Early Blood Plutonium Retention in Nonhuman Primates Compared to the NCRP 156 Wound Biokinetic Model

Abstract

Data from animal experiments are relied upon for understanding the biokinetics of contaminant retention and excretion where insufficient human data exist. Records involving nonhuman primate experiments performed from 1973 to 1987 were collected and compiled by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. These records included early blood samples that were taken after soluble plutonium was administered via intramuscular, subcutaneous, or intravenous injection. Samples were collected as early as 5 min post injection with several samples collected during the first few weeks. The NCRP 156 biokinetic model was developed primarily from animal experiments due to insufficient human data not influenced by chelation therapy. This work compared the NCRP 156 biokinetic model default transfer rate constants to the early blood excretion data from nonhuman primate experiments for 238Pu. These results indicated that the blood content of nonhuman primates exhibited "moderate" retention properties for simulated wound conditions. Additionally, there was no evidence of long-term retention of plutonium in the whole blood samples, confirming that plutonium was not incorporated within blood cells. Particle solubility characteristics should be considered for wounds when using the NCRP 156 wound biokinetic model.

241Am INGROWTH AND ITS EFFECT ON INTERNAL DOSE

“…This was replaced by the 241 Pu atom quantity after accounting for the age of the fuel at the time of intake and the atom weight fraction. Konzen et al (2015a) provided further discussion and an example for using (eq) 2 in R. Compartment transformations occurring over 50 y were translated to equivalent and effective dose by applying the ICRP (1991) tissue and radiation weighting factors, ICRP (2002) organ mass, and the skeleton absorbed fraction in ICRP (1979) for transformations due to alpha emission. The focus of this effort was on the energy imparted due to alpha emission where the 241 Pu beta emission was considered negligible in comparison.…”