where
R(t) = fraction of initial atoms administered which remain in the body at
time t not corrected for radioactive decay.
The fractions of 6006 atoms in each compartment at the end of each
individual's residence iaterval were calculated assuming a constant continuous
uptake regime for 8000,
Individuals were assumed not to have an initial body
burden at the onset of residence om Bikini Island.
The parameters for biolog-
ical removal rate constants and fractions of activity
distributed to each of the four compartments are od-
tained from equation 3.
For the eight individuals, eighty-four to eighty-eighte
percent of the total body 6065 atoms would be in the long term compartment, nine
to twelve percent in the intermediate compartment and three percent in the two
remaining short term compartments.
In January, approximately 140 days after departure from 3ikini, two percent of the atoms would have been in the intermediate compartments and 98 ver
cent in the long term compartment.
In May, the relative contribution of atoms
from each compartment to the total atom content in the body would have been .7
percence and 99.3 percent respectively.
body burden between January,
This corresponds to a change in the 8009
1979 and May, 1979 of 14 percent.
The observed
decline in the body burden was 44 percent.
The intermediate and long term biological removal rate constants deter-
mined by Smith and Letourneau (Sm72, Le72) do not describe the retention of 6004
for the Marshallese population.
From the Marshall Islands data, one cannot
estimate the number of compartments that should be used in the 606, retention
model, but an estimate of the long term biological removal rate constant was calculated using equation l.