PLUTONIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN DIETARY AND INHALATION PATHWAYS AT BIKINI AND NEW YORK Abstract This report assesses the plutonium _intake via inhalation and ingestion and ingested plutonium do not account for the absolute magnitude of the for residents of New York and resi- observed urine-sample concentrations. dents of Bikini Atoll. This discrepancy suggests inaccuracy Based on in- halation and ingestion intake, the in either the plutonium concentra- plutonium transferred to urine would tions reported for urine samples or be roughly seven times greater at the models and transfer coefficients Bikini than at New York. presently accepted for the metabolism This ratio compares with data reported to the of plutonium in the body. The available urine data consist authors showing urine samples from Bikini residents had about ten times of results from very few samples, and the plutonium of urine samples from more data is needed to completely New York residents. The comparison ' verify the assessments of this paper. of these ratios indicates that dif- It is felt that Bikini Atoll may be ferences in the levels of intake in the only global sources of data on the New York and Bikini populations humans where intake via ingestion is can account for the relative differ- thought to contribute the major frac- ence between the plutonium concentra- tion of the plutonium body burden, tions observed in urine samples from and therefore Bikini is possibly the the two locations. best source of data on transfer of However, transfer coefficients and models presently accepted for inhaled biologically incorporated plutonium across the gut wall. Introduction Bikini Atoll was one of the two. major locations for United States nuclear tests from 1946 through 1958. Rehabitation of the atoll began in 5010221 1969-70. In 1970, analyses by the HASL. ERDA Laboratory of pooled urine * Health and Safety Laboratory, New York, N.Y.