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Taking into consideration the basic principles of environmental protection from radiation as stated in Publication 91 of the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP), we suggest cattle to be included into fauna reference species group. The choice is based upon cattle being a typical representative of specific ecosystems and may serve as an informative biological indicator and comparable with humans for its susceptibility to radiation effects. Cattle will receive some higher radiation doses as compared to humans due to its habitat, also earlier determined physiological and radiation constants for cattle are available. Furthermore, there are some data for the effects of radiation levels more than 10 times as higher than the natural ones upon cattle reproductive function and leucosis infection. Using cattle as one of reference organisms will not complicate considerably the systems for environmental protection against radiation as compared to the ones existing now, that will just modify and supplement them.

Absorbed doses of incorporated iodine and caesium radionuclides were evaluated in cattle animals which were within the Chernobyl accident spilling-out zone during the first year after the accident. The absorbed doses in animal thyroids were determined to range from 25 to 320 Gy. Some endemic features of this region promoted high absorbed dose accumulation in cattle thyroid. The dose per the whole body did not exceed 0.2 Gy. The absorbed doses in liver, kidney or spleen were about several cGy.

The paper reports a new technique of obtaining radioactive Cs-free meat in the regions contaminated with radionuclides as a result of Chernobyl accident. The method is based on specific digestion features of ruminant animals. Ferriferrocyanide compounds are proposed as sorbents. Ferrocene is most efficient when introduced into mixed feed (1-3 g/day for sheep, 3-5 g/day for calves and young bulls) once a day. After that the animals can be fed radioactively contaminated forage and graze on contaminated land.

The biological effect of 131I was studied in sheep kept on a diet deficient in stable iodine. An increased capture and accretion of iodine in the thyroid gland and in the whole body were observed. The disturbances in the structure and function of the thyroid gland, liver and haemopoietic organs were more pronounced in the animals kept on the iodine deficient diet.