Extrapulmonary organ distribution of plutonium in healthy workers exposed by chronic inhalation at the Mayak production association.

Abstract

The systemic distribution of plutonium was determined for "healthy" workers who chronically inhaled plutonium at the radiochemical plants of the Mayak Production Association. The data were obtained by radiochemical analysis of soft tissues and bones samples collected upon autopsy of 120 workers who died from acute coronary diseases and accidents. The soft tissue samples were wet-ashed using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Bone samples were ashed in a muffle furnace at 500 degrees C. Plutonium was extracted on anionite and coprecipitated with bismuth phosphate. The precipitation was blended with ZnS powder, and the alpha-activity was measured by ZnS solid scintillation counting in a low-background alpha radiometer. Twenty-five years after the beginning of inhalation exposures, the average percentage of plutonium in the skeleton and liver was 50% and 42% of systemic burden, respectively. A multivariate regression was used to quantify the effects of exposure time, "transportability" of the various compounds, plutonium body content, and age on systemic plutonium distribution. The early retention of plutonium in the liver is assumed to be greater than that in the skeleton. The initial distribution of plutonium between the liver and the skeleton, immediately after entering the circulatory system, was 50:38%, respectively. With time, the fraction of plutonium found in the liver decreased, while the fraction in the skeleton increased at a rate of 0.5% y(-1) of systemic deposition. Exposure time had a greater effect on the relative retention of plutonium in the main organs when compared to age. The statistical estimates that characterized the relative plutonium distribution were less stable for the liver than for the skeleton, likely due to the slower turnover of skeletal tissues and the retention of plutonium in bone.