Effect of exposure sequence on the distribution of LMFBR-fuel-sodium aerosols in rats

Female Wistar rats were exposed for 30 min to sodium aerosols containing approximately 370 μg/l of sodium. Together with nonexposed rats, they were then exposed, nose-only, for 30 min to aerosols of LMFBR fuel containing approximately 36 nCi/liter. Animals from each group were killed immediately after exposure to the fuel aerosol, or 7 days later. Lungs and other tissues were removed and analyzed for plutonium content. Both the animals exposed previously to sodium aerosol, and those not exposed, showed similar patterns of deposition and retention of 239Pu in tissues at both time periods. Thus, prior exposure of animals to relatively high levels of sodium did not affect the deposition and retention of 239Pu