In vitro and in vivo measurements of the dissolution parameters of uranium and plutonium mixed oxides in biological environment

During the mixed-oxide fuel fabrication process, inhalation is potentially the main route of internal contamination. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends experimental measurement of parameters such as size and dissolution rate for specific industrial compounds. First, we validated the use of PERALS (Photon Electron Rejecting Alpha Liquid Scintillation) for alpha measurement in biological samples which, in some cases, could improve detection limit. We characterised physical chemical properties in terms of size, specific area and activity of 3 different powders: MOX made according to either the MIMAS process, which showed heterogeneous chemical composition, or the SOLGEL, which showed homogeneous chemical composition and industrial PuO₂. Their dissolution parameters, f_r and s_s, as defined in the simplest model proposed by ICRP 66 were measured in vivo, after inhalation in the rat, and in vitro. The statistical variation of these values were expressed as standard deviation. Moreover, in vitro studies demonstrated variation of the s_s value depending on the duration of the incubation. We also developed methods to characterise interactions between UO₂ particles and phosphate ions which could be involved in the actinide toxicity. (author)