The gastrointestinal absorption of plutonium and americium in rats and guinea pigs after ingestion of dusts from the former nuclear weapons site at Maralinga: implications for human exposure

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 1994-04, Vol.143 (2), p.211-220
• Main Authors: Harrison, J.D., Naylor, G.P.L., Stather, J.W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Americium; Americium - pharmacokinetics; Animals; Australia; Biological and medical sciences; Biological effects of radiation; Dust; Environmental Exposure; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrointestinal absorption; Guinea Pigs; Gut transfer; Humans; Intestinal Absorption; Maralinga; Non ionizing radiations. Hertzian waves. Biooptics; Nuclear Warfare; Plutonium; Plutonium - pharmacokinetics; Radioactive Fallout; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Species Specificity; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(94)90458-8

The gastrointestinal absorption of plutonium and americium present in dusts from the Maralinga test sites in South Australia has been measured as an input to dose assessments. The materials studied were from three different areas, designated Taranaki (Q380II), TM100 (10/2) and N. Plume (26). The three dusts were fed to groups of rats, mixed with their normal food. The Taranaki and TM100 dusts were also fed to guinea pigs, as a suspension in water. Expressed as fractional absorption from the gastrointestinal tract (f,), the values obtained for plutonium were 2 × 10 −6 and 8 × 10 −6 for Taranaki dust in rats and guinea pigs, respectively, 3 × 10 −6 and 10 −5 for TM100 dust in rats and guinea pigs, respectively, and 2 × 10 −6 for N. Plume dust in rats. The f 1 values obtained for americium were 3 × 10 −6 and 2 × 10 −5 for Taranaki dust in rats and guinea pigs, respectively, 10 −5 and 5 × 10 −5 for Taranaki dust in rats and guinea pigs, respectively, and 10 −5 for N. Plume dust in rats. On the basis of these results, rounded f 1 values used in the dose assessments were 10 −5 for plutonium and 10 −4 for americium, applying to all intakes of dust. These values compare with the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations of 10 −3 for unspecified chemical forms of both elements, 10 −4 for plutonium nitrate and 10 −5 for plutonium oxides. The effect of changes in f 1 values on doses from 239Pu and 241Am is considered.