[Radioactivity of fodder mixtures for poultry and swine]

The investigation was conducted to determine the radioactivities of fodder mixtures and their components for poultry and swine. The total radioactivity, concentrations of potassium, potassium radioisotopes radium and thorium in 273 fodder mixture samples for poultry, 131 fodder mixture samples and concentrates for swine, and 915 component samples of the mixtures were estimated. The radioactivities of fodder mixtures for poultry, swine, and protein concentrates ranged from 212.0 (DKM-2) to 269.0 Bq/kg (DKA-starter), from 206.0 (PT-1) to 233.0 (PP-prestarter), and from 444.0 (KT-1) to 557.0 Bq/kg (Provit), respectively. As to the components of fodder mixture, the radioactivities ranged from 18.0 (fodder phosphate) to 1104.0 Bq/kg (fodder yeasts). The potassium concentrations in fodder mixtures for poultry ranged from 0.82 g/100 g (DKA-starter) to 0.62 g/100 g (KB-1); for swine ranged from 1.97 g/100 g (Provit) to 0.63 g/100 g (PT-1). The highest concentration of potassium was found in fodder yeasts (3.85 g/100 g), and the lowest one in fodder phosphate (0.01 g/100 g). The analysis of the data showed that the radioactivity of the mixtures and their components was mostly conditioned by radiopotassium and revealed correlations between the radioactivities and the total concentrations of potassium. The contamination with the natural radioelements (potassium, radium, thorium) as well as their limited absorption by the gastrointestinal tract, their metabolism in organism, and their radiotoxicological characteristics do not create radiological threat to animals.