News on BNL Deer

[Cehn@AOL.COM]

Tues. Feb 19, 2002

Radiation Is High in Dead Deer

By TAMER EL-GHOBASHY



Rudolph may not be the only glowing deer in town.



A dead fawn found last month on the property of Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island was tested and found to have many times the level of radiation typically found in big game in the area, lab officials revealed yesterday.



"It's an oddball," said Timothy Green, the natural resources manager at the Suffolk County lab. "This is twice the highest level we've seen on site. It's highly unusual."



Lab officials believe the 2-year-old deer ate grass growing on soil contaminated by radioactive material somewhere on the 5,265-acre lab grounds.



Though 95% of the soil on the lab's property has been cleaned, Green said two fenced-off areas are still scheduled for decontamination.



"The likely scenario is that the deer fed in those fenced areas or other areas before they were cleaned up," Green said.



Although Green insisted the find posed no risk to humans who came into contact with the deer, lab officials are concerned for people who hunt in the area.



"Eating the deer meat poses a health risk to humans," Green said. "But you would have to consume almost 64 pounds of it. That's not likely to happen."



Tested Several Times



The fawn's carcass was found near the William Floyd Parkway on Jan. 9. The animal appeared to have been struck by a car.



After several radiation tests on the deer, lab scientists found it contained 21 picocuries of radioactive material. A picocurie is a unit used to measure radioactivity.



Last year, deer collected around the lab averaged 1.64 picocuries, although one registered 11 picocuries, Green said.



If consumed, high levels of radiation can affect cells in humans and lead to cancer. According to health officials, safe levels of radiation exposure in humans hover around 9 picocuries a year.



Hunting is allowed near the lab in January. Brookhaven lab officials informed community groups and the state Health Department of the deer find.



Green said there is no need for alarm, but the lab is taking the matter seriously.



"The concern here is mainly for wildlife in the area," he said. "And we want to make sure we are protecting the health of hunters."





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