Journal article
Microdistribution and long-term retention of 239Pu (NO3)4 in the respiratory tracts of an acutely exposed plutonium worker and experimental beagle dogs
Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.), Vol.72(21), pp.5529-5536
11/01/2012
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100920
PMCID: PMC6211300
PMID: 22962267
Abstract
The long-term retention of inhaled soluble forms of plutonium raises concerns as to the potential health effects in persons working in nuclear energy or the nuclear weapons program. The distributions of long-term retained inhaled plutonium-nitrate [(239)Pu (NO(3))(4)] deposited in the lungs of an accidentally exposed nuclear worker (Human Case 0269) and in the lungs of experimentally exposed beagle dogs with varying initial lung depositions were determined via autoradiographs of selected histologic lung, lymph node, trachea, and nasal turbinate tissue sections. These studies showed that both the human and dogs had a nonuniform distribution of plutonium throughout the lung tissue. Fibrotic scar tissue effectively encapsulated a portion of the plutonium and prevented its clearance from the body or translocation to other tissues and diminished dose to organ parenchyma. Alpha radiation activity from deposited plutonium in Human Case 0269 was observed primarily along the subpleural regions while no alpha activity was seen in the tracheobronchial lymph nodes of this individual. However, relatively high activity levels in the tracheobronchial lymph nodes of the beagles indicated the lymphatic system was effective in clearing deposited plutonium from the lung tissues. In both the human case and beagle dogs, the appearance of retained plutonium within the respiratory tract was inconsistent with current biokinetic models of clearance for soluble forms of plutonium. Bound plutonium can have a marked effect on the dose to the lungs and subsequent radiation exposure has the potential to increase cancer risk.
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Details
- Title
- Microdistribution and long-term retention of 239Pu (NO3)4 in the respiratory tracts of an acutely exposed plutonium worker and experimental beagle dogs
- Creators
- Christopher E Nielsen - Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA. christopher.nielsen@pnnl.govDulaney A WilsonAntone L BrooksStacey L McCordGerald E DagleAnthony C JamesSergei Y TolmachevBrian D ThrallWilliam F Morgan
- Publication Details
- Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.), Vol.72(21), pp.5529-5536
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- U19 AI 067770 / NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI067770 / NIAID NIH HHS U19 ES019544 / NIEHS NIH HHS
- Identifiers
- 99900546536001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article