Plutonium in Finnish Lapps-an Estimate of the Gastrointestinal Absorption of Plutonium by Man Based on a Comparison of the Plutonium Content of Lapps and Southern Finns

Abstract

The plutonium body burden of five male Lapps was determined through radiochemical analysis of bone, liver and lung samples, and compared with the body burden of male southern Finns. Tissue burdens of plutonium were found equal in the Lapps and southern Finns. The mean content of 239,240Pu in bone (ribs), liver and lung of the Lapps was 0.045, 0.42 and 0.033 pCi/kg wet wt (1.7, 15.5, 1.2 mBq/kg), respectively. The average body burden of plutonium in the Lapps was 1.1 pCi (41 mBq). The 137Cs, 90Sr, 210Po and 210Pb contents of tissue samples were analyzed to estimate the amount of reindeer tissue consumed by the Lapps studied. The 137Cs content in liver and lung of the Lapps was, on the average, 2160 and 1180 pCi/kg wet wt (79.9 and 43.7 Bq/kg), respectively. In southern Finns both liver and lung content of 137Cs was less than 50 pCi wet wt (less than 1.9 Bq/kg). For 210Po, the liver and lung values were 86.2 and 8.2 pCi/kg wet wt (3.2 and 0.3 Bq/kg) in the Lapps and 15.4 and 3.9 pCi/kg wet wt (0.6 and 0.1 Bq/kg) in southern Finns, respectively. The inhalation intake of 239,240Pu of male Lapps during the period 1954-1978 was about 13 pCi (0.48 Bq) and that of southern Finns about 18 pCi (0.67 Bq). The estimated values for dietary intake were 535 pCi (19.7 Bq) and 36 pCi (1.3 Bq), respectively. The fractional absorption factor of 239,240Pu from the GI tract of man was estimated to be (8-9) X 10(-4), which is somewhat higher than that presently suggested by the ICRP for soluble plutonium compounds (1 X 10(-4)).

Cancer Incidence of Finnish Sami in the Light of Exposure to Radioactive Fallout

“…In the same decade, the behavior of natural radionuclides 210 Po and 210 Pb along the food chain was described by Kauranen et al [19,20]. Later, in the 1970s, the 239,240 Pu content of lichen, reindeer and the organs of five Lapps were determined [21][22][23]. Recently, a thorough review of the transuranium elements along the lichen-reindeer-man food chain in Finnish Lapland was published [11].…”

Transfer of Natural Radionuclides in Terrestrial Food Chains—A Review of Investigations in Finland

“…However, as will be discussed next and can be seen from the data in Tables 1 and 2, there are clear differences between 210 Po and 210 Pb in their bioavailability and enrichment in the food chains. Human kidney, southern Finland (~1966) 0.12-0.24 [15] Human teeth, Lapland (1966-1967) 2.4-11 [15] Human teeth, southern Finland (1966-1967) 1.4-2.6 [15] Human shinbone/tibia, southern Finland (~1966) 1.0-1.5 [15] Human ribs, Lapland (1977) 0.85 and 1.5 [18] Human liver, Lapland (1977)(1978)(1979) 0.13-1.0 (average 0.48) [18] Human liver, southern Finland (~1966) 0.08-0.11 [15] Human liver, southern Finland (1976-1979) 0.27 (average) [18] Human liver, southern Finland (~1966) 0.34-0.83 [15] Human liver, southern Finland (1976-1979) 0.57 (average) [18] Lichen is the main fodder of reindeer during the winter. In the 1960s, the 210 Pb activity concentration in lichen (Cladonia alpestris) varied between 210 and 380 Bq/kg dry weight (d.w.) in Finnish Lapland and between 190 and 300 Bq/kg d.w. in southern Finland [15].…”

Probabilistic accident consequence uncertainty analysis -- Uncertainty assessment for internal dosimetry. Volume 2: Appendices

“…Hunt et al (1986 have carried out two studies of the absorption of plutonium and americium by volunteers eating winkles collected on the Cumbrian coast near to the nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield. The overallfi value obtained for plutonium was 2 x with a range of 2 x -5 x The absorption of fallout plutonium from reindeer meat was estimated by Mussalo-Rauhamaa et al (1984). An fl of 8 x was obtained by comparing the ratio of body content to dietary intake of 239/24% in persons who had lived in Lappland or the urban areas of southern Finland.…”

“…The first by Mussalo-Rauhamaa et al (1984) used autopsy analyses from tissues from residents of Lapland and of southern Finland to derive an indirect value forfi in two subjects which suggested values between 8 x 10"' and 1 x…”