Detection of /sup 210/Pb in the lungs of smokers by in-vivo gamma spectrometry

Technical Report · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6784074· OSTI ID:6784074

Berger, C. D.; Lane, B. H.

Since mainstream smoke is highly enriched in /sup 210/Pb, alpha radiation from inhaled cigarette smoke particles has been proposed as a cancer-producing agent in cigarette smokers. /sup 210/Po and /sup 210/Pb have been observed in tobacco, cigarette smoke and in the lungs of smokers. Since /sup 210/Pb is highly enriched in mainstream smoke, there have been estimates of yearly excesses of /sup 210/Pb in the lungs of one-pack-a-day smokers of 3 to 10 pCi (0.11 to 0.37 Bq). The ORNL Whole Body Counter was used to verify this estimate by the methodology of high-resolution, in vivo gamma spectrometry. Measurements were made on 113 adult male non-radiation workers who have either smoked at least one pack of cigarettes per day for at least five years, or have never smoked cigarettes. An analysis-of-variance table was generated based on the Pb-ratio for each individual which revealed that there was no statistically significant increase in the amount of /sup 210/Pb in the lungs of smokers over those of non-smokers. Sources of error are also discussed.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6784074
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-8454; ON: DE83000388
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
LEAD 210
BODY BURDEN
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
CARCINOGENESIS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
IN VIVO
LUNGS
PERSONNEL
TOBACCO SMOKES
AEROSOLS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COLLOIDS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LEAD ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RADIOISOTOPES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SMOKES
SOLS
SPECTROSCOPY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
510302* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)