Long term pulmonary retention of inhaled actinide oxides in non-human primates

The pulmonary retention of poorly soluble inhaled particles of actinide oxides might induce a long-term risk of lung pathology. These non-stochastic effects were related in different species to the magnitude of dose and its distribution in tissue. These parameters had not yet been well quantified in primates. Similarly, information on factors influencing the slow lung clearance and particle retention are limited. The aim of this work, performed on baboons which had inhaled U and Pu oxides, was to use analytical methods to characterise localisation of insoluble particles retained in the deep lung from a few days to several years after inhalation. This method will be completed with α track detection by autoradiography. Both non-destructive and destructive methods, for the characterisation of the long-term retention of particles and its influence on time dependent dose distribution in lung, were of great interest for risk assessment after contamination and lung modelling. (author)