Limit on intake of Pu-239 in a human body through wound

«Radiation and Risk», 2016, vol. 25, No. 2, pp.109-118

Authors

Sokolnikov M.E. – Head of Lab., MD. Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, FMBA, Ozersk, Russia. Contacts: 19 Ozersk road, Ozersk, Chelyabinsk region, Russia, 456780. Tel.: +7(35130) 7-16-52; e-mail: sokolnikov @subi.su.
Vasilenko E.K. – Head of Dep. Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, FMBA, Ozersk, Russia.
Yurkin A.M. – Programmer. Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, FMBA, Ozersk, Russia.
Vostrotin V.V. – Head of Lab., C. Sc., Biol. Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, FMBA, Ozersk, Russia.
Ephimov A.V. – Head of Lab. Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, FMBA, Ozersk, Russia.
Aladova E.E. – Senior Researcher, C. Sc., Biol. Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, FMBA, Ozersk, Russia.

Abstract

Currently no estimates of permissible limit for 239Pu intake through wounds in the skin are available, however it is one of the common pathway of the radionuclide intake in a human body. In the article we present the approach to estimating limit for 239Pu intake through a wound with the use of liver and bone cancer lifetime risk estimates. Liver and bone are organs of primary Pu deposition following a wound contamination. To estimate lifetime risks of liver and bone cancer induced as a result of exposure to ²³⁹Pu-emitted alpha-particles after single intake through a wound we used results of epidemiological studies of Mayak personnel and risk estimates developed in these studies. Using conservative estimates of excess lifetime risk and radiation doses, the limit for plutonium intake in a human body through a wound, which would not cause increase in annual lifetime risk above 0.001, was calculated. We recommend readers to interpret the results obtained in the present study taking into account that estimates of risk of radiation associated liver and bone cancers are subject to substantial uncertainty.

Key words
Plutonium, wounding, excess relative risk, lifetime excess risk, primary deposition organs, internal exposure safety standards, liver cancer, bone cancer, annual limit of intake, radiation safety standards.

References

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Full-text article (in Russian)