Lung retention of Pu following inhalation of PuO2 in rats measured using a whole body counter

A lung retention function on the amount of PuO2 in rats was determined. Five rats were exposed to polydisperse aerosols of PuO2 having a size of 0.47 μm activity median aerodynamic diameter. The initial lung burden was between 1990 Bq and 2960 Bq. Instead of serial-sacrifice study, in vivo counting of low energy L X-rays with thin NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors was used to follow the lung retention of Pu at various intervals up to 468 days after inhalation. The calibration of this counting system was made by measuring lung activity of rats sacrificed for other experimental purposes. It was confirmed that the potential skin contamination and the Pu translocated to the other organs was not counted at the present counting geometry. Our results showed that 77% of PuO2 deposited deep in the lung was cleared with a half-time of 53 days, whereas the residual 23% stayed there for a longer period (a half-time of 795 days). (author)