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PubMed1992

Simultaneous spectrophotometric estimation of thorium and calcium in urine.

A simple and rapid method for the simultaneous estimation of thorium and calcium in urine was developed. Thorium and calcium were coprecipitated as oxalates at pH 3-4 and were determined using Thoronol as reagent. A multi-wave-length linear regression analysis procedure was applied. Thorium recovery was found to be 78.3% +/- 5.1% (1 sigma) and that of calcium was 93.7 +/- 3.0% (1 sigma). The minimum detection limit for thorium was found to be 2.54 mBq/dm3. The analytical results of calcium agree very well with those determined by EDTA titrimetry.

Calcium↗
PubMed2005

Thorium uptake by wheat at different stages of plant growth.

Data on biogeochemistry of thorium are rather limited. So far little is known about toxic effects of small amounts of the radionuclide on higher plants. In this study the uptake of thorium by wheat seedlings was measured by greenhouse experiments. Germination of wheat seeds for 6 days in the presence of thorium resulted in accumulation of the metal in all parts of the seedlings. When the Th-rich seedlings were transferred to normal soil and were grown there further for 7 days, Th concentrations in roots and leaves decreased significantly (in leaves the Th content decreased up to the level of Th in the control plants). In seeds, however, Th content remained unchanged. An increase of Th content in roots and seeds was also observed as a result of addition of thorium to soil but in this case the concentration of Th in leaves did not change. The accumulation of Th in plants affected the uptake of other elements including essential macro-nutrients. The most strongly affected part of the plants was leaf.

Germination↗
PubMed2005

Size-fractionated thorium isotopes (228Th, 230Th, 232Th) in surface waters in the Jiulong River estuary, China.

Thorium isotopes (228Th, 230Th, 232Th and 234Th) are useful tracers for studying particle dynamics and trace element scavenging in marine environments. In this study, surface waters were collected along a salinity gradient from the Jiulong River estuary, China, for determination of activity concentrations of 228Th, 230Th and 232Th in different size fractions, namely, the >53 microm, 10-53 microm, 2-10 microm, 0.4-2 microm, 10 kDa-0.4 microm and the <10 kDa fractions. Our results indicated that the activity concentrations of 228Th, 230Th and 232Th in the Jiulong River estuarine waters were significantly higher than most of the previously reported values in coastal and oceanic seawaters, suggesting a higher lithogenic U and Th contribution from the Jiulong River Basin. When normalized to the particulate mass concentration, the activity concentrations of the three thorium isotopes decreased with increasing particle size, demonstrating the important role of surface areas of particles in controlling the scavenging of thorium from the water column. The partitioning of three thorium isotopes showed a common characteristic, i.e., the >53 microm fraction had the least share (0-1%), while the 10-53 microm fraction had the largest share of Th isotopes. The average value of the 230Th/232Th activity ratio (230Th/232Th)(A.R.) increased from 0.8 in the >53 microm fraction to 3.7 in the 10 kDa-0.4 microm fraction, indicating that the radiogenic Th isotopes are preferentially scavenged by the small size particles. (230Th/232Th)(A.R.) in the <10 kDa and 10 kDa-0.4 microm fractions were similar, however, suggesting a similar chemical composition and/or equilibrium partitioning between the low molecular weight and colloidal Th. It was very interesting to note that the geochemical behaviors of the three Th isotopes were different from each other. Dissolved 228Th had the highest concentration in the mid-salinity region, showing a non-conservative behavior with additional input. In contrast, dissolved 232Th showed a concave profile, indicating a net removal of 232Th during the mixing of fresh water with seawater. The behavior of Th isotopes in the <10 kDa fraction followed those in the dissolved phases. The difference in geochemical behaviors among three Th isotopes was ascribed to their different sources in the estuary.

China↗
PubMed2006

The distribution of uranium and thorium in samples taken from different polluted marine environment.

