Implications of human tissue studies for radiation protection

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198808000-00025· OSTI ID:6754925

Kathren, R L

Through radiochemical analysis of voluntary tissue donations, the U.S. Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTR) are gaining improved understanding of the distribution and biokinetics of actinide elements in occupationally exposed persons. Evaluation of the first two whole-body contributions to the USTR revealed an inverse proportionality between actinide concentration and bone ash. The analysis of a whole body with significant /sup 241/Am deposition indicated a significantly shorter half-time in liver and a greater fraction resident in the skeleton than predicted by existing models. Other studies with tissues obtained at autopsy suggest that existing biokinetic models for /sup 238/Pu and /sup 241/Am and the currently accepted models and limits on intake, which use these models as their basis, may be inaccurately implying that revisions of existing safety standards may be necessary. Other studies of the registries are designed to evaluate in-vivo estimates of actinide deposition with those derived from postmortem tissue analysis, to compare results of animal experiments with human data, and to review histopathologic slides for tissue changes that might be attributable to exposure to transuranic elements. The implications of these recent findings and other work of the registries is discussed from the standpoint of this potential effect on biokinetic modeling, internal dose assessment, and safety standards and operational health physics practices.

• Research Organization: Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, Richland, WA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6754925
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Vol. 55:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDES
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
RADIATION PROTECTION
AMERICIUM 241
BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE
BIOLOGICAL MODELS
LIVER
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PLUTONIUM 238
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION INJURIES
SAFETY STANDARDS
SKELETON
URANIUM
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
DOSES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INJURIES
ISOTOPES
METALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOISOTOPES
STANDARDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560161* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Man