ICRP Publication 48: Metabolism of Plutonium

This report reviews, updates and extends the information on the metabolism of plutonium, neptunium and the trivalent actinides, previously reviewed in ICRP Publication 19, with special reference to the absorption from the gastro-intestinal tract, the retention times in liver and skeleton, the influence of bone re-modelling on the microdistribution within the skeleton and the relation of actinide metabolism to that of other radionuclides. Considerable emphasis has been placed on the new, or expanded, human data which are now available. The report is intended to complement, rather than replace ICRP Publication 19. The report considers not only occupational exposure to plutonium and other actinides, but also the possible exposure of the general population, including infants and fetuses, in the event of releases of these elements from nuclear installations.