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PubMedDate not supplied

[Analysis of the connection between the level of protein fractions and immunoglobulins in blood serum with irradiation in nuclear power enterprise workers].

989 workers of atomic industry at the age from 35 to 78 years old subjected to the general external gamma radiation and incorporation of plutonium 239 in a wide range of doses about 17-40 years ago have been examined for the protein indices with the radiation effect bearing in mind nine non-radiation factors. The step-by-step regression analysis revealed a positive linear link for the total protein level, absolute content of alpha-I-globulins with the total dose of external gamma radiation. Increasing of serum proteins entropy, correlated with external radiation by protein shifts effect, had not coincided with its age increasing. The influence of plutonium-239 incorporation on the examined protein parameters was not found.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Health impacts of large releases of radionuclides. Internal exposure of populations to long-lived radionuclides released into the environment.

This chapter discusses the events that led to the contamination of environments with the long-lived radionuclides of caesium, strontium and other elements, and to the internal exposure of populations living in contaminated areas. Among these events are radioactive releases into the river Techa from the Soviet nuclear weapons facility Mayak in 1949-1956, thermonuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s, the Kyshtim and Windscale accidents in 1957, and the Chernobyl and Tomsk-7 accidents in 1986 and 1993, respectively. Methods of environmental monitoring and individual internal dose monitoring of inhabitants are described. These are based on measuring the content of radionuclides not only in the air, drinking water and local food products, but also in humans using whole-body counters and analysing excreta and autopsy samples. The dynamics of internal exposure of people of different ages to radionuclides of caesium, strontium and plutonium from the environment are considered. Examples of radionuclide distributions in the environment, and of individual/collective internal doses and related medical effects are presented.

Americas↗
PubMed2003

Mortality and cancer morbidity experience of female workers at the British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield plant, 1946-1998.

BACKGROUND: Studies of nuclear workers have focused mainly on the experience of male workers. To date, little has been published specifically on the experience of female workers in the nuclear industry. METHODS: We report on the mortality, cancer morbidity, and tracing experience of the 6,376 females ever employed at the British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. plant at Sellafield to the end of 1998. These workers have accumulated 142,337 person-years of experience. RESULTS: Radiation workers were exposed to low doses of radiation. No statistically significant associations were noted between mortality or cancer morbidity and cumulative assessed organ-specific internal plutonium dose or cumulative external whole body radiation dose overall, or for any of the individual disease groupings examined. The power of the study was insufficient to detect the risks indicated in other radiation studies. CONCLUSION: This study offers reassurance that there is no detrimental effect on the health of the female workers from occupational exposures at Sellafield. Am. J. Ind. Med. 44:653-663, 2003.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Density equalized map projections: a method for analysing clustering around a fixed point.

Cases plotted on a geopolitical map entail difficulties in interpretation and analysis because of variable population density in the study area. Density equalized map projections (DEMPs) eliminate the distribution of the resident population as an interfering influence by transforming map area to be proportional to population. This paper discusses a transformation algorithm, its properties, and develops statistical methods to detect clustering of cases around a fixed point for data plotted on DEMPs. We suggest two numeric methods where exact solutions are too complicated or do not exist. Finally, we illustrate these methods using data from Denver and Jefferson counties in Colorado to investigate whether lung cancer and leukaemia incidence patterns are associated with plutonium exposure from the Rocky Flats plant site.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Self-renewal capacity of murine hemopoietic stem cells under internal contamination with 239Pu and 241Am.

The self-renewal capacity of murine pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) of vertebral bone marrow was studied under conditions of short-term and long-term internal contamination with 239Pu or 241Am in female mice. Measurement of the CFU-S self-renewal capacity was carried out using double transplantation assay. To evaluate the production of differentiated progeny of stem cells average erythroblast numbers/visible spleen colony and 59Fe-uptake/colony were computed. The marrow cellularity/vertebra and the number of CFU-S/vertebra were decreased and affected more by 239Pu than by 241Am. The production of erythroblasts per a single CFU-S and the 59Fe-uptake/colony were reduced, similarly the numbers of secondary spleen colonies and of secondary CFU-S in primary colonies. The above changes resulting from impaired functions of surviving CFU-S were more serious with 241Am than with 239Pu. The biological effects of plutonium and americium appeared independent of the phase of contamination.

Alpha Particles↗
PubMed1986

Removal of 239Pu from mice with 3,4,3 LICAM(C) or N,N',N'',N'''-tetra-(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)-spermine.

