The literature on metabolism of U and Ra for man relevant to deriving drinking water standards has been reviewed and summarized. Radium is well understood, but significant gaps remain in our knowledge about U metabolism. Limits should be based on an equilibrium model where a constant relationship between intake and organ burden is established, using the best and most likely metabolic parameters. For the skeleton we conclude that the best estimate of skeletal burden expressed in days equivalent intake are 25 days for 226Ra, 10 days for 228Ra, and 0.3 days for 224Ra. For long-lived isotopes of U, we chose 11 days, with a range between 1 and 35 days. The committee believes that intake of natural U in water should be limited by considerations of toxicity to the kidney, and we believe that the metabolic model of Spoor and Hursh with a modified gastrointestinal (GI) absorption (1.4%) should be used to infer kidney content. Our review and analysis of the world literature leads us to believe the average human GI absorption of U is most likely 1-2% and is probably reasonably independent of age or the mass of U ingested. Using a safety factor of 50-150, the committee recommends a limit of U in water of 100 micrograms/l in order to limit toxic effects in the kidney. One hundred micrograms/liter is equivalent to 67 pCi/l of long-lived alpha-emitting natural U isotopes. Further research into the distribution of U in the human body is desirable, especially at natural levels in kidney and skeleton, the time-dependent pharmacokinetics of U in animals, the GI absorption of U in man from water and food, toxicological and U distribution studies in animals under conditions of chronic oral U intake, and metabolic model error propagation.

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This report is the first in a series of reports replacing Publications 30 and 68 to provide revised dose coefficients for occupational intakes of radionuclides by inhalation and ingestion. The revised dose coefficients have been calculated using the Human Alimentary Tract Model (Publication 100) and a revision of the Human Respiratory Tract Model (Publication 66) that takes account of more recent data. In addition, information is provided on absorption into blood following inhalation and ingestion of different chemical forms of elements and their radioisotopes. In selected cases, it is judged that the data are sufficient to make material-specific recommendations. Revisions have been made to many of the models that describe the systemic biokinetics of radionuclides absorbed into blood, making them more physiologically realistic representations of uptake and retention in organs and tissues, and excretion. The reports in this series provide data for the interpretation of bioassay measurements as well as dose coefficients, replacing Publications 54 and 78. In assessing bioassay data such as measurements of whole-body or organ content, or urinary excretion, assumptions have to be made about the exposure scenario, including the pattern and mode of radionuclide intake, physical and chemical characteristics of the material involved, and the elapsed time between the exposure(s) and measurement. This report provides some guidance on monitoring programmes and data interpretation.

The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP, 2007) introduced changes that affect the calculation of effective dose, and implied a revision of the dose coefficients for internal exposure, published previously in the Publication 30 series (ICRP, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988) and Publication 68 (ICRP, 1994). In addition, new data are now available that support an update of the radionuclide-specific information given in Publications 54 and 78 (ICRP, 1988a, 1997b) for the design of monitoring programmes and retrospective assessment of occupational internal doses. Provision of new biokinetic models, dose coefficients, monitoring methods, and bioassay data was performed by Committee 2, Task Group 21 on Internal Dosimetry, and Task Group 4 on Dose Calculations. A new series, the Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides (OIR) series, will replace the Publication 30 series and Publications 54, 68, and 78. OIR Part 1 has been issued (ICRP, 2015), and describes the assessment of internal occupational exposure to radionuclides, biokinetic and dosimetric models, methods of individual and workplace monitoring, and general aspects of retrospective dose assessment. OIR Part 2 (ICRP, 2016), this current publication and upcoming publications in the OIR series (Parts 4 and 5) provide data on individual elements and their radioisotopes, including information on chemical forms encountered in the workplace; a list of principal radioisotopes and their physical half-lives and decay modes; the parameter values of the reference biokinetic model; and data on monitoring techniques for the radioisotopes encountered most commonly in workplaces. Reviews of data on inhalation, ingestion, and systemic biokinetics are also provided for most of the elements. Dosimetric data provided in the printed publications of the OIR series include tables of committed effective dose per intake (Sv Bq−1 intake) for inhalation and ingestion, tables of committed effective dose per content (Sv Bq−1 measurement) for inhalation, and graphs of retention and excretion data per Bq intake for inhalation. These data are provided for all absorption types and for the most common isotope(s) of each element. The electronic annex that accompanies the OIR series of publications contains a comprehensive set of committed effective and equivalent dose coefficients, committed effective dose per content functions, and reference bioassay functions. Data are provided for inhalation, ingestion, and direct input to blood. This third publication in the series provides the above data for the following elements: ruthenium (Ru), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), iodine (I), caesium (Cs), barium (Ba), iridium (Ir), lead (Pb), bismuth (Bi), polonium (Po), radon (Rn), radium (Ra), thorium (Th), and uranium (U).