Early-Stage Bioassay for Monitoring Radioactive Contamination in Living Livestock

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Soil samples from the ground surface and feces and blood from a mixed-breed male pig were collected on April 10, 2011 at a farm within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The radioactivity of each sample was measured using a Ge semiconductor detector. Despite the fact that the pig had been fed non-contaminated imported feed, ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs, and ¹³⁷Cs were detected in the feces, and ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs were detected in the blood clots. Because it is considerably difficult to measure radioactive contamination in the edible muscle of living livestock, bioassays are an option for the screening of radioactive contamination in living livestock to ensure food safety.