Male mice SAS/4 were injected i.v. with 239Pu citr(IV) 0.27 microCi . kg-1-9.99 kBq X kg-1. After 1 h 30 mumol . kg-1 of 3,4,3 LICAM(C), N,N',N'',N'''-tetra-(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)-spermine or Na3CaDTPA as a reference compound was given intraperitoneally. After 4 days the animals were sacrificed and the Pu content in livers, kidneys, femurs and carcasses was determined by the liquid scintillation method. It was found that, as compared with the control, 3,4,3 LICAM(C) removed 83% of the Pu activity deposited in the liver, 71% of that in the femur and 79% of the Pu in the whole body. The Pu content in the kidneys exceeded the control value by about 50%. Na3CaDTPA removed 96, 86, 40 and 72% of plutonium from the liver, kidneys, femurs and carcasses respectively. Tetra-DHB-spermine caused the excretion of 50, 57 and 39% of Pu from liver, bone and whole body respectively. The retention of Pu in the kidneys was increased to 400% of the control value.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Calculation of specific energies of incorporated 239Pu and 131I in accordance with the concept of the critical cell.

A better understanding of the effects of energy deposited in cells by incorporated isotopes can be expected from an analysis of differential cell doses. With this thought in mind, the distributions of specific energies in tissue were calculated for 239Pu and 131I. A program written in Fortran IV makes use of a matrix of spherical cells and cell nuclei of 10 and 8 mum diameter, respectively. The cells are arranged in close-packed structure. The radioactivity is considered as being compiled to point sources of 1 dps activity. The sources are located in the common centers of cells and nuclei. The calculations yield discrete values of specific energy using the mass of the nuclei for mass of reference. The numbers of cell nuclei receiving given amounts of specific energy are functions of the specific activity of the isotopes in the tissue. The specific activity is varied by changing the number of sources per g of tissue. The program also allows to calculate the numbers of cell nuclei with zero energy deposition. From the 1 dps point sources an average specific energy of 831 rads/h results for plutonium for cell nuclei within the range of the 5.14 MeV alpha-particles. For iodine, the value is 35 mrads/h within the range of the beta-particles of 188 KeV mean energy. If the volumes irradiated by the sources begin to overlap these values begin to increase accordingly.

Alpha Particles↗
PubMed1978

Biophysical aspects of Am-241 and Pu-241 in the environment.

Most of plutonium released by nuclear explosions is Pu-241 which decays to Am-241. We have studied the deposition of Pu-241 and Am-241 in lichens collected since 1958 in the central part of Sweden (62.3 degrees N, 12. 4 degrees E). Comparative studies with Pu-isotopes, Pu-239 + 240 and Pu-238 were also performed. In 1972 the total accumulated deposition of Pu-241 was 8 mCi/km2 of Pu-239 + 240 1 mCi/km2 and of Am-241 0.2 mCi/km2. About 80% of the Am-241 activity has been formed in situ from decay of Pu-241. The biological mean-residence time for all Pu-isotopes were about 6 years and for Am-241 4 years. The spatial distribution of Am-241 in the lichen carpet is quite different from that of Pu-241. The activity concentrations of Am-241 and Pu-241 have been studied in reindeer liver and bone. The average concentrations found were in liver 0.6 and 40 pCi/kg, in bone 0.2 and 6 pCi per kg for Am-241 and Pu-241 respectively. The activity content of Am-241 and Pu-241 in the Lapps due to their reindeer diet was estimated to be in liver 1.0 E-4 and 1.0 E-2 pCi/kg, in bone (3-9) E-5 and 1.0 E-2 pCi/kg for Am-241 and Pu-241 respectively. The estimated values for the fractions of ingested activity retained were in liver 7 E-6 and 14 E-6, in bone 20 E-6 for Am-241 and Pu-241 respectively. The fraction of ingested activity of Pu retained in reindeer liver is about 2-3 times higher than that of Am.

Americium↗
PubMed2005

Soft X-ray scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) of actinide particles.

A descriptive account is given of our most recent research on the actinide dioxides with the Advanced Light Source Molecular Environmental Science (ALS-MES) Beamline 11.0.2 soft X-ray scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The ALS-MES STXM permits near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and imaging with 30-nm spatial resolution. The first STXM spectromicroscopy NEXAFS spectra at the actinide 4d5/2 edges of the imaged transuranic particles, NpO2 and PuO2, have been obtained. Radiation damage induced by the STXM was observed in the investigation of a mixed oxidation state particle (Np(V,VI)) and was minimized during collection of the actual spectra at the 4d5/2 edge of the Np(V,VI) solid. A plutonium elemental map was obtained from an irregular PuO2 particle with the dimensions of 650 x 650 nm. The Pu 4d5/2 NEXAFS spectra were collected at several different locations from the PuO2 particle and were identical. A representative oxygen K-edge spectrum from UO2 was collected and resembles the oxygen K-edge from the bulk material. The unique and current performance of the ALS-MES STXM at extremely low energies (ca. 100 eV) that may permit the successful measurement of the actinide 5d edge is documented. Finally, the potential of STXM as a tool for actinide investigations is briefly discussed.

