210Pb and 210Po content in air, water, foodstuffs, and the human body

Concentrations of 210Pb and 210Po in air, drinking water, foodstuffs, and human tissues are reported. The main route of 210Pb and 210Po intake in the human body is ingestion with foodstuffs. The absorption coefficient of 210Po into the blood from the digestive tract was estimated to be 35%. The highest concentration of 210Pb and 210Po in the body was observed in the skeleton and hair. The body burden of humans was 773 pCi of 210Pb and 513 pCi of 210Po. Excretion of these radionuclides from the body in urine was 14 to 15 times less than in feces. The calculated annual radiation doses of 710Po in the bone, liver, and kidneys were 2.1 to 5.0 millirad/yr, and in other soft tissues, 0.3 to 0.9 millirad/yr.