IN VIVO GAMMA COUNTING METHOD OF DETERMINING URANIUM LUNG BURDEN IN HUMANS
An in vivo method for determining the lung burden of uranium in the human body is reported. Seintillation spectrometry is used to measure the gamma activity from the uranium. The in vivo gamma counting facility includes a low background counting chamber, a large thallium--activated sodium iodide scintillation crystal, and a 256-channel pulse height analyzer. Two techniques are described for determining the normal in vivo activity in the uraniunn spectral area. Calibrations have been derived from measurements of phantoms simulating the human chest. The limit of detection is about l30 mu g U/sup 235/ in the chest. Employing a 30-minute counting interval, analyses within fifty percent of the maxi mum permissible body burden of insoluble uranium are possible if the isotopic concentration of the element is known. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Union Carbide Nuclear Co. Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-016339
- OSTI ID:
- 4233103
- Report Number(s):
- Y-1250
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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