Partitioning of /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/Pu and /sup 241/Am in skeleton and liver of U. S. Transuranium Registry autopsy cases

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198802000-00007· OSTI ID:5430083

Kathren, R L; McInroy, J F; Reichert, M M; Swint, M J

The content of /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/Pu and /sup 241/Am in the liver and skeleton was estimated from radiochemical analysis of human liver and bone samples obtained at autopsy from former actinide workers whose occupational histories were suggestive of chronic inhalation exposures, with minor skin contamination and wounds documented in a few individuals. For times estimated to be several years to a few decades post intake, 75.8 +/- 15.3% of the total /sup 241/Am in the skeleton and liver was found in the skeleton (25 cases) as compared with 63.4 +/- 24.1% for /sup 238/Pu (36 cases) and 53.2 +/- 18.2% for /sup 239/Pu (43 cases). These differences are significant at the 95% confidence level. Of these cases, 34 included data on both /sup 238/Pu and /sup 239/Pu and were divided into high and low activity subgroups. The difference in the fractionation of the two Pu isotopes was apparent only in the low activity subgroup, suggesting that the difference observed between the Pu isotopes may be an artifact of the data. The different partitioning of these three nuclides suggests that the ALIs for /sup 238/Pu and /sup 241/Am may be high by about 25-50% if only the dose to bone is considered and may be high by 12-13%, based on the weighted committed dose equivalent in target organs or tissues.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5430083
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 54:2; ISSN HLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560161* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AUTOPSY
BODY
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIVER
NUCLEI
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
SKELETON
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES