and if the bones and the liver each
is approximately 0.013 pCi, compared
receive 45% of that in the blood,
with the annual amount of 0.365 pCi
then the bone and liver burdens of
computed from the urine concentrations
New York residents should each in-
reported by Ref. 2.
crease by 2.1 pCi annually.
suggest several possible interpreta-
However,
a 4.2 pCi increase is nearly twice
These results
tions:
the present New York total body
6 The urine samples were contam-
burden accumulated since 1954,° The
inated at the time of collection,
plutonium concentrations reported for
and the plutonium concentrations
the urine of the Bikini population
are actually significantly below
would,
those reported.
of course,
indicate body
burdens ten times higher than those
e The transfer coefficient across
of the New York population.
the gut for biologically com-
Bennett's data> can also be used
plexed plutonium is much higher
to predict the quantity of plutonium
than 3 X 10>, the value devel-
expected in the urine as a result of
oped from animal studies with
the body burden accumulated since
various plutonium compounds.
1954.
The major source of input from
@ The transfer to urine from the
the accumulated body burden to the
blood for ingested plutonium is
blood,
greater than 84.
and subsequently
to
the urine,
e The direct transfer of inhaled
is from turnover in the lungs and
lymph nodes, which have half times
plutonium to the blood from the
of 500 and 1000 days, respectively.
upper respiratory tract is
Bennett's data show an accumulated
greater than 14 (Ref.
plutonium burden in the lymph-nodes
17).
-@ The estimated intake values
of 0.40 pCi and in the lungs of
through food, water, and air are
0.12 pCi for a typical New Yorker in
incorrect.
the year 1974.
The plutonium appear-
e Any combination of the above.
ing in the urine from these two com-
Interestingly, the plutonium body
partments during the next year would
distribution models 3,16,1/ and the
be 0.013 pCi.
Bikini pathway data (Tables 6 and 7)
The contribution to
the urine from inhalation and inges-
show that the major fraction of
tion of plutonium during the current
plutonium presently entering the
year would be 0.0002 pCi.
urine is by ingestion.
(See
The absolute
Table 7.) Therefore, the expected
quantity of plutonium predicted to
annual excretion from previous body
reach the urine as a result of this
burdens and present ingestion pathways
annual intake is 1.4 * 10> pci,
-14-
I010234 -