Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Plutonium microdistribution in human bone

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5732692
The amount and location of plutonium in bone from three humans injected during the mid-1940's has been studied by autoradiography and alpha particle spectrometry. Concentrations are similar on endosteal surfaces, Haversian canal surfaces and periosteal surfaces of long bone midshafts 17 months after injection. Endosteal surface concentrations are higher in the axial skeleton than in the appendicular skeleton 15 and 17 months post injection. For dosimetric purposes, volume deposits may be considered to be infinitely thick whereas surface deposits may be considered to have zero thickness. Secondary surface deposits are dosimetrically important, even when the plutonium is almost completely deposited in bone volume.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5732692
Report Number(s):
CONF-791077--3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English