In-vitro transport of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ and /sup 239/PuO/sub 2/ through a membrane filter and its importance for internal radiation dosimetry

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6271896

Ryan, M T

These experiments were designed to determine if /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/, due to its higher specific activity and attendant aggregate recoil, undergoes higher transfer through a membrane filter into an interstitial human alveolar lung fluid simulant than /sup 239/PuO/sub 2/. The rate at which such transfer occurs was determined in an in-vitro chamber designed to simulate residence characteristics of particles of insoluble plutonium oxides in human alveolar interstitium. The ratio of the rate of /sup 238/Pu//sup 239/Pu transfer was 138 +- 76%. Calculations were performed to assess the importance of this finding in terms of the internal dosimetry of insoluble /sup 238/Pu using methods and models recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Three cases were evaluated, namely integral 50-year dose commitment, urinary excretion after single acute intake and urinary excretion rate during chronic constant intake. It was found that integral 50-year dose commitments were not influenced by the rate of plutonium transfer from the pulmonary compartment to blood. The evaluation of calculated urinary excretion data after a single acute inhalation intake showed that in the early period, up to about 30 days post exposure, urinary excretion of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ may be 2 to 10 times higher than the urinary excretion rate for /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ predicted by the ICRP reference model. From about 50 days to approximately 1000 days the calculated urinary excretion rate for /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ may be lower than that predicted by the reference model by a factor of 2 to 10. In the case of chronic constant intake the calculated urinary excretion rate for /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ may be up to a factor of 2 higher than that predicted by the reference ICRP Model.

• OSTI ID: 6271896
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560171* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DOSES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
NUCLEI
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PRIMATES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URINE
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES