Percutaneous resorption of 137Cs and 89Sr in acid solutions and of the burn area decontamination

Experiments on rats have been carried out to study the absorption regularities and decontamination efficiency for 137Cs and 89Sr placed on the skin in the nitric acid of various concentrations. It is established that apart from the danger of chemical skin burn, there is a rise in the radiation hazard due to considerable radionuclide resorption from the region of the chemical burn and radionuclide accumulation in the organs. The decontamination efficiency of a chemical burn area contaminated by radionuclides depends on the time of treatment start and acid concentration. Treatment with 3% soap solution shortly after the chemical burn is an effective technique of decontamination and reducing radionuclide content in the organism. Decontamination in later periods does not prevent 137Cs and 89Sr accumulation and absorption in the organism