Evaluation of Cs-137 content in

powdered cow milk and dose

calculation

Date : 3rd of October, 2017

 Purpose

The purpose of this experiment was to analyse and evaluate the Cs-137 content of a milk
powder sample and to perform the dose calculation.

1
 Introduction and Theory

Radionuclides enter the human body in three principal ways.

a) Inhalation
b) Ingestion
c) Skin
A considerable amount of the radionuclides entering the body enter through ingestion; that is
through the food consumed.
The radiation released by these radionuclides can be harmful to the body in several ways. It
could interrupt the data transfer between cells or could even kill cells. It also has the potential
to cause changes to DNA.
Most of the hazardous radionuclides in food items come from man-made radiation such as
nuclear bombs, nuclear accidents etc. The amount of contaminants in milk is a perfect yardstick
for measuring the amount of radionuclides coming into food from fallout radiation. That is
because the grass that cows are fed with, has a very high absorbency of certain dangerous
substances.
Nuclear explosions give rise to generation of several radionuclides, particularly Cs which has
35 known isotopes. Its water solubility easily allows it to make its way into plants etc. and it
could subsequently enter several links of the food chain.
Cs decays by emission of gamma and beta radiation and after entering the body, they start to
disintegrate in 100 to 140 days. About 60% of the Cs that enter the body deposit in muscles
and the rest deposit in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, blood
as well as in the reproductive organs. Although Cs-137 has a half-life of 30 years, it decays
inside the body with two half-lives; 2 days and 110 days.
Majority of the Cs in the environment is due to the Chernobyl disaster that took place in 1986
and considering the hazards it could cause to the health of human beings, the radionuclide
levels in food items must be measured with special consciousness, especially in milk.
The retention of Cs in the body in the first 1400 days after entering, is given by the following
retention equation.

𝑞(𝑡) = 𝑞 (0.1 𝑥 𝑒 + 0.9 𝑥 𝑒 )

Where; q(t) = Body burden at time t
Q0 = Initial amount of Cs deposited in the body
𝜆 = ln|2|/(2 days)
𝜆 = ln|2|/(110 days)

2
To calculate the initial dose rates, the specific effective energies (SEE) should be obtained from
the equation below.
∑ 𝑛𝐸𝜑
𝑆𝐸𝐸 = 𝑒𝑉 𝑡 𝑘𝑔 𝑑
𝑚

Then the initial dose rates are given by the following equation.

𝑞 (𝐵𝑞) 𝑥 1 (𝑡𝑝𝑠 𝐵𝑞 ) 𝑥 𝑆𝐸𝐸 (𝑒𝑉 𝑡 𝑘𝑔 𝑑 ) 𝑥 𝑎 (𝑠 𝑑 ) 𝑥 𝑏 (𝐽 𝑒𝑉 )

𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 )=
1 (𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝐺𝑦 )

Where; 𝐷̇ = Initial dose rate

a = 86400
b = 1.6 x 10-19
t = Number of transformations

The following equation can be used once the radionuclide has completely been eliminated.

𝐷̇ 𝐷̇
𝐷 (𝐺𝑦) = +
𝜆 𝜆
Where; 𝐷̇ = Initial dose rate in compartment 1 (with 2 days half-life)
𝐷̇ = Initial dose rate in compartment 2 (with 110 days half-life)
𝜆 = Effective clearance rate of compartment 1
𝜆 = Effective clearance rate of compartment 2

3
 Methodology

All the measurements were done using the NAI detector and the multi-channel analyser.

1. First, the Cs-137 source was inserted to the detector and the gamma spectrometry was run
for a small period of time (less than a minute) and the channel numbers corresponding to
the boundaries of the 661.6 keV photo-peak were noted down.
2. After that, a blank container (identical to the containers housing the milk powder samples)
was inserted into the detector and the background radiation was measured for 600s.
3. Thereafter, the spiked sample was inserted and the counts were measured over a period of
900s and the ROI corresponding to the photo-peak, the mass of the sample as well as the
mass of the spike were noted down.
4. Subsequently, the standard contaminated sample was inserted and the counts were
measured for 900s and the ROI corresponding to the photo-peak as well as the mass of the
sample was noted down.
5. After that, the proportional method was used to calculate the Cs-137 activity concentration
in the given milk powder sample.
6. Thereafter, the total dose consumed by a man of 70kg, drinking 1 litre of milk contaminated
with 50 Bq of Cs-137 was calculated.
7. Finally, the total dose a man is exposed to when consuming 50mg of commercially
available milk powder contaminated with Cs-137, over a continuous period of 30 days, was
calculated.

4
 Results and Calculations

Cs – 137 source ROI was from Ch. Number 304 to Ch. Number 394 of the multi-channel
analyser.

