Incorporation and Distribution of Uranium in Rats After a Contamination on Intact or Wounded Skin

Abstract

Uranium uptake can occur accidentally by inhalation, ingestion, injection, or absorption through intact or wounded skin. Intact or wounded skin routes of absorption of uranium have received little attention. The aims of our work were (1) to evaluate the influence of the type of wound contamination on the short term distribution and excretion of uranium in rats and (2) to generate data to assess the time available to treat contamination of intact or wounded skin before significant uptake of uranium occurs. Biokinetic data presented in the present paper are based on an in vivo rat model. This study shows that a significant uptake of a uranyl nitrate solution through intact skin can occur within the first 6 h of exposure. Absorption of a uranyl nitrate solution through excoriated skin is significant after only 30 min of exposure. After a 24-h exposure, uranium uptake through intact skin and excoriated skin represents about 0.4% and 38% of the initial deposit of uranium, respectively. Contaminated serious chemical skin burns induced by HNO3 or NaOH are paradoxically less important in terms of uranium uptake risk because 99% of the incorporated uranium remains trapped at the wound site and its incorporation is delayed for at least 6 h after the beginning of contamination. These results confirm that the biokinetics of a given physicochemical form of uranium incorporated after wound contamination depend largely on the physiological evolution of the considered wound. Each type of wound, with its corresponding biokinetics of a uranium species, is a particular case.

Controlling intake of uranium in the workplace: Applications of biokinetic modeling and occupational monitoring data

“…156 (2006) for information on the behavior of uranium and other radionuclides in wounds and a description of a model depicting idealized rates of mobilization of activity to blood. Experimental data on the rate of penetration of uranium through burned, scraped, or intact skin and references to related studies can be found in papers by de Rey et al 1983, Lopez et al 2000, and Petitot et al 2007.…”

Intracellular Metabolism of Uranium and the Effects of Bisphosphonates on Its Toxicity

“…In hairless rats, dermal exposure to uranyl nitrate resulted in 0.4% of the dose being absorbed (Petitot et al, 2007a(Petitot et al, , 2007b; damage to the skin resulted in higher absorption efficiencies.…”

Evolution of the percutaneous penetration and distribution of uranyl nitrate as a function of skin-barrier integrity: anin vitroassessment

“…The most hydrosoluble uranium compounds, such as uranyl nitrate, have proven to be the most toxic, and their toxicity increases with exposure time and exposed area (Lopez et al, 2000). Uranium intake through the skin is increased when the contamination is associated with a superficial skin lesion, such as a moderate chemical burn (Wu and Fan, 1982;Berard et al, 1994;Petitot et al, 2007aPetitot et al, , 2007b.…”

“…This mainly concerns accidental chemical contact with skin in a domestic or industrial context. Recent years have witnessed a growing concern for this type of dermal exposure in the industry (Nielsen and Andersen, 2001), particularly in the nuclear industry (Wu and Fan, 1982;Berard et al, 1994;NCRP, 2007;Petitot et al, 2007aPetitot et al, , 2007b.…”