Concentrations of uranium and thorium in seawater, sediment and some marine species taken from along the coastal areas of Malaysia were determined spectrophotometrically. The uranium and thorium concentrations in seawater were found to vary ranging from 1.80 to 4.1 and 0.14 to 0.88 microg/L, respectively. The concentration of uranium in sediment samples was reported to range from 3.00 to 6.60 microg/g while those of thorium were slightly lower ranging from 0.01 to 0.68 microg/g. The uptake of uranium and thorium in marine species was found to be rather low. Similar variations in total alpha activities in samples were also observed with the total alpha activities relatively lower than the beta activities in most samples.

Alpha Particles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thorium-dioxide--induced pharyngeal hemorrhage.

Thorium dioxide, a producer of alpha particle radiation, was used in the United States from 1930 to 1950 for carotid and cerebral angiography. Cervical thorium dioxide granuloma is a well-recognized sequela of extravasation of this material near the carotid bifurcation. Radical neck dissection to remove the granuloma for aesthetic and functional reasons may lead to massive postoperative hemorrhage if a patent, but radiation-weakened, carotid artery is present. Additionally, hemorrhage may occur spontaneously because of pharyngeal necrosis or following infection of a pharyngeal biopsy site. The case described illustrates that life-threatening, thorium-dioxide--induced pharyngeal hemorrhage may occur even with an occluded carotid system. The bleeding site may go unrecognized, and laryngopharyngectomy with radical neck debridement may be required for hemostasis. Extension of an infection into the retroesophageal space and thoracic inlet requires exteriorization of the entire neck wound to prevent placing the great vessels of the superior mediastinum at risk for rupture. Spontaneous rupture of the aorta may occur due to thorium-dioxide--induced necrosis of its wall.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed2005

Decorporating efficacy of catecholaminocarboxylate chelating agents for thorium-234 and protective effects on associated radiation injury.

The aim was to identify the decorporation and anti-oxidation efficacy of prompt and delayed consecutive administration of the catecholicpolyaminopolycarboxylate ligands 9501 and 7601 for radiothorium in vivo. The chelating agents 9501 or 7601 were administered intramuscularly to ICR mice 3 min or 3 days after intraperitoneal injection of 30 MBq kg(-1) (234)Th-citrate for 3 consecutive days. The animals were killed 4 or 5 days after administration of the chelating agents, respectively. The (234)Th radioactivity in the whole-body and its retention in liver and skeleton were determined. Malondialdehyde (MDA) production, as an index of (234)Th-induced lipid peroxidation in bone marrow and liver, was assayed and the number of bone marrow nucleated cells (NBMNC) were counted. The pathological changes of bone marrow and liver tissue were observed. CaNa(3)-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA) and vitamin E were used as controls. The competitive ability of 9501 and 7601 to mobilize thorium with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied. Their inhibitory effect on superoxide anion radicals was measured by electron spin resonance. When promptly injected, 9501 or 7601 were superior to CaNa(3)-DTPA for reducing (234)Th retention in mouse. Their different bioactivity for decorporation of (234)Th was consistent with their competitive ability to mobilize thorium with BSA. Although the removal effectiveness of 9501 and 7601, given by delayed injection, was lower than that of the prompt administration, they could inhibit (234)Th-induced lipid peroxidation. This caused significant reductions of MDA content in bone marrow and liver and markedly ameliorated histological changes to bone marrow and liver tissue in (234)Th-treated mice. Their protective effects were better than CaNa(3)-DTPA and vitamin E. 9501 and 7601 could directly scavenge O(.-)(2). Their effects as O(.-)(2) scavengers were very significant. The chelating agents 9501 and 7601 are able to remove thorium as effectively as other commonly used agents like CaNa(3)-DTPA and reduce radiation dose. In addition, these agents have anti-oxidative action reducing both cell killing in the bone marrow and malondialdehyde levels, a measure of lipid peroxidation, in the bone marrow and liver. The protection from internally deposited radioactive material was predictable by the chelators' competitive ability to chelate thorium from BSA and their ability to act as an oxygen free-radical scavenger. The duel effect of reducing radiation dose and response could be important in reducing the risk from internally deposited gamma radionuclides.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Measurement of lymphoblastogenic activity from thorium workers.

