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Title: Radiation-dosimetry and chemical-toxicity considerations for /sup 99/Tc

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6238453

Technetium-99 (T/sub 1/2/ = 2.13 x 10/sup 5/ y) is produced in the fission of /sup 235/U and /sup 239/Pu. Technitium-99 has been found to contaminate some areas of the uranium re-enrichment process. ICRP-30 Part 2 gives the Annual Limit on Intake (ALI) for /sup 99/Tc as 2 x 10/sup 8/ Bq (5.4 mCi) for class D inhaled material (IC80). The ICRP states clearly that ALIs are based on radiation risk only and that chemical toxicity is not considered (IC79). No data wer found on the chemical toxicity of /sup 99/Tc, possibly because there are no stable isotopes of technetium with which to study the toxicity, although, because of its long T/sub 1/2/, /sup 99/Tc can, for all practical purposes, be considered stable. The ALI values for /sup 99/Tc are based on data obtained using high specific activity /sup 99m/Tc (T/sub 1/2/ = 6 h) and /sup 95m/Tc (T/sub 1/2/ = 61 days). Since the specific activities of /sup 99/Tc and Na/sup 99/TcO/sub 4/ are quite low (17 mCi/g and 9 mCi/g, respectively) and /sup 99/Tc is available in abundant supply, we have attempted to assess the relative radiation and chemical hazards that are associated with this radionuclide. The approach in this study was (1) to study the effect of chemical dose on the whole body retention of /sup 99/Tc sodium pertechnetate in rats and to relate these effects to the radiation dose and the ALI and (2) to compare the chemical toxicity of /sup 99/Tc sodium pertechnetate with the ALI at different chemical dose levels.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76OR00033
OSTI ID:
6238453
Report Number(s):
CONF-820655-13; ON: DE83008710
Resource Relation:
Conference: Health Physics Society annual meeting, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 27 Jun 1982
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English