In-vivo measurements of Pb-210 to determine cumulative exposure to radon daughters: A pilot study

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6359222· OSTI ID:6359222

Laurer, G R; Cohen, N ^[1]; Stark, A; Ju, C ^[2]

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1. New York Univ., Tuxedo, NY (USA). Inst. of Environmental Medicine
2. New York State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY (USA). Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology

The feasibility of measuring Pb-210 in vivo in the skulls of those individuals who have resided in homes with above average levels of radon/radon daughters, has now been successfully demonstrated. These values, when incorporated into metabolic models of Pb-210 in the body including other related physical parameters, can be used for the calculation of a realistic estimate of a resident's cumulative exposure to radon and its' decay products. Data are presented for 26 subjects exposed to higher than average concentrations of radon i.e. ranging from 10 to 120 pCi/l, for various periods of time. Their skeletal Pb-210 burdens are compared to measurement results of a population of individuals presumed to have been exposed to values which are more representative of average levels i.e. <1pCi/1. Results of a study to determine the biological retention of Pb-210 in the human skeleton for use in the metabolic model relating skull burdens of this nuclide to cumulative radon/daughter exposure, are also described. At the present time, our measurements, made over a period of 10 years, of an individual with a significant Pb-210 burden, indicate a biological half-time of approximately 57 years and an effective half-life of 16 years. 4 refs., 11 figs.

• Research Organization: New York Univ., Tuxedo, NY (USA). Inst. of Environmental Medicine; New York State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY (USA). Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-90ER60944
• OSTI ID: 6359222
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60944-1; ON: DE91005346
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LEAD 210
BODY BURDEN
MAN
CUMULATIVE RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
CONCENTRATION RATIO
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
IN VIVO
LUNGS
NEOPLASMS
NEW YORK
PROGRESS REPORT
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SKULL
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
BUILDINGS
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION II
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEAD ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SKELETON
USA
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560161* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
&amp; Toxicology- Man