Simultaneous determination of alpha-emitting radionuclides of thorium and plutonium in human tissues including bone

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979 · Anal. Chem.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac50048a020· OSTI ID:5642486

Singh, N P; Ibrahim, S A; Cohen, N; Wrenn, M E

A method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of environmental, i.e., non-occupational, levels of ..cap alpha..-emitting isotopes of thorium and plutonium in human lung, lymph nodes, liver, kidney, thyroid, spleen, gonads, and bone. Known amounts of soft tissues (5-850 g) spiked with 1-2 dpm tracers of /sup 229/Th and /sup 242/Pu are wet ashed with nitric acid, and H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ with occasional addition of HNO/sub 3/ and H/sub 2/O/sub 2/. Th and Pu are coprecipitated with 10 mg of Fe carrier by gradual addition of ammonium hydroxide. The precipitate is dissolved in HNO/sub 3/ and adjusted to 4 M. Th and Pu are co-extracted into 25% (v/v) trilaurylamine in xylene. Th is backwashed with 10 M HCl and the Pu is back-extracted with 2 M H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. Th and Pu are electrodeposited separately on platinum planchets and determined by ..cap alpha.. spectrometry. Bone samples are wet ashed with nitric acid and H/sub 2/O/sub 2/, after spiking with /sup 229/Th and /sup 242/Pu tracers. Th and Pu are coprecipitated with calcium oxalate by adding oxalic acid. The precipitate is heated at 550/sup 0/C, dissolved in nitric acid, and adjusted to 4 M. Then extractions, back-extractions, electrodeposition and measurements are performed as described for soft tissues. The recovery for Th ranged from 30 to 93% with a mean of 55% and for Pu from 32 to 94% with a mean of 71%. 4 figures, 2 tables.

• Research Organization: New York Univ. Medical Center, NY
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-5-02-2968
• OSTI ID: 5642486
• Journal Information: Anal. Chem.; (United States), Vol. 51:12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
BONE TISSUES
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
GONADS
KIDNEYS
LIVER
LUNGS
LYMPH NODES
PLUTONIUM 242
ALPHA SPECTROSCOPY
SPLEEN
THORIUM 229
THYROID
ALPHA PARTICLES
ELECTRODEPOSITION
EXTRACTION
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
NITRIC ACID
PLUTONIUM
QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
SULFURIC ACID
THORIUM
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DEPOSITION
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISOTOPES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
LYSIS
METALS
NUCLEI
ORGANS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PEROXIDES
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING
THORIUM ISOTOPES
TISSUES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
400103* - Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures- (-1987)