Mitogenic stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures obtained from 36 thorium workers was studied to determine whether the response of these cells was affected by the individuals' occupational exposure to alpha irradiation. The standard assay involved incubating 2 X 10(5) lymphocytes per test well for 72 hours in the presence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A) or pokeweed mitogen (PWM). The results showed that there was a significant decrease in lymphocyte responsiveness of former thorium workers grouped by decade of life when compared with controls of the same decade of life for each mitogen tested with the exceptions of PHA in the 41-50 age group and PWM in the 51-60 age group. We are unable to correlate the decreased response observed with the measured body burdens, external gamma exposure, or thoron exhalation rates in these thorium cases. However, other occupational exposures (i.e., various chemicals used in processing thorium) cannot be eliminated as a possible cause.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Standard reference materials for thorium analysis.

Reference materials (RMs) are used in analytical measurements for several purposes--to develop and validate analytical measurements, as quality control indicators and for calibration. It is therefore essential that suitable reference materials are available. Because thorium is usually found in very acid-resistant, mineral phases, this becomes even more critical when techniques such as ICP-MS are used, which require complete sample digestion. This paper gives an overview of the reference materials that are currently available for thorium (232Th and other thorium isotopes) in various matrices, sources and indicative costs. The IAEA database is identified as a particularly useful source of information, and the website address is: http://www.iaea.org/programmes/nahunet/e4/nmrm/index.htm A brief summary of the discussion held at the '1st European Workshop on the Analysis of Thorium in Workplace Materials', regarding reference materials, is given at the end of the paper. A general need for new RMs, specifically for workplace materials, was identified as a priority.

Mass Spectrometry↗
PubMed2001

The EC Thematic Network on the Analysis of Thorium and its isotopes in Workplace Materials.

Accurate measurements of workplace exposure to 232Th and its progeny are required to estimate internal radiation doses received by persons working with thorium-containing materials. However, a small intercomparison carried out in the mid-nineteen nineties raised doubts about the reliability of results obtained by methods available for measurement of thorium. An EC-funded thematic network was therefore established to bring together experts in the field of thorium analysis in order to coordinate research activity and identify best analytical practice. requirements for reference materials. etc. This network has now successfully completed its work programme. which included a survey to determine future research needs; a series of intercomparisons to test the performance of methods for measuring thorium in workplace materials, and a workshop held to promote best practice and transfer information to regulatory authorities and industry. Results of the work have been used to make various recommendations concerning future needs in this field.

Humans↗
PubMed2003

Thorium concentration in Pakistani diet.

To evaluate radiation doses due to ingestion of thorium activity by members of the public, baseline analytical data on thorium concentration in a typical Pakistani diet was generated. Food samples were collected from major districts/ cities of the country using the market basket method, and typical daily diets were prepared. Thorium concentration was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. It was found to vary from 1.6 ng g(-1) to 12 ng g(-1). The median value was 4.6 ng g(-1). This leads to median daily thorium intake of 2.7 microg d(-1). The geometric mean was 2.6 microg d(-1), which was 13% less than the ICRP value. Based on these measurements the average intake of 232Th activity was 10 mBq d(-1), and the average annual and committed effective doses for adults were estimated to be 8.8 x 10(-7) Sv y(-1) and 4.4 x 10(-5) Sv, respectively.

Diet↗
PubMed1993

A study of thorium exposure during tungsten inert gas welding in an airline engineering population.

