Environmental plutonium in humans.
Although the current world inventory of plutonium is overwhelmingly man-made, it is important to recognize that 244Pu was a primeval radioelement and that 239Pu is formed continuously by spontaneous fission of 238U; the atom ratio U:Pu being about 10(11):1. It has been calculated that the human body has always carried a base load of, perhaps 10(3)-10(5) atoms (< 0.2 amol) of natural plutonium. Since 1945, the release of 239Pu into the environment from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing has added to this base load a civilization-related load which, at approximately 300 fmol, is at least 5 orders of magnitude greater. Within the human body plutonium is deposited mainly in the liver and skeleton where it appears to be retained tenaciously with half-times of many years. Based on 1970-1980 levels, environmental plutonium may give rise to alpha-particle radiation doses of approximately 3-7 microSv/a in human bone and approximately 10-20 microSv/a in liver, doses which from our present understanding of the radio-and chemical toxicity of plutonium are far too small to cause any recognizable health effects.
University of Wales Cardiff, Department of Chemistry, Wales.
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Taylor
D000328:Adult; D001822:Body Burden; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D011005:Plutonium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity
D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D011005:Plutonium