210Pb in Forage Consumed by Dairy Cows

The aim of this research was to determine 210Pb concentrations in forage from farms located in the municipalities of Pedra and Venturosa, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, where rolled blocks of mafic rock with a high percentage of U3O8 were found. The concentrations of 210Pb varied from 2 to 503 Bq kg−1 in the forage dry matter samples evaluated. Due to the elevated levels of 210Pb in the forage samples, it is concluded that this radionuclide is highly available to be ingested by dairy cows and this could represent a hazard to the human population due to possible milk contamination.