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Plutonium retention, excretion, and distribution in juvenile beagles soon after injection

Journal Article · · Radiat. Res.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3574849· OSTI ID:6858246

Six beagles, aged 3 months, were injected intravenously with 0.4 ..mu..Ci of /sup 239/Pu + 0.4 ..mu..Ci of /sup 237/Pu as the citrate complex. Retention in liver and in nonliver tissue (mainly skeleton) was measured serially in the living dogs by a combination of total- and partial-body counting, utilizing the 60- and 100-keV photons from /sup 237/Pu. About 11% of the injected Pu was excreted in the first 21 days with about 5% in urine and 6% in feces. One animal was sacrificed at 7 days, another at 14 days, and the remaining dogs at 28, 56, 89, and 119 days after injection for distribution studies. Early retention of Pu in liver was lower in juveniles (11 to 15%) than observed previously in adults aged 17 months (31 to 37%), while early skeletal retention was greater for juveniles (62 to 75%) than for adults (50 to 60%). Plutonium content of most other tissues was similar in adults and juveniles. The distribution of skeletal Pu was significantly greater for juveniles in the paws and lower leg bones by factors of 2 to 5, but greater for adults by about a factor of 2 in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and in the rib cage.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City
OSTI ID:
6858246
Journal Information:
Radiat. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Radiat. Res.; (United States) Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 75:3; ISSN RAREA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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