Damage to Livestock from Radioactive Fallout in Event of Nuclear War; A Report by the Subcommittee on Livestock Damage of the Advisory Committee on Civil Defense National Academy of Sciences--National Research Council

Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, 1963. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. Good. vi, 93, [1] pages. Tables. Formulae. Appendixes. References. Index. This is Publication 1078. Cover has some wear and soiling and a small blacked over portion on the top right of the front cover. The contents includes discussions of the Subcommittee's approach, effects of external ionizing radiation on farm animals, Effects from ingestion of fission products, internal exposure to Gamma and Bata Rays., effects of contact with radioactive materials, animals and poultry as sources of food, exposure of marine life, sterility, sexual, genetic, and embryologic effects, protective considerations form husbandmen, and research needs, along with several appendixes. This publication is a condensed review of the available literature concerning the effects of radioactive fallout upon animals under varying situations. Its main purpose is the estimation of the usability of animal tissue for human consumption in a time of disaster due to a nuclear attack. Material is presented in a clear, concise manner with no literary embellishment. The reader need not be an atomic scientist to fully comprehend the facts as stated, although there are adequate formulas and calculations given to interest readers knowledgeable in physical science. The text progresses step by step through several species of animals and the effects of gamma and beta radiation upon their systems. Clinical and post-mortem findings are clearly outlined. The main fission by-products such as Iodine-131 and Strontium-90
and their toxic effects are discussed. Sterility, along with other considerations of reproduction, is considered because of the need for replacement stock particularly after a nuclear disaster. Therapy, feeding practices, and protective considerations for the husbandmen are reviewed. The final chapter is most worthy of the research communities' consideration. It deals with research needed to fill out the complete picture of nuclear fallout and its effects on animals. Urgently needed information in both the physical and biological areas is listed.
Four appendixes are added which enlarge and explain in greater detail methods for computing fallout and its uptake by different tissues. Eighteen pages of references offer the reader a wide area for library exploration in addition to making the report a valuable reference. This book can be recommended to both scientist and layman and especially to anyone dealing with research animals or those produced for consumption as food. From a review in American Journal of Public Health 54, no. 1, January, 1964 by Clifford H. Eby.