Actinoid Series Elements↗
PubMed1978

Distribution of 238Pu in tissues of fish from the canal in Miamisburg, Ohio.

The 238Pu concentrations of various tissues were measured for seven species of freshwater fish from an ecosystem containing elevated levels of 238Pu. The highest levels of 238Pu were found in the gastrointestinal tracts and gills, while the lowest levels were found in muscle tissue. A rapid uptake of 238Pu was observed for hatchery bluegills introduced into this system. High plutonium concentrations in the gastrointestinal tracts and gills suggest that these organs are potential uptake sites. The presence of 238Pu in certain tissues (liver, gonads, bone, and muscle) indicates that there is translocation of 238Pu from the uptake sites.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Gastrointestinal absorption of metals (51Cr, 65Zn, 95mTc, 109Cd, 113Sn, 147Pm, and 238Pu) by rats and swine.

Adult and neonatal rats and neonatal pigs were gavaged with solutions of metal radionuclides to determine gastrointestinal absorption. Zinc-65 and technetium-95m were well-absorbed by both age groups; chromium-51, cadmium-109, tin-113, promethium-147, and plutonium-238 were not. The quantities of the poorly absorbed metals that were absorbed by neonates were between 4 and 100 times higher than those absorbed by adult rats. Autoradiograms prepared from the entire small intestine of the neonatal rat showed that 109Cd was retained in the duodenum. In contrast, measurements in the piglets showed much higher 109Cd retention in the ileum than in the duodenum. Autoradiograms and radiochemical measurements of 147Pm and 238Pu in both neonatal rats and swine showed the highest level of retention in the ileum. The results indicate that, for most of the metals studied, absorption from the gastrointestinal tract is substantially higher for neonatal than for adult rats.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Standardization requirements for the in vivo counting techniques of gamma - and soft X-ray radionuclides.

The techniques for the in vivo counting of the internal body burden of radionuclides for radiation protection purposes can be divided into two broad categories according to the energy of the measured radiation: (a) measurement of internal contamination due to radionuclides emitting gamma-rays with energies above 100 keV; (b) measurement of internal contamination due to radionuclides emitting soft gamma-or X-rays with energies below 100 keV. The subdivision into two categories is mainly dictated by the many different problems encountered in counting low levels of X-ray emitting radionuclides (such as plutonium isotopes) in man. A mandatory requirement to obtain a reasonable sensitivity of the counting systems for both categories requires a sensible reduction of the normal background due to cosmic rays and to the natural radioactivity present in the human environment (soil, building materials, air, etc).

Body Burden↗
PubMed1989

Effects of continuous exposure to 239Pu-alpha rays on Co631 cells.

Exposure of Co631 cells to 239Pu-citrate leads to continuous irradiation and results in increasing cell death which depends on dose and incubation time of the metal. The D37 is calculated to be 0.13 Gy. Plutonium-239 induces the amplification of the integrated SV40 sequences of the Co631 cells. Other cellular genes such as the alpha-actin gene were not amplified, indicating that the SV40-gene amplification is a selective process. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA shows that not all S40 sequences are equally amplified. Excised sequences of the SV40 genome only appear after an exposure time of 4 days.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Transfer of aged 239+240Pu, 238Pu, 241Am, and 137Cs to cattle grazing a contaminated arid environment.

In this paper, estimates are obtained of the fraction of ingested 239+240Pu, 238Pu, 241Am and 137Cs transferred to blood, muscle, liver, kidney, femur, vertebra, and gonads of a reproducing herd of 17 beef cattle, individuals of which grazed within fenced enclosures for up to 1064 days under natural conditions with no supplemental feeding at an arid site contaminated 16 years previously with transuranic radionuclides. The estimated geometric mean (GM) GI-to-blood fractional transfer of 238Pu (0.0001) was about 20 times larger than the estimated transfer of 239+240Pu (0.000005), while the estimated transfer of 241Am (0.00001) was about 2 times larger than that of 239+240Pu. These GM GI-to-blood transfers were smaller than the GI-to-blood transfer value of 0.001 recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for humans exposed via food chains or occupationally from unknown mixtures or compounds of plutonium and americium. Statistical tests indicated significantly (p less than 0.05) larger GI-to-tissue transfers of (1) 238Pu as compared to 239+240Pu for all tissues examined, (2) of 238Pu as compared to 241Am for muscle, liver, femur, and vertebra, and (3) of 241Am as compared to 239+240Pu for blood serum, femur, and kidney. The estimated GM fractional transfers of 137Cs from GI to muscle and liver were 0.03 (n = 8) and 0.001 (n = 3), respectively, assuming a 50-day biological half-time of 137Cs in cattle tissue.

