Document Details

(1 mb)

PART V, EXCRETION METHODS; THE APPLICATION OF EXCRETION ANALYSES TO THE DETERMINATION OF BODY BURDEN OF RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES ( LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY, UNIV. OF CA, LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO )

LANGHAM, W H [LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY]

HREX

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

Never classified

0019

NV0701327

1994 Aug 27

2017 Dec 21

THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS TO DETERMINE THE BODY BURDEN OF RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF EXCRETION ANALYSES. A HIGH DOSAGE OF TRITIUM WAS INJECTED INTO A MOUSE IN WHICH ITS URINARY EXCRETIONS SHOWED THAT THE TRITIUM HAS A HALF LIFE OF 1.9 DAYS UNTIL THE ACTIVITY IN THE URINE HAD DROPPED TO APPROXIMATELY 0.1 PERCENT OF THE ORIGINAL VALUE. PLUTONIUM, UNLIKE TRITIUM, IS A MATERIAL FOR WHICH THE RATE OF URINARY AND FAECAL EXCRETION CONTINUES TO CHANGE WITH TIME. IN HUMAN SUBJECTS, DATA SHOW THAT ABOUT 0.8 PERCENT OF AN INTRAVENOUSLY INJECTED DOSE WAS EXCRETED ON THE FIRST DAY, BUT AFTER FIVE YEARS, THE RATE OF EXCRETIONS WAS STILL CHANGING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT 200 YEARS MAY BE REQUIRED FOR MAN TO ELIMINATE ONE-HALF OF HIS BODY BURDEN. STUDIES OF THE RETENTION AND EXCRETION OF RADIUM BY MAN WERE REPORTED BY NORRIS, SPECKMAN, AND GUSTAFSON. THEY MEASURED THE AMOUNT OF RADIUM ADMINISTERED AND RETAINED BY PATIENTS IN THE ELGIN STATE HOSPITAL, ELGIN, ILLINOIS.