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HEALTH PHYSICS ARTICLE, PHYSIOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY OF PLUTONIUM-239 AND ITS INDUSTRIAL MEDICAL CONTROL

LANGHAM, W [LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY]

HREX; ABSORPTION; ARTICLE; BODY BURDEN; CONTAMINATION; DIGESTIVE SYSTEM; EXCRETION; MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE; NEOPLASM; PHYSIOLOGY; PLUTONIUM; PLUTONIUM 239; RADIATION HAZARDS; RADIOLOGICAL PERSONNEL; REGULATIONS; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SKELETON; TOXICOLOGY

Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV

JOURNAL ARTICLE

1959 Mar 31

Never classified

0017

NV0700121

HEALTH PHYSICS

1994 Aug 27

2012 May 14

WHEN TAKEN INTO THE SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION, PU 239 DEPOSITS PREDOMINANTLY INT HE SKELETON, WHERE IT MAY PRODUCE BONE DISEASE (INCLUDING CANCER) MANY YEARS LATER. ITS ABSORPTION RATE FROM THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT IS ONLY ABOUT 0.003 PER CENT. A SMALL AMOUNT MAY BE ABSORBED THROUGH THE INTACT SKIN AND THROUGH CONTAMINATED CUTS AND PUNCTURE WOUNDS. ABSORPTION FROM THE LUNG MAY BE FROM 1 TO 10 PER CENT OF INHALED DOSE, DEPENDING ON PARTICLE SIZE, SOLUBILITY, CHEMICAL FORM, ETC. INHALATION OF CONTAMINATED AIR IS POTENTIALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT MODE OF EXPOSURE, AND ITS CONTROL IS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RIGOROUS CLOSED-SYSTEMS AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES EMPLOYED IN PLUTONIUM PROCESSING. ONCE IN THE BODY, PU 239 IS EXCRETED EXTREMELY SLOWLY (ABOUT 200 YEARS BEING REQUIRED TO ELIMINATE ONE-HALF THE BODY BURDEN). AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS REACHED THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE BODY BURDEN TECHNICALLY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM FURTHER PLUTONIUM CONTACT FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE BODY BURDEN OF PU 239 (0.04 UC) IS ESTABLISHED BY COMPARISON WITH RA 226 AND IS THAT AMOUNT WHICH HAS THE SAME IMPROBABILITY OF PRODUCING HARM TO ANY PERSON AT ANY TIME DURING HIS NATURAL LIFE AS DOES 0.1 UC OF FIXED RA 226. CONTROL OF THE INDUSTRIAL HAZARDS OF PU 239 PROCESSING IS BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT EXPOSURE OF PERSONNEL SHOULD BE AS NEARLY ZERO AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS NOT BECAUSE LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE BODY BURDEN IS APT TODO HARM, BUT BECAUSE IT IS SOUND INDUSTRIAL MEDICAL AND ECONOMIC PRACTICE. IF PRESENTLY RECOMMENDED PRACTICES ARE MAINTAINED, THERE IS LITTLE REASON TO FEEL THAT THE HEALTH OF A PERSON WORKING WITH PU 239 WILL BE SUBJECT TO ANY GREATER ABSOLUTE RISK THAN IF HE WERE ENGAGED IN ANY OTHER CHEMICAL OR INDUSTRIAL OCCUPATION.