Lund clearance of neutron-activated Mount St. Helens volanic ash in the rat

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Environ. Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6151747

Wehner, A P; Wilerson, C L; Stevens, D L

To determine pulmonary deposition and clearance of inhaled volcanic ash, rats received a single 60-min, nose-only exposure to neutron-activated ash. Over a period of 128 days after exposure, the rats were sacrificed in groups of five animals. Lungs were analyzed for the radionuclide tracers /sup 46/Sc, /sup 59/Fe, and /sup 60/Co by ..gamma..-ray spectrometry. The alveolar ash burdens, detemined by the radionuclides /sup 46/Sc and /sup 59/Fe, are in good agreement for the majority of samples analyzed, indicating ash particulate levels in the lungs, rather than leached radionuclides. The ash deposition estimates based on /sup 60/Co were appreciably lower for the lungs, indicating that /sup 60/Co leached from the ash. Approximately 110 ..mu..g ash, or 6% of the inhaled ash, was initially retained in the deep lung. The biological half-time of the alveolar ash burden was 39 days. After 90 days, the mean lung burden had decreased to about 20% of its initial value; 128 days after exposure, about 10% remained.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
• OSTI ID: 6151747
• Journal Information: Environ. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Res.; (United States) Vol. 35:1; ISSN ENVRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501 -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
ANIMALS
ASHES
BARYON REACTIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE
BODY
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
CLEARANCE
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISSOLUTION
DISTRIBUTION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXCRETION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION X
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
HADRON REACTIONS
INFORMATION
INHALATION
INTAKE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IRON 59
IRON ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LEACHING
LUNG CLEARANCE
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MOUNTAINS
MT ST HELENS
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
RADIOISOTOPES
RATS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RETENTION
RODENTS
SCANDIUM 46
SCANDIUM ISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
TIME DEPENDENCE
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRACER TECHNIQUES
USA
VERTEBRATES
VOLCANOES
WASHINGTON
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES