Modelling 3H and 14C transfer to farm animals and their products under steady state conditions

The radionuclides (14)C and (3)H may both be released from nuclear facilities. These radionuclides are unusual, in that they are isotopes of macro-elements which form the basis of animal tissues, feed and, in the case of (3)H, water. There are few published values describing the transfer of (3)H and (14)C from feed to animal derived food products under steady state conditions. Approaches are described which enable the prediction of (14)C and (3)H transfer parameter values from readily available information on the stable H or C concentration of animal feeds, tissues and milk, water turnover rates, and feed intakes and digestibilities. We recommend that the concentration ratio between feed and animal product activity concentrations be used as it is less variable than the transfer coefficient (ratio between radionuclide activity concentration in animal milk or tissue to the daily intake of a radionuclide).