Americium↗
PubMed1993

Radiotoxicological intercomparisons organised by the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique group in France.

People working in French nuclear plants are monitored either by whole body counting or by the measurement of biological samples. The radiochemical and radiometric procedures used have to be periodically reviewed. A working group, including practising biologists from CEA, EDF and the Armed Forces Health Service, instituted comparisons of radiotoxicological test assessments. Since 1978, about 60 intercomparisons have been made. Currently 30 European laboratories are involved in these intercomparisons. This paper provides a brief history of the intercomparison exercises, describes the logistics of sample collection and preparation, and presents the results, showing the position of each laboratory in relation to the reference and median values. Diagrams produced by radiochemical analysis, relating to plutonium in urine and in faecal samples, and to tritium, strontium and enriched uranium in urine, are analysed.

Feces↗
PubMed1993

Implementation of a radiochemical procedure for the analysis of isotopes of Pu, Am and Cm in food and environmental samples.

A radiochemical procedure for the analysis of isotopes of Pu, Am and Cm was implemented during an expert mission to Thailand sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. This method was to be used for the analysis of food and environmental samples, particularly those of marine origin. The project was initiated by evaluating a procedure which had recently been published by the IAEA. This procedure could not handle the wide range of matrix materials used in the testing and a program was undertaken to develop a modified procedure. Plutonium was radiochemically separated using an anion exchange procedure which gives clean separations from the matrix. Americium and curium came off the column unseparated from most of the other elements in the matrix and they were separated by using a number of steps, which were selected to handle the specific chemical and radiochemical interferences in a particular matrix material. Sources were prepared for alpha spectrometry by coprecipitation with CeF3. The procedure was tested with a wide variety of sample types and good chemical yields and separations were obtained in most cases.

Americium↗
PubMed1987

Three-dimensional dose-response models of competing risks and natural life span.

Three-dimensional dose-rate/time/response surfaces for chronic exposure to carcinogens, toxicants, and ionizing radiation dramatically clarify the separate and interactive roles of competing risks. The three dimensions are average dose rate, exposure time, and risk. An illustration with computer graphics shows the contributions with the passage of time of the competing risks of death from radiation pneumonitis/fibrosis, lung cancer, and natural aging consequent to the inhalation of plutonium-239 dioxide by beagles. These relationships are further evaluated by mathematical stripping with three-dimensional illustrations that graphically show the resultant separate contribution of each fatal effect. Radiation pneumonitis predominates at high dose rates and lung cancer at intermediate dose rates. Low dose rates result in spontaneous deaths from natural aging, yielding a type of practical threshold for lung cancer induction. Risk assessment is benefited by the insights that become apparent with these three-dimensional models. The improved conceptualization afforded by them contributes to the planning and evaluation of epidemiological analyses and experimental studies involving chronic exposure to toxicants.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Distribution of 239,240Pu and 238Pu concentrations in sediments from the Ob and Yenisey Rivers and the Kara Sea.

The major sources of plutonium isotopes in the environment are from nuclear weapons testing via global and close-in (debris) fallout, nuclear fuel reprocessing and fabrication plant effluents. Measurements of differences in the Pu isotopic ratios (239Pu/240Pu, 238Pu/239,240Pu and 241Pu/239,240Pu) have yielded information not only on the time horizons for sedimentary deposits but also on the sources of Pu. We have measured 238Pu, 239,240Pu and 137Cs concentrations in the surficial sediments of the Ob and Yenisey Rivers (Russia) and the Kara Sea. The downcore variations of 238Pu and 239,240Pu concentrations have also been measured in some sediment cores. A comparison of the sediment core inventories of 239,240Pu along with the 238Pu/239,240Pu activity ratios with those expected from global fallout at the study sites allows us to estimate the relative amounts of reactor-derived 238Pu and 239,240Pu from the dumped reactor sites in the study area. In surficial sediment samples, the 239,240Pu concentrations vary between 9.4 and 627 mBq kg-1, with a mean of 250 mBq kg-1. The 238Pu/239,240Pu activity ratios vary between 0.009 and 0.065 with an average value of 0.034 +/- 0.003. This range can be compared to the average 238Pu/239,240Pu activity ratio of 0.030 for the year 1993 from nuclear weapons testing and SNAP fallout obtained from soil studies, indicating very little additional sources of 238Pu to the sediments in the study area. In sediment cores, the maximum depths at which 239,240Pu was detected varied between 6 and 12 cm. These depths yield average apparent sedimentation rates in the coastal Kara Sea between 1.5 and 3.0 mm yr-1 (assuming Pu input since 1952, and no sediment mixing).

Arctic Regions↗