Biokinetics of sup 237 Pu citrate and nitrate in the rat: Implications for Pu studies in man

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Health Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-199008000-00003· OSTI ID:6604754

Talbot, R J; Knight, D A; Morgan, A ^[1]

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1. Harwell Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire (England)

Plutonium-237 decays mainly by electron capture with a half-life of 45 d. Alpha particles are emitted in only 5 x 10(-3)% of its disintegrations. This nuclide can now be produced with relatively small amounts of alpha-emitting contaminants so that, in principle, {sup 237}Pu can be used for studies of Pu biokinetics in man. However, because of its high specific activity, there was some doubt that its metabolism would be the same as that of the alpha- and beta-emitting isotopes of Pu normally encountered in the nuclear industry. In this study, the biokinetics of nearly pure, high specific activity {sup 237}Pu are compared with those of lower specific activity, impure {sup 237}Pu containing significant amounts of alpha-emitting Pu, following administration to rats by intravenous injection as the citrate. Both the distribution and excretion of the pure and impure {sup 237}Pu used in the two studies were similar and also in good agreement with the results of previously reported studies using {sup 239}Pu and {sup 241}Pu citrate, thus validating the use of {sup 237}Pu for studies of Pu metabolism in man. Data on the biokinetics of {sup 237}Pu nitrate are also included.

• OSTI ID: 6604754
• Journal Information: Health Physics; (USA), Vol. 59:2; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
PLUTONIUM 237
METABOLISM
BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE
CITRATES
ELECTRON CAPTURE DECAY
PLUTONIUM NITRATES
RATS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECAY
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR DECAY
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
RODENTS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES
560162* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells