questionable salvage potential, and unlikely salvage potential for livestock and poultry under differing exposure and production scenarios. 2. Analyses of comparative efficiency and effectiveness of lower technology versus higher technology methods of decontaminating animals exposed mainly externally, mainly internally, or through both routes. 3. Critical analyses of apparently effective animal decontamination methods that might also have unintended consequences such as transfer of contamination to other animals, humans, food (e.g., milk), the environment, and equipment such as milking machines. Performed simultaneously with Aim 2. 4. Cross validation of monitoring and decontamination procedures developed for humans to agricultural animal species. Performed simultaneously with Aim 2. EXPECTED RESULTS Specific Aim 1 - Initial rapid results detailing the use of existing programs to ascertain the potential for contamination of agricultural animals (estimate contamination levels) and if animals can be salvaged. Specific Aim 2 - Specific recommendations as to what agents work, and which agents are practical/impractical. Development of techniques for rapidly screening large populations of animals for contamination Specific Aim 3 - Identification of complicating factors Specific Aim 4 - Identification of agents that may translate to other species and dissemination of information regarding hypothesis to this effect. Our hypothesis is that soap and water, which works well on human skin, will also work on pig skin.
Project Methods
METHODS The experimental design will utilize five basic scenarios where the nuclides are spread using a multi-channel pipetter, simulating rain drops on the ex-vivo samples. Simulated raindrops containing the radioactive contaminant are hypothesized to be the most realistic condition as the majority of fallout results from rain "scrubbing" the atmosphere of particulate aerosols. The contamination will then be allowed to dry on the samples, again to simulate natural environmental conditions. The design assumes that large, dry particles deposited as a result of a nearby RDD or nuclear weapon would be easily brushed off, and only those deposited via raindrops would "stick". Five basic decontamination scenarios will be utilized: weathering (control), soap and water, dry vacuuming, wet vacuuming, and CBI decontamination agents. The effect of "weathering" will be used as a control, simulated rain only on the ex-vivo samples will be utilized to ascertain how the nuclides behave over time. Multiple applications of "rain" will be applied via pipetters to determine if/when contamination levels decrease without intervention. Soap and water will be utilized on further ex-vivo samples as they are common, low cost, and frequently utilized. The first application will be simply soap and water, followed by scrubbing, if necessary. Dry vacuuming of the ex-vivo samples may prove to be low cost and effective if successful. Wet vacuuming (similar to carpet cleaner) where soap and water are recycled and captured may prove to be effective for nuclides that bind to the ex-vivo samples. Finally, we will collaborate with CBI (CBI Polymers, a division of Cellular Bioengineering Inc.) to explore novel compounds that are eligible for FDA approval for indirect contact with food. Each decontamination agent will be tested five times on the various samples to measure statistical variation. Cowhide, pig skin, and chicken will be used for the initial trials, and a single sample of horse hide will be used to ascertain if cowhide decontamination efficacies can be directly related to cow hide. Decontamination efficacy will be measured using multiple instruments that can determine the amount of activity and the radionuclide present. A major focus of the research will be evaluating cost of the agent, volume of decontaminating materials needed, volume of waste, efficacy, potential for spread of contamination and level of technology required. Our hypothesis is that the ex-vivo results will directly translate to live animals. Thus, only one animal will be tested for the techniques that are found to be most promising. We will evaluate each decontamination technique for unintended consequences, and pitfalls of performing/not performing decontamination.