Food chain, actinide elements

Summary. Through an examination of the comparative behavior of the actinide elements in terrestrial and aquatic food chains, the anticipated accumulation behavior of the transuranium elements by people was described. The available data suggests that Pu, Am and Cm will not accumulate to a greater degree than U in the skeletons of individuals exposed to environmentally dispersed activity. The nature of the contamination event, the chemical and physical associations in soils and sediments, the proximity to the... 

Most radioactive particles and vapours, once deposited, are held rather firmly on surfaces, but resuspension does occur. A radioactive particle may be blown off the surface, or, more probably, the fragment of soil or vegetation to which it is attached may become airborne. This occurs most readily where soils and vegetation are dry and friable. Most nuclear bomb tests and experimental dispersions of fissile material have taken place in arid regions, but there is also the possibility of resuspension from agricultural and urban land, as an aftermath of accidental dispersion. This is particularly relevant to plutonium and other actinide elements, which are very toxic, and are absorbed slowly from the lung, but are poorly absorbed from the digestive tract. Inhalation of resuspended activity may be the most important route of human uptake for actinide elements, whereas entry into food chains is critical for fission products such as strontium and caesium. 

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