Absorbed dose distribution patterns in the beagle thorax after inhalation of 90Sr--90Y fused clay particles. II

This experiment was designed to examine absorbed dose patterns in the Beagle dog thorax after inhalation of polydisperse fused montmorillonite clay particles labeled with 90Sr-90Y. Sixteen dogs were exposed nose-only to achieve initial lung burdens of 91 to 200 μCi. Dogs are being serially sacrificed and photographic data and autoradiographic data produced for a series of parallel planes approximately 1 cm apart through the thorax. Data analysis will include definition of absorbed dose patterns in the Beagle thorax at 8 days, 64 days, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post-exposure. To date, 8-day, 64-day, and 1-year animals have been sacrificed and partially analyzed. The result of this experiment will be a better understanding of deposition and absorbed dose patterns and allow a better correlation between absorbed dose and biological response for Beagle dogs exposed to relatively insoluble aerosols contaminated by energetic beta-emitting radionuclides. In addition, results will allow quantitating anomalies in deposition patterns, such as the striated pattern near ribs previously observed in this laboratory. (U.S.)