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MICROSCOPIC DISTRIBUTION OF PU-239 DEPOSITED IN BONE FROM A HUMAN INJECTION CASE ( PLUTONIUM-239 )

CUMMINS, H T; OLTMAN, B G; SCHLENKER, R A

HREX; BONES; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM INJECTION EXPERIMENT

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

CORRESPONDENCE, LETTERS, MEMOS

1976 Jul 12

Never classified

0008

NV0703482

Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

1994 Aug 27

2012 May 14

THE DISTRIBUTION OF PU-239 WAS STUDIED IN BONE FROM A WOMAN WHO RECEIVED AN INTRAVENOUS INJECTION OF 0.3 UCI PU-239 IN 1945 AT AGE 18 AND WHO DIED 17 MONTHS LATER WITH CUSHING'S SYNDROME. THE AVERAGE DEPTH AT WHICH PU-239 WAS BURIED BY APPOSITIONAL BONE GROWTH IN TRABECULAE RANGED FROM 40 TO 60 MICROMILLI IN SEVEN BONES. THE AVERAGE FOR ALL SITES OF BURIAL STUDIED WAS 52 MICROMILLI. SURFACE AND VOLUME CONCENTRATIONS IN BONE WHICH COVERED BURIED SURFACES IN TRABECULAE RANGED BETWEEN 0.26 AND 0.63 PCI/CM2 AND 56 AND 160 PCI/CM3 RESPECTIVELY IN SEVEN BONES. THE MEAN VALUES OF THE DATA FOR THE SEVEN BONES WERE 0.39 PCI/CM2 AND 94 PCI/CM3. THE VOLUME CONCENTRATION CONTRIBUTES ONLY ABOUT 4 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL TERMINAL DOSE RATE IN A LAYER OF CELLS 10 MICROMILLI THICK LINING THE ENDOSTEAL SURFACES OF THE TRABECULAE IN THE 6TH THORACIC VERTEBRA. IN OTHER BONES THE CONTRIBUTION FROM BONE VOLUME WOULD BE EVEN LESS. CONCENTRATIONS ON THE PERIOSTEAL, ENDOSTEAL AND HAVERSIAN CANAL SURFACES IN THE SHAFTS OF SIX LONG BONES RANGES BETWEEN 0.18 AND 0.64 PCI/CM2, 0.14 AND 0.31 PCI/CM2, AND 0.13 AND 0.59 PCI/CM2 RESPECTIVELY. THESE CONCENTRATIONS ARE CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THOSE OBSERVED ON BURIED SURFACES AT THE SAME SITES.