Fallout hazards to man studied through life-span tests with beagles
Year: 1963
Type: article
Abstract: Nuclear age neds for knowledge of the potential hazard to man from falout on fod—causing skeletal acumulations of strontium 90 (Sr90)—are being served by the life-span experiments with 80 beagles underway at the Schol of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, under the sponsorship of the U. S. Atomic Energy Comision. These tests of low level radiation efects were started in 1957 and final data wil not be available for 10 or more years. Some results to date include indications that pups can discriminate very litle against Sr90, asimilating almost 80% of the amount ingested in milk. Lactating dams discriminate against Sr90 similar to adult dogs, and other species including man (about one-half of the ingested Sr90 is asimilated). Observations of radiation-induced malignant tumors in beagles from ingested Sr90 confirm results of experiments with smaler laboratory animals. Soft tisue cancers sem to ocur at an earlier age than do bone tumors. Bone cancer in the beagle during the age of maturity has only ben sen in those having high Sr90 body burdens. The lowest cancer producing level of Sr90 in the dog has yet to be determined. A wide range of incidental information on dog care is also being developed during the testing period. Modern cages have ben designed and constructed that eliminate dog odor and ofer solutions to many other keneling problems. Whelping of several hundred liters of beagles indicates that the dam atains ful maturity at thre years of age. Records also show that about 20% of al pups die before weaning and that two-thirds of these are birth loses. Pups atain puberty betwen 10 to 12 months of age, which is a growth rate 10 times faster than man.
Authors: A.C. Andersen, Marlene Goldman, Roseane Leandra da Rosa, Douglas McKelvie
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1512726867