Primate polonium metabolic models and their use in estimation of systemic radiation doses from bioassay data. Final report

Cohen, N.

doi:10.2172/283755

Cited by 4 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(89 reference statements)

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“…On a per kilogram-body-mass basis, the estimates would be a 1,000-fold larger. Thus, values reported by Cohen (1989), which were similar in magnitude as the values indicated here (not a 1,000-fold higher), were interpreted to be in units of kBq/g-body-mass.…”

Section: Po-210 Acute Toxicity In Laboratory Animalssupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Reported dose estimate vary covering a range from probably insignificant to possibly significant, depending upon the importance assigned to effects from hot-particle geometry (BEIR 1988;Cohen 1989). sites to occur.…”

Section: Naturally Occurring Po-210 In Human Tissuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Twenty-minutes of nose-only exposure of rats to freshly neutralized Po-210 aerosol with 0.046 μm count median diameter (CMD; 0.34 μm MMD) resulted in an average pulmonary deposition of about 33 %, which was divided equally between the upper and lower portions of the respiratory tract (Casarett 1964;Cohen 1989).…”

Section: Respiratory Tract Deposition Of Inhaled Po-210mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lower lethal amount could cause chronic radiation sickness with death occurring up to 1 year (or longer) after intake of Po-210. Table 1 summarizes the hematological effects and histopathology for laboratory animals (rats, mice, cats, rabbits, and dogs) exposed to Po-210 as a function of the level of exposure (presumed systemic burdens) based on an adaptation of Table 2.4 from Cohen (1989). The cited table by Cohen appears to have incorrectly reported systemic burdensin kBq/kgbody-mass when kBq/g-body-mass appear to be the correct units.…”

Section: Po-210 Acute Toxicity In Laboratory Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In such cases I have relied on information about these studies provided in other publications (e.g., Moroz and Parfenov 1971;Cohen 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Health Risk Evaluations for Ingestion Exposure of Humans to Polonium-210

Scott¹

2007

Dose-Response

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ᮀ The incident in London during November 2006 involving a lethal intake by Mr. Alexander Litvinenko of the highly-radioactive, alpha-particles-emitting polonium-210 (Po-210) isotope, presumably via ingestion, sparked renewed interest in the area of Po-210 toxicity to humans. This paper is the result of assembling and interpreting existing Po-210 data within the context of what is considered a reliable risk model (hazard-function [HF] model) for characterizing the risk of death from deterministic effects of high alpha radiation doses and dose rates to body organs. The HF model was developed to address radiation exposure scenarios involving combined exposures to alpha, beta, and gamma radiations and can be used in circumstances where only one type of radiation is involved. Under a plausible but not yet validated set of assumptions and using available megabecquerel (Po-210) to gray dose-conversion factors, acute lethality risk vs. dose curves were developed for circumstances of ingestion exposure to Po-210 by humans. Initial risk calculations were carried out for a reference adult male human (a hypothetical 70-kg person). Results were then modified for application to all ages (except the in utero child) via the use of systemic Po-210 burden. Because of the unavailability of acute lethality data derived from human ingestions of high levels of Po-210, plausibility of risk calculations were evaluated based on data from studies of Po-210 injections in animals. The animal data, although limited, were found to be consistent with the theoretical risk calculations. Key findings are as follows: (1) ingestion (or inhalation) of a few tents of a milligram of Po-210 will likely be fatal to all exposed persons. (2) Lethal intakes are expected to involve fatal damage to the bone marrow which is likely to be compounded by damage caused by higher doses to other organs including the kidneys and liver. (3) Lethal intakes are expected to cause severe damage to the kidney, spleen, stomach, small and large intestines, lymph nodes, skin, and testes (males) in addition to the fatal damage to bone marrow. (4) The time distribution of deaths is expected to depend on the level of radioactivity ingested or inhaled, with deaths occurring within about a month after very high levels of radioactivity intake (e.g., systemic burdens > 1 MBq/kg-body-mass) and occurring over longer periods, possibly up to or exceeding a year for lower but lethal intakes (systemic burdens from 0.1 to 1.0 MBq/kg-body-mass). Below a systemic burden estimate of 0.02 MBq/kg-bodymass, deaths from deterministic effects are not expected to occur but the risk of cancer and for life shortening could be significant. New, funded experimental and modeling/theoretical research is needed to improve on these estimates.

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Section: Po-210 Acute Toxicity In Laboratory Animalssupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Naturally Occurring Po-210 In Human Tissuementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Respiratory Tract Deposition Of Inhaled Po-210mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Po-210 Acute Toxicity In Laboratory Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In such cases I have relied on information about these studies provided in other publications (e.g., Moroz and Parfenov 1971;Cohen 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Health Risk Evaluations for Ingestion Exposure of Humans to Polonium-210

Scott¹

2007

Dose-Response

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Review of Chemical and Radiotoxicological Properties of Polonium for Internal Contamination Purposes

Ansoborlo

Bérard

Auwer

et al. 2012

Chem. Res. Toxicol.

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The discovery of polonium (Po) was first published in July, 1898 by P. Curie and M. Curie. It was the first element to be discovered by the radiochemical method. Polonium can be considered as a famous but neglected element: only a few studies of polonium chemistry have been published, mostly between 1950 and 1990. The recent (2006) event in which (210)Po evidently was used as a poison to kill A. Litvinenko has raised new interest in polonium. 2011 being the 100th anniversary of the Marie Curie Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the aim of this review is to look at the several aspects of polonium linked to its chemical properties and its radiotoxicity, including (i) its radiochemistry and interaction with matter; (ii) its main sources and uses; (iii) its physicochemical properties; (iv) its main analytical methods; (v) its background exposure risk in water, food, and other environmental media; (vi) its biokinetics and distribution following inhalation, ingestion, and wound contamination; (vii) its dosimetry; and (viii) treatments available (decorporation) in case of internal contamination.

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