Considerations on the ICRP model predictions of the transfer of (137)Cs from food to the milk and urine of lactating mothers.
A recent work has shown that the current ICRP biokinetic model for the transfer of caesium radionuclides from food to human breast milk was able to describe with satisfactory accuracy (137)Cs activity concentrations in human breast samples collected a few weeks after the Chernobyl accident as well as in samples collected some years later. However, systematic discrepancies were observed for the predictions of the activity concentrations in urine samples. In the present work, modifications to the model were investigated with the aim of improving the agreement between model predictions and data. It turned out that the disagreement for the urine data was ascribable to the mathematical simplifications used by the ICRP to describe urinary excretion in the first few days after delivery. However, the predictive performances of the model remained unchanged even when differences in the bioavailability of caesium from the ingested food types were considered or metabolic interactions between caesium and potassium were introduced into the model formulation.
Department of Radiation Protection and Health, BfS-Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, D-85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
Augusto
A
Giussani
Serena
S
Risica
D000284:Administration, Oral; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000652:urine*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005504:Food Analysis; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*
D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes