Application of a canine ²³⁸Pu dosimetry model to human bioassay data

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10189498· OSTI ID:10189498

Hickman, Jr., A. W. ^[1]

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1. Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (United States)

Associated with the use of 2²³⁸Pu in thermoelectric power sources for space probes and power supplies for cardiac devices is the potential for human exposure to ²³⁸Pu, primarily by inhalation. In the event of human internal exposure, a means is needed for assessing the level of intake and calculating radiation doses. Several bioassay/dosimetry models have been developed for ²³⁹Pu. However, results from studies with laboratory animals have indicated that the biokinetics, and therefore the descriptive models, of ²³⁸Pu are significantly different from those for ²³⁹Pu. A canine model accounting for these differences has been applied in this work to urinary excretion data from seven humans occupationally exposed to low levels of an insoluble ²³⁸Pu compound. The modified model provides a good description of the urinary excretion kinetics observed in the exposed humans. The modified model was also used to provide estimates of the initial intakes of ²³⁸Pu for the seven individuals; these estimates ranged from 4.5 nCi (170 Bq) to 87 nCi (3200 Bq). Autopsy data on the amount and distribution of ²³⁸Pu retained in the organs may be used in the future to validate or refute both these estimates and the assumptions used to formulate the human model. Modification of the human model to simulate an injection exposure to ²³⁹Pu gave patterns of retention in the organs and urinary excretion comparable to those seen previously in humans; further modification of the model using fecal data (unavailable for the subjects of this study) is indicated.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76OR00033
• OSTI ID: 10189498
• Report Number(s): DOE/OR/00033-T540; ON: DE94000834
• Resource Relation: Other Information: TH: Thesis (M.S.); PBD: Aug 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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