title: Estimation of human exposure to natural radionuclides using in vivo skull measurements.
abstract: In a preliminary study, in vivo skull measurements and in vitro urine measurements of 210Pb and nulU have been performed to find out the individual, chronic exposure to waterborne natural radionuclides of a small group of Finnish people. For their domestic water, the studied individuals use water from drilled wells containing elevated concentrations of natural uranium and its daughter nuclides ((234,235,238)U, 222Rn, (226,228)Ra, 210Po, 210Pb). Enhanced 210Pb and 235U activities were observed in several people. A positive correlation is observed between the U concentration in urine (microg d(-1)) and the number of counts (cpm) in the gamma ray energy peaks originating from the decay of 235U and 234Th respectively. Calibration of the detector set-up and the determination of background sources are in progress.
authors.affiliation: STUK-Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 14, FIN-00881 Helsinki, Finland. maarit.muikku@stuk.fi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muikku
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rahola
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pusa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salonen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haninger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kucheida
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012886:Skull / Q000378:metabolism*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000652:urine; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium