658

COHN, ROSOFF, GUSMANO AND SPENCER

chronic exposure was also noted by Rundo (3), who obtained values from 48 to
126 days and a meanof 87 days. These values can be compared to the mean value
of 135 days as reported by Richmondet al. (4) and 115 days as reported by McNeil

and Green (5). The wide variations in biological half-life reported may be due to
the effects of age, or possibly metabolic variations or differences in diets of the

subjects studied. In the present study the ages of the subjects were from 45 to 73
years, whereas in the other studies the subjects were generally young males. However, even in dogs of the same age and nutritional background, widespread differences in the Cs!3* turnoverrate still occur (6).

A single exponential term was sufficient to describe the data for the longest

study in the present series, 343 days. Richmond et al. (4) in a study covering a
period of 940 days also found that a single exponential term satisfactorily de-

seribed the data. On the basis of these findings, it would appear that the data

may be extrapolated over considerably longer periods of time. These findings also
suggest that Cs!*" is excreted primarily from one large compartment or, alternatively, is quite uniformly distributed throughout the body, as discussed in Part L.

It will be of interest to investigate, in future studies, the effects of such factors

as uge, diet, and metabolic disorders on the turnover rate, inasmuch as the present

data suggest possible variations in the turnover on the basis of these factors.
Recetvep: Deeember 5, 1962
REFERENCES

1.8. H. Cons, S. W Lippincott, E. P. Cronkite, and P. G. Reizexsteix, Application of
whole-body gamma spectrometry to clinical tracer studies. Proc. Whole Body Counting
Symposium, AEA. Vienna pp. 469-486 (1962).
2. K. Linty, Cesium 137 burdens in Swedish Laplanders and reindcer. Acta Radiol. 56, 237
(1961).
3. J. Runpo, Proc. Whole Body Counting Symposium, 1.A.E.A., Vienna p. 362 (1962).
4. C.R. Ricumonp, J. E. Furcuser, and W. H. LancuHam, Long term retention of radiocesium by
man. Health Phys. 8, 201 (1962).

3d. K.G. McNett and R. M. Green, The effective half-lives of Cs and I in the body. Can. J.
O. M

Phys. 37, 528 (1959).
oN. Noto, D. N. Tarver, and C. L. Comar, Cs” dose measurements in tissue. II. Health
Phys. 8, 217 (1962).

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