210Pb and 210Po in tissues of some Alaskan residents as related to consumption of caribou or reindeer meat.

Abstract

Concentrations of 210Pb and 210Po in tissues of Alaskans who eat caribou meat are compared with the concentrations in tissues of individuals whose diets do not include this meat. The levels of 210Po were significantly higher in those individuals who had eaten caribou meat a short time before death; however, only small differences were observed in the 210Pb levels between the two groups. The concentrations of 210Pb and 210Po in lichen and in caribou bone samples which were collected prior to the advent of nuclear testing in the arctic were not found to differ significantly from the concentrations in similar samples recently collected. These results indicate that nuclear fallout has not significantly increased the 210Pb levels in the arctic environment.