To investigate the theoretic possibility of excessive exposure to thorium during the process of tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding using thoriated rods we carried out a cross-sectional study of TIG welders and an age- and skill-matched group. We measured the radiation doses from inhaled thorium that was retained in the body and investigated whether any differences in health or biologic indices could have been attributable to the welding and tip-grinding process. Sixty-four TIG welders, 11 non-TIG welders, and 61 control subjects from an airline engineering population participated. All of the subjects were interviewed for biographic, occupational history and morbidity details. All of the welders and eight control subjects carried out large-volume urine sampling to recover thorium 232 and thorium 228; this group also had chest radiographs. All of the subjects had a blood sample taken to estimate liver enzymes, and they provided small-volume urine samples for the estimation of retinol-binding protein and beta 2-microglobulin. We found no excess of morbidity among the TIG or non-TIG welding groups, and the levels of retinol-binding protein and beta 2-microglobulin were the same for both groups. There was a higher aspartate aminotransferase level in the control group. The internal radiation doses were estimated at less than an annual level of intake in all cases, and considerably less if the exposure (as was the case) was assumed to be chronic over many years. Some additional precautionary measures are suggested to reduce further any potential hazard from this process.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Biosorption of radioactive thorium by Sargassum filipendula.

In the present work, the biosorption of radioactive thorium was investigated using a dry biomass of Sargassum filipendula as the biosorbent material. Radioactive solutions containing between 2.0 and 500.0 microg thorium were tested by biosorption with S. filipendula, yielding uptake capacities from 20 to 100%, depending on the concentration of the solution. Kinetic studies indicated that equilibrium between the thorium solution and the solid fraction was achieved after three hours of contact and that a second-order model could express the equilibrium kinetics. In order to investigate the maximum biosorption capacity of the biomass an isotherm was done, based on the experimental data, which revealed the maximum uptake capacity to be 2.59 micromol thorium/g biomass. The experimental data fitted well to a Langmuir model, which provided a good correlation between the experimental and predicted thorium uptake values.

Absorption↗
PubMed2003

A 20-year follow-up study on the effects of long-term exposure to thorium dust.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible effects of long-term exposure to dust containing thorium and thoron progeny on dust-exposed miners. METHODS: A negative, high voltage, exhaled thoron progeny measurement system was used to estimate the miners' thorium lung burden. RESULTS: The highest thorium lung burden of 638 miners was 11.11 Bq. The incidence of stage 0(+) pneumoconiosis was higher among dust-exposed miners. Lung cancer mortality of the dust-exposed miners was significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: There is a difference in cancer rates between those who have long-term exposure to dust containing thorium (in which carcinogenic ThO(2) and SiO(2) exist) and thoron progeny and those who have not.

Air Pollutants, Radioactive↗
PubMed1990

[Determining thorium level in urine with its preliminary chromatographic extraction].

The contributors propose a radiometric technique of detecting thorium in urine. The technique is based on a prior concentrating of the nuclide on phosphate residues, with its further separation in extraction-chromatographic vessel filled with diethylhexylphosphorus acid, and reextraction with oxalic acid. Measurements were made in the hard scintillator layer at 90 percent effectiveness. Thorium chemical output was at 85 +/- 3 percent, sensitivity at 5 mBk for a sample. If the sample contained an equal quantity of uranium, the percentage of cleaning thorium from uranium was 100. The proposed technique is economical, simple to perform, and is designed for natural thorium content measurements in human organism.

Chromatography↗
PubMed1985

Thorium dioxide-related angiosarcoma of the liver. Pathomorphologic study of 29 autopsy cases.

