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Title: Improvements in lung lavage to increase its effectiveness in removing inhaled radionuclides

Conference ·
OSTI ID:10108107

Lung lavage has been shown to be an effective method to remove insoluble radionuclides deposited and retained in the lung, but the treatment has been limited to the effective removal of only about 50% of the retained material. Reported here is change in lavage technique that slightly increases the effectiveness and the addition of high-frequency chest wall oscillation. The latter increased the effectiveness of the lavage procedure but also caused significant physiological complications. These studies were conducted in adult male and female beagles. The aerosol in the first study was {sup 239}PuO{sub 2} heat-treated at 850{degrees}C, obtained as powder from a commercial V-blending process. The dogs briefly inhaled the aerosol per nasi. The tissue content at death and the amount of {sup 239}Pu excreted and in the recovered lung lavage fluid was determined by radiochemical methods{sup 5}. These values were used to reconstruct the initial pulmonary burden of {sup 239} and the amount of {sup 239}Pu removed by lavage. In the second study, with the HFCWO, the aerosol was {sup 85}Sr fused in aluminosilicate particles. The IPB of {sup 85}Sr was determined by whole-body counting. The excreta and recovered lung lavage fluids were also assayed for {sup 85}Sr activity.

Research Organization:
Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Inst., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Inhalation Toxicology Research Inst.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76EV01013
OSTI ID:
10108107
Report Number(s):
CONF-920501-10; ON: DE92004260
Resource Relation:
Conference: 8. International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) world congress,Vancouver (Canada),10-22 May 1992; Other Information: PBD: [1991]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English