title: A study of uranium lung clearance at a uranium processing plant.
abstract: A study has been made of the retention of uranium in the lungs of persons exposed chronically to low levels of uranium aerosols at the Y-12 Plant. A new characterization of the workplace aerosols shows an activity median aerodynamic diameter of 8 microns to be representative of the uranium oxides handled at the Y-12 Plant. The usual ICRP respiratory-system model is employed in conjunction with bioassay data from worker exposures to deduce a new set of parameters to describe lung clearance of these aerosols. This new assessment leads to good agreement between in vivo estimates of uranium lung burdens.
authors.affiliation: Health, Safety, and Environment Division, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN 37831, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Forrest
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D001822:Body Burden; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008954:Models, Biological; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010316:Particle Size; D011210:Power Plants; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D014501:Uranium