Whole-body biological elimination rates of gamma-emitting radionuclides in captive meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus.
The retention of 14 radionuclides was examined in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) maintained under laboratory conditions. Individuals were monitored by whole-body gamma spectroscopy for up to 62 days following intraperitoneal injection with single radionuclides. One- and two-compartment exponential retention curves were fit to the data using nonlinear least-squares regression techniques. Slow-component biological half-lives in meadow voles were determined to be 346.6 days (46Sc), 31.5 days (51Cr), 49.5 days (54Mn), 115.5 days (59Fe), 3.4 days (58Co), 3.5 days (60Co), 57.8 days (65Zn), 26.7 days (75Se), 33 days (85Sr), 6.4 days (86Rb), 231 days (88Y), 30.1 days (95Nb), 99 days (110mAg), and 1.9 days (125Sb). No significant relationship was found between biological half-life and weight, season or amount injected for any of the radionuclides. The considerable variation in half-life values for each radionuclide was thought to be due to a number of behavioral and physiological variables. Problems in comparing the results to those of other experiments, and in extending them to field conditions, are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D008297:Male; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000378:metabolism*
D011868:Radioisotopes