Radioactive cesium in Swedish hunters

The whole-body content of radiocesium has been measured in Swedish men and women from households where at least one member is a hunter. Measurements were performed at 5 locations in Sweden where the ground deposition levels ranged from 7 to 80 kBq m(-2). The average whole body content of 137Cs varied between 0.3 and 1.9 kBq for women and 0.6 and 4.7 kBq for men, depending on the deposition level. The transfer factor for 137Cs, relating ground deposition to activity concentration in humans, was less dependent on deposition level for the hunter families than for previously studied populations. The transfer factor varied between 0.4 and 1.1 Bq kg(-1)/kBq m(-2), and was dependent on ground deposition and sex.