Lung clearance and translocation of /sup 239/Pu and /sup 244/Cm in rats following inhalation individually or as a mixed oxide

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198611000-00006· OSTI ID:6962699

Rhoads, K; Killand, B W; Mahaffey, J A; Sanders, C L

Wistar rats were exposed via inhalation to aerosols of /sup 239/PuO/sub 2/, /sup 244/Cm oxide or a mixed Pu-Cm oxide with an activity ratio of about 1:1. Activity in lung and several extrapulmonary tissues were examined up to 120 d after exposure to determine whether calcining Pu and Cm together affected lung clearance or translocation to other sites in the body for either nuclide. Initial deposition was about 1200 Bq (32 nCi) for /sup 239/PuO/sub 2/, 4200 Bq (115 nCi) for /sup 244/Cm, and 2400 Bq (65 nCi) total alpha for the mixed oxide. The kinetics of single nuclides were as expected, with Pu oxide confined mainly to lung at all times and cleared with a half-time of 42 d. Curium was translocated rapidly to liver, with a peak activity of about 10% of the initial alveolar deposition at 7-14 d. Skeleton activity increased gradually, amounting to 12-15% of initial deposition near the end of the study. Lung clearance of Cm was more rapid than for Pu, with about 13% of Pu and less than 5% of Cm remaining at the end of the experiment. Both Pu and Cm remained in the lung somewhat longer when administered as a mixed oxide than the respective nuclides administered singly, and virtually all activity in the body was confined to the lung. Translocation of Cm to extrapulmonary tissues was almost entirely prevented by incorporation into the PuO/sub 2/ matrix. Therefore, calcining the two radionuclides together in an aerosol altered the kinetics of both following inhalation in rats, but most dramatically for /sup 244/4Cm. The resulting change in radionuclide distribution for the lung and the body following such a mixed inhalation exposure would presumably alter the long-term health effects compared to those seen with the pure compounds.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
• OSTI ID: 6962699
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 5; ISSN HLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560162* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AEROSOLS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
CLEARANCE
COLLOIDS
CURIUM 244
CURIUM COMPOUNDS
CURIUM ISOTOPES
CURIUM OXIDES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISPERSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXCRETION
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
LIVER
LUNG CLEARANCE
LUNGS
MAMMALS
NUCLEI
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RATS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SKELETON
SOLS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRANSPLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES