A comparison of long-term retention of plutonium oxide in lung based on excretion data with observed lung burdens at autopsy

Estimates of the residual burden of plutonium (assumed to be oxide) in the lungs of three former plutonium workers with similar exposure histories were calculated on the basis of urinalysis data fitted to either the ICRP lung model or the Healy model, and compared with results obtained from postmortem radiochemical analysis of the lungs and pulmonary lymph nodes. A comparison of the estimates based on urine excretion data ranged from 2 to 900% of the postmortem estimates. In the one case in which in vivo measurements were available, an estimate based on these data was in excellent agreement with the postmortem results. Assuming the postmortem radiochemical analyses to be reasonably accurate, the results indicate that little reliance can be placed on estimates of lung content using these models. (author)