The distribution of 210Pb in human bone and its impact on methods for the retrospective estimation of 222Rn exposure from in vivo measurements.
It is possible to estimate radon exposure to man retrospectively by the in vivo measurement of the decay product (210)Pb, which accumulates in the bones. For in vivo methods, knowledge of the distribution of (210)Pb in the skeleton is needed to determine the optimal site for measurement, the skull or the knee. In this study the activity of (210)Pb in a variety of bone samples from 3 individuals have been measured in vitro using underground gamma-ray spectrometry. The individuals were unlikely to have had elevated intakes of Rn. These measurements give baseline data on the bone massic activity of (210)Pb. They show that the massic activity is similar for each of these people and there are similar massic activities of (210)Pb in the skull and the knee of the 2 individuals for which the skull was measured. Additionally for 2 of the individuals trabecular and cortical bone were separated and massic activities were found to be strongly correlated indicating that the (210)Pb is associated with the hydroxyapatite.
Johnston
Peter N
PN
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Retieseweg 111, B-2440 Geel, Belgium.
Hult
Mikael
M
Gasparro
Joël
J
Martínez-Canet
María-José
MJ
Vasselli
Roberto
R
McKenzie
Raymond J
RJ
Solomon
Steven B
SB
Lambrichts
Ivo
I
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012886:Skull; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma
D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D011886:Radon