Sample Time (s) Counts CPM (min-1) Background

corrected CPM
(min-1)
Background 600 1696 169.6 -
Radiation
Spiked milk 900 2982 198.8 29.2
powder sample
Standard 900 3262 217.5 47.9
contaminated
milk powder
sample

Sample Mass (g)

Spiked milk powder sample 71.9970 (with 31.00013g of
IAEA152 milk powder)
Standard contaminated milk 79.5471
powder sample

47.9
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 = 𝐶𝑃𝑀 𝑔
79.5471
47.9
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝐴𝐸𝐴152 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 = 𝑥 35.00013 𝐶𝑃𝑀
79.5471
= 21.1 𝐶𝑃𝑀
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑘 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 = 29.2 − 21.1 = 8.1 𝐶𝑃𝑀
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑘 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 = 71.9970 − 35.00013
= 36.77687𝑔
8.1 1
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑘 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑟 = 𝑥 𝐵𝑞𝑘𝑔
60 36.99687 𝑥 10
= 3.6489 𝐵𝑞𝑘𝑔

5
 0.4393
𝑆𝐸𝐸 = 𝑒𝑉 𝑡 𝑘𝑔 𝑑
70
𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 )
0.4393
(50 𝑥 0.1 𝐵𝑞) 𝑥 1 (𝑡𝑝𝑠 𝐵𝑞 )𝑥
70
(𝑒𝑉 𝑡 𝑘𝑔 𝑑 ) 𝑥 86400 (𝑠 𝑑 ) 𝑥 1.6 x 10 (𝐽 𝑒𝑉 )
=
1 (𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝐺𝑦 )
𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 ) = 4.34 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑
𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 )
0.4393
(50 𝑥 0.9 𝐵𝑞) 𝑥 1 (𝑡𝑝𝑠 𝐵𝑞 )𝑥
70
(𝑒𝑉 𝑡 𝑘𝑔 𝑑 ) 𝑥 86400 (𝑠 𝑑 ) 𝑥 1.6 x 10 (𝐽 𝑒𝑉 )
=
1 (𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝐺𝑦 )
𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 ) = 3.90 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑

4.34 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑 3.90 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑
𝐷 (𝐺𝑦) = +
0.693 0.693
2 𝑑 110 𝑑
𝐷 (𝐺𝑦) = 6.2 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦

If 50mg of milk powder is used per day, (50 x 30)mg of milk powder is used per month.
𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑘 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑠𝑒 = 1.5𝑔
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑘 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 1.5 𝑥 10 𝑘𝑔 𝑥 3.6489 𝐵𝑞𝑘𝑔
= 5.47 𝑥 10 𝐵𝑞

𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 )
0.4393
(5.47 𝑥 10 𝑥 0.1 𝐵𝑞) 𝑥 1 (𝑡𝑝𝑠 𝐵𝑞 )𝑥 (𝑒𝑉 𝑡 𝑘𝑔 𝑑 ) 𝑥 86400 (𝑠 𝑑 ) 𝑥 1.6 x 10 (𝐽 𝑒𝑉 )
= 70
1 (𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝐺𝑦 )

𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 ) = 4.75 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑
𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 )
0.4393
(5.47 𝑥 10 𝑥 0.9 𝐵𝑞) 𝑥 1 (𝑡𝑝𝑠 𝐵𝑞 )𝑥 (𝑒𝑉 𝑡 𝑘𝑔 𝑑 ) 𝑥 86400 (𝑠 𝑑 ) 𝑥 1.6 x 10 (𝐽 𝑒𝑉 )
= 70
1 (𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝐺𝑦 )

𝐷̇ (𝐺𝑦 𝑑 ) = 4.27 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑

4.75 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑 4.27 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦 𝑑
𝐷 (𝐺𝑦) = +
0.693 0.693
2 𝑑 110 𝑑
𝐷 (𝐺𝑦) = 6.79 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦

6
 Final Results

Cs-137 activity concentration in the given 3.6489 𝐵𝑞𝑘𝑔

milk powder sample
Total dose consumed by a man drinking 1l 6.2 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦
of milk with 50 Bq
Total dose a man drinking 50mg of milk 6.79 𝑥 10 𝐺𝑦
per day over a month, is exposed to

7
 Discussion

It can be seen that the Cs-137 activity of the tested milk powder sample was 3.6489 Bqkg-1.
The maximum allowed Cs-137 activity in milk powder in Sri Lanka is 20 Bqkg-1 and it can
be seen that the tested sample is safe for use. However, in the case of a nuclear accident, the
limits of the affected area are raised within the margins of safety, only for a brief period of
time. That is because milk is a mandatory food item, especially for infants.
In this experiment, a milk powder sample that had been spiked with IAEA-152 contaminated
milk powder was used. The reason for that is, the Cs-137 activity in a standard milk sample is
quite low and it is at certain times too low to be detected. In such cases, the measurement
recorded by the counter may not be quite accurate. Therefore, when it is spiked with a sample
that gives the same photo-peak with a greater intensity, it is easier to be detected. Finally, the
Cs-137 activity of the sample to be tested was calculated using the proportional method.

8
 References
 “Evaluation of Cs-137 content in powdered cow milk and dose calculation” Practical
Schedule – Department of Nuclear Science, University of Colombo
 “Radiation dose to Sri Lankan infants from Caesium 137 in contaminated milk” – R.
Hewamanna, M. P. Dias