We describe the pathomorphologic features of 29 autopsy cases of thorium dioxide-related angiosarcoma (AGS) of the liver. The average (+/- SD) latent period after thorium dioxide injection was 36.2 +/- 5.2 years. Macroscopically, thorium dioxide-related AGS was divided into four types as follows: diffuse micronodular, multinodular, massive, and mixed multinodular and massive. Diffuse-micronodular and multinodular types were the most common. Histologically, thorium dioxide-related hepatic AGS was characterized by two cell types (spindle-shaped cells and polyhedral cells) and two structural patterns (sinusoidal and solid). There was no case composed of a solid pattern only. Immunohistochemically, factor VIII-related antigen was found to be positive in the endothelial cells of normal blood vessels and in the hyperplastic endothelial cells of the sinusoids, but negative in the tumor cells. Extramedullary hematopoiesis was found in both the tumorous and nontumorous areas in four cases. Erythrophagocytosis by the tumor cells was found in three cases. In the nontumorous area, varying degrees of sinusoidal dilatation with frequent hyperplastic changes of the sinusoidal lining cells were observed in all cases. These sinusoidal changes were frequently contiguous to AGS foci and were considered as a precursor change. In addition to the dominant sinusoidal changes, nodular hepatocytic hyperplasia was observed in two cases.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Thorium and iodine memory effects in inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Thorium and iodine memory effects have been characterized experimentally for inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry by adding ammonia gas directly to the spray chamber and nebulizing aqueous ammonia sample solutions to assess analyte memory retention sites. Thorium memory effect originates from the tendency of an unidentified thorium compound to volatilize from the spray-chamber walls, and not from Th compound adsorption to nebulizer tubing. The mass spectrometer skimmer and sampler cones, ion optics, quadrupole, and other components are not responsible for the memory effect. Unlike that of thorium the iodine memory effect originates from adsorption of iodine compounds on nebulizer tubing surfaces and from volatilization of HI and I2 from the spray-chamber walls. Addition of ammonia sample solutions or ammonia gas directly to the spray chamber eliminated the Th and I memory effects in practical analyses, and blank levels were achieved after 2 min wash-outs. Quantitative recoveries were obtained for Th and I in reference materials.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1988

Analysis of tissue samples containing colloidal thorium dioxide (Thorotrast) or zirconium dioxide (Zirconotrast): radiochemical preparation and alpha-spectrometry.

The aim of the present study is to assess the activity of the thorium isotopes, Th-232, Th-230, and Th-228 in tissue samples containing Thorotrast or Radiozirconotrast, i.e. Th-230 and Th-228 enriched Zirconotrast, in order to enable calculations of tissue doses. Therefore: 1. a procedure was developed for radiochemical processing of these samples, and 2. a computerised alpha-spectroscopy system has been constructed for routine activity measurements. The procedure developed for sample preparation permitted complete radiochemical processing of the above tissue samples. By subsequent electrodeposition of the thorium isotopes as well as the internal isotopic tracer Th-229, almost massless sources were obtained for alpha-spectrometry. The recovery amounts to a mean of 85% and 70% for tissues containing Thorotrast and Radiozirconotrast. With regard to the great number of samples to be measured and the expected counting times of more than 1500 min, a computerised alpha-spectroscopy system with a sample conveyor has been constructed. The energy resolution is between 45 keV and 75 keV FWHM. The detection efficiency amounts to 12%. The values of the detection level for the thorium isotopes are between 1,4 mBq and 3,1 mBq.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Management of cervical thorium dioxide granulomas.

Thorium dioxide (Thorotrast) was used extensively in the United States from the 1930s through the 1950s for contrast radiography, including cerebral angiography. Its use was discontinued after the pathologic consequences of tumor formation and local fibrotic reaction (thorium dioxide granuloma) were recognized. The latency period for the development of these consequences is 20 to 30 years and, thus, has not expired. Radical surgical excision in an attempt to remove cervical thorium dioxide granulomas and their ionizing radiation has been advocated previously. A case prompted reconsideration of this management. Total surgical removal does not seem possible and is extremely hazardous in those cases with a patent carotid artery adjacent to the cervical granuloma. More cases should be expected, and each case should be approached individually as to benefits and risks of attempted surgical removal of the granuloma. Radical surgery is not always the treatment of choice.

Adult↗