Study on the radiotoxicology of enriched uranium

A study on the retentive peculiarity of soluble enriched uranium UO2F2 were observed after iv once or consecutive ip qd x 3d to Wistar male rats. The dynamic retention of radioactivity in the body showed that the enriched uranium UO2F2 was chiefly localized in kidney, and then in skeleton and liver. The radioactivity of the enriched uranium UO2F2 in skeleton rose steadily while the concentratoin in kidney and liver droped. When enriched uranium UO2F2 was accumulated in organism, it caused chromosome aberrations on bone marrow cells. Results indicated that the chromosome aberration rates were elevated when the dose of the enriched uranium UO2F2 was increased, at the same time, the cell division was depressed. Accumulation of insoluble enriched uranium U3O8 in gastrointestinal tract was well described by a two exponential expression. Values of retention estimate for fast component, T1 = 0.34 d, and for relatively long term component, T2 = 4.05 d. The deposition of UO2F2 in the intact skin was only 0.16 to 0.18% of the total contaminated UO2F2. Penetration of the enriched uranium UO2F2 was dominantly increased in abraded skin. This value is about 25 to 32 times as compaired with that in intact skin. Retention of the enriched uranium UO2F2 through abraded skins was dominantly localized in kidney and skeleton