Effect of Plutonium

Goldman, M., An overview of high LET radiation effects in cells, in The Health Effects of Plutonium and Radium (W. S. S. Jee, ed.), pp. 751-766, J. W. Press, Salt Lake City, Utah (1976). 

Hoegerman SF. 1976. The cytogenetic effects of internal alpha emitters on human lympocytes a review. In The health effects of plutonium and radium. Jee WSS, ed. Salt Lake City, Utah, J.W. Press, pp 779-791. 

Chronic effects of plutonium exposure include lifeshortening and cancer. These effects have been observed in numerous animal studies. The main late pulmonary effects of plutonium inhalation are pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. Lung cancers in animals have been reported for intakes equivalent to 37kBq (1 pCi) in man. 

Clinical management can potentially reduce the effects of plutonium intake, although the effectiveness can be highly variable. Administration of the calcium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) can accelerate removal of soluble forms of plutonium from body fluids and recent deposits. It is unable to remove intracellular deposits or activity buried in bone and must therefore be administered as soon as possible after an intake. In a review of 18 patients exposed to plutonium, americium, or curium, the US Food and Drug Administration concluded that administration of 1 g Ca-DTPA in 5 ml sterile aqueous solution, either by intravenous injection or as a nebulized inhalation dose, increased the rate of radioactivity elimination in urine by an average of 39-fold. Daily maintenance doses of Zn-DTPA resulted in continued elimination of radioactivity. 

ZAGORSKI, Z.P., DZIEWINSKI, J., CONCA, J., Radiolytic effects of plutonium , International Conference Plutonium Futures — the Science, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 6-10 July 2003, AIP Conference Proceedings, New York, Vol.673, 336-338. 

The effect of plutonium recycle is to increase the production of higher-mass isotopes of plutonium and of americium and curium, because the recycled plutonium is exposed to neutrons throughout the entire irradiation cycle. The actinide quantities calculated [PI] for the same 1000-MWe reactor operating on an equilibrium fuel cycle with self-generated plutonium recycle are shown in Table 8.5. The alpha activity of the plutonium processed yearly is increased by a factor of 14 by plutonium recycle, the americium activity is increased by a factor of 5, and the curium activity by a factor of 7. 

Health Effects Associated with Plutonium Deposition-Other Routes of Exposure 2 4 Existing Information on Health Effects of Plutonium... 

Numerous studies have been conducted in laboratory animals to develop a better understanding of the physiological effects of exposure to plutonium. These studies have increased our understanding of the deposition of plutonium in various body organs and of the time of retention, as well as providing an extensive database on the adverse health effects of plutonium. The relevant toxicological properties of plutonium and significant health effects related to exposure to plutonium are described in this chapter. 

Investigations of the radiation effects of plutonium in laboratory animals indicated that translocation of plutonium from the lungs to other tissues was dependent on several factors including the solubility of the plutonium isotope or compound. Translocation to the bone occurred with plutonium citrate and with plutonium nitrate (Bair et al. 1973). By 4,000 days post-exposure, osseous atrophy and radiation osteodystrophy occurred in dogs given a single inhalation exposure to plutonium-238 dioxide (Gillett et al. 1988). The dose which resulted in these specific effects was not reported. For further discussion of this study see Section 2.2.1.8. 

Svoboda and co-workers (1979, 1980a, 1980b, 1982a, 1983, 1985, 1987) have conducted extensive research on mice concerning the effects of plutonium-239 on stem cells, the blood producing cells of... 

Limited information is available regarding biomarkers of effect of plutonium exposure. The presence of chromosome aberrations has been reported in laboratory animals following exposure to plutonium. Chromosome aberrations have also been reported in humans following exposure through open wounds, but evidence from epidemiologic studies where exposure occurred via inhalation have been equivocal (Brandom et al. 1979 Hempelmann et al. 1975 Tawn et al. 1985 Voelz et al. 

Children may be particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of plutonium. Cells are replicating much faster in growing children than in adults. Rapidly regenerating cells are more radiosensitive than slowly regenerating cells (see Appendix B). Therefore, children may be more susceptible to the radiation effects of plutonium than adults. 

Persons who are anemic due to an iron deficiency may be more susceptible to the toxic effects of plutonium. Studies by Ragan (1977) have demonstrated that iron-deficient mice absorbed four times as much plutonium from the gastrointestinal tract as mice with normal iron levels. Therefore, persons who are iron deficient may absorb more plutonium (Sullivan and Ruemmler 1988). 

Section 104(i)(5) of CERCLA, directs the Administrator of ATSDR (in consultation with the Administrator of EPA and agencies and programs of the Public Health Service) to assess whether adequate information on the health effects of plutonium is available. Where adequate information is not available, ATSDR, in conjunction with the National Toxicology Program (NTP), is required to assure the initiation of a program of research designed to determine the health effects (and techniques for developing methods to determine such health effects) of plutonium. 

Ballou J, George L II, Thompson R. 1962. The combined toxic effects of plutonium plus x-ray in rats. Health Phys 8 581-587. 

Beechey C, Green D, Humphreys E, et al. 1975. Cytogenetic effects of plutonium-239 in male mice. Nature 256 577-578. 

Bhattacharyya M, Lindenbaum A. 1976b. Monomeric plutonium and mouse liver parenchymal cells deposition and DTPA-induced removal. In Webster S, ed. The Health Effects of Plutonium and radium. Salt Lake City, UT J W Press, 233-243. 

Hammond S, Putzier E. 1964. Observed effects of plutonium in wounds over a long period of time. Health Phys 10 399-406. 

Schofield R, Lord B, Humphreys E, et al. 1986. Effects of plutonium-239 on hemopoiesis. I. Quantitative and qualitative changes in CFU-S in different regions of the mouse femur and vertebrae. Int J Radiat Biol 49 1021-1029. 

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