Comparison of systemic burdens at autopsy to estimates based on health physics data for selected plutonium workers

Monitoring the intake of plutonium by workers is a vital but difficult function that must be performed by a health physicist or someone responsible for the radiation protection of the worker. This is normally accomplished in part by monitoring the work environment (especialy the airborne concentration) to which a worker is or may be exposed. Because there is no assurance that the air sampled is the same as that inhaled by the worker, supplemental monitoring such as contamination surveys of the work area surfaces and of the worker himself are routinely performed. Surveys of the worker may include contamination surveys of skin and protective clothing, especially the gloves worn; nasal smears at the completion of the work; hand and shoe surveys when leaving the work area; and routine surveillance in the form of in vivo measurements of the chest burden and/or the collection of excreta samples which are processed for plutonium content