Biological characterization of radiation exposure and dose estimates for inhaled uranium milling effluents. Annual progress report, April 1, 1983-March 31, 1984

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6263803

Eidson, A F

The problems addressed are the protection of uranium mill workers from occupational exposure to uranium through routine bioassay programs and the assessment of accidental worker exposures. Comparisons of chemical properties and the biological behavior of refined uranium ore (yellowcake) are made to identify important properties that influence uranium distribution patterns among organs. Because uranium mill workers might be exposed to yellowcake either by contamination of a wound or by inhalation, studies were done to investigate both routes of exposure. One experiment investigated the retention and translocation of uranium after subcutaneous implantation in rats. The results showed that retention of a less soluble form of yellowcake from the body of implanted rats was significantly more prolonged than of more soluble implanted yellowcake, as expected. However, retention could not be quantitatively related to the chemical composition or in vitro dissolution behavior of the implanted powder, as was clearance of inhaled yellowcake from lung. Studies of beagle dogs following nose-only inhalation of aerosols of commercial yellowcake were continued. Twenty dogs were exposed to a more soluble yellowcake from inhaled aerosols with 3.4 +- 0.5 ..mu..m mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) (mean +- 1 SE) and 1.5 +- 0.1 geometric standard deviation (GSD) to achieve an estimated initial lung burden of 130 +- 9 ..mu..g U/kg body weight. Aerosols inhaled by dogs exposed to a less soluble yellowcake form averaged 3.0 +- 0.3 ..mu..m MMAD, with 1.7 +- 0.1 GSD; the estimated initial lung burden was 140 +- 7 ..mu..g U/kg body weight. Histological observations showed kidney damage that appeared 4 to 8 days after exposure to the more soluble yellowcake levels with repair occurring by 64 days after exposure. The concentration of uranium in kidney was 8-17 ..mu..g U/g kidney at 4 to 8 days after exposure. 7 references, 2 figures, 3 tables.

• Research Organization: Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Inst., Albuquerque, NM (USA). Inhalation Toxicology Research Inst.
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76EV01013
• OSTI ID: 6263803
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-3984; LMF-111; ON: TI85006099
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560162 -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
AEROSOLS
ANIMALS
BEAGLES
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
DOGS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
INHALATION
INJURIES
INTAKE
KIDNEYS
MAMMALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RATS
RETENTION
RODENTS
SOLS
SOLUBILITY
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TOXICITY
TRANSLOCATION
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
URANIUM OXIDES U3O8
VERTEBRATES
WOUNDS