Response of Wild Rodents to Acute Gamma Radiation

Concentrations and dose rate estimates of 134137cesium and 90strontium in small mammals at chornobyl, Ukraine

“…Despite extraordinary 134,137 Cs and 90 Sr concentrations in mammals in the 10‐km Exclusion Zone, it is unlikely that dose rates are currently inflicting significant short‐term morbidity in the mammal populations in the Chornobyl region. The LD50/30 for acute exposures in rodents are typically in the range of 8 to 12 Gy [22–27], and chronic dose rates greater than 100 mGy/d are required to induce significant mortality in small mammals [28]. If we assume a somewhat extreme scenario that dose rates from external and internal sources of radiation in the Chornobyl zone are approximately equal (DR ext = DR Cs = DR Sr ), then the highest average dose (DR ext + DR Cs + DR Sr ) would be about 30 mGy/d (Red Forest Woodland), or about one third that necessary to cause significant mortality.…”

RADIATION LD$sub 50$/$sub 30$ OF PIKAS (OCHOTONA PRINCEPS) IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND IN CAPTIVITY.

“…Both experiments suggest that the pika is relatively sensitive to ionizing radiation in comparison to other wild mammals (Chang et al , 1964;Golley et al, 1965;Gambino and Lindberg, 1964;Provost et al , 1965) and similar in sensitivity to laboratory mice (Roderick, 1963).…”

DOE Research Set-Aside Areas of the Savannah River Site

“…Baseline 2-3 information was gathered from this Area by conducting observations and manipulations to determine the responses of ecosystems to environmental stresses such as plowing, drought, fue, and radiation. An irradiator was constructed in this Area to study the response of vegetation and animals to radiation under field conditions (Golley et al, 1965b(Golley et al, , 1965dMcCormick and Golley, 1966;Golley and Gentry, 1969).…”