The Toxicity of Plutonium, Americium and Curium

The Toxicity of Plutonium, Americium and Curium provides a biological basis for an assessment of the radiological health problems resulting from human exposure to americium, curium, and plutonium. This book discusses the method of injection of the chelating agent DTPA for removing soluble forms of americium, curium, and plutonium.

Organized into 10 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the biological effects in man that are attributed to exposure to actinides. This text then examines the uses of americium and curium in transmission scanning studies in tissues, in smoke detectors, and in neutron sources. Other chapters consider the metabolism or effects of plutonium in humans that can be employed to predict the potential consequences of human exposure. This book discusses as well routes of entry of radioactive materials into the body by inhalation, by ingestion, through cuts, or by absorption through the intact skin. The final chapter deals with the assessment of the radiological health problems resulting from the use of mixed oxide fuels of uranium and plutonium in light water reactors.

This book is a valuable resource for scientists.

• SUMMARY
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
• Publisher Summary
• Chapter 2: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Plutonium
• 3 Americium and Curium
• 4 General data relevant to problems in Radiological Protection
• Chapter 3: HUMAN EXPERIENCE
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Routes of Entry
• 3 Distribution in Tissues
• 4 Excretion
• 5 Effects
• 6 Summary
• Chapter 4: METABOLISM IN ANIMALS
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Entry into the body
• 3 Retention in lymph nodes
• 4 Transport in the blood
• 5 Deposition in tissues from the blood
• 6 Excretion
• 7 General conclusions
• Acknowledgement
• Chapter 5: TISSUES AT RISK
• Publisher Summary
• 1 The Concept of Critical Tissue in Relation to the Biological Effects of Plutonium and Transplutonium Elements
• 2 Cells Affected by Alpha Irradiation; Cell Type, Function and Radiosensitivity
• 3 Inter-relationships between effects of Alpha Emitters and Affected Cells
• 4 Discussion
• Acknowledgement
• Chapter 6: PATHOLOGICAL EFFECTS IN ANIMALS
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Early and Medium-Term Effects
• 3 Delayed Effects
• 4 Shortening of the life span
• Sumimry
• 5 Genetic Effects
• 6 Summary and Conclusions
• Chapter 7: THE "HOT PARTICLE" PROBLEM
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Theoretical Basis
• 2 Experimental Aspects
• 3 Observations on Man
• 4 Summary
• Chapter 8: TREATMENT FOR ACCIDENTAL INTAKES
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Treatment for intakes of insoluble forms of actinides
• 3 Treatment for intakes of soluble forms of actinides
• 4 Summary
• 5 Acknowledgement
• Chapter 9: A QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE BIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO PLUTONIUM, AMERICIUM AND CURIUM
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Early somatic effects
• 3 Late somatic effects
• 4 Hereditary Effects
• 5 Biological effects in man
• 6 Summary
• Chapter 10: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
• Publisher Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Metabolism
• 3 Biological Effects
• 4 Therapy
• 5 Health Effects in Man
• APPENDIX
• REFERENCES