OSTI Document ID 159359
Local PDF osti/159359.pdf
Title The specific activity of tritium in the organic components of the skin and fat of man following eight months` chronic exposure to HTO in body fluids
Creators/
Authors
Pinson, E.A.; Anderson, E.C.; Lotz, V.
Publication Date 1952 Oct 01
Description/
Abstract
A healthy 39-year-old male weighing 65 kg was exposed for a period of 8 months to varying levels of HTO. The average tritium activity in body fluids over the entire period was 23 {mu}c/liter. A few weeks after exposure, when the HTO activity in body fluids had declined to about 0.2 {mu}c/liter, a biopsy was pe formed on skin and fat taken from the region of the lower abdomen, and the material was analyzed for tritium activity. The skin showed an average activity equivalent to 0.4 {mu}c/kg of dry tissue and the fat about 0.3 {mu}c/kg of dry tissue. The radiation dose per unit time from these activities was only 1 to 2 percent of the radiation dose per unit time during the 8-month exposure period. It was concluded that the radiation hazard due to retention of tritium in the organic components of these tissues of man after chronic exposure was negligible compared to the radiation hazard from HTO activity in the body fluids which was necessary to induce the activity into the organic components. Comparable experiments on mice previously reported indicate that this conclusion may hold for all tissues in the body. The water content of the skin and fat of man was found to be 71 percent and 20 percent, respectively, on the basis of the wet weight. The hydrogen content of skin was 7.6 per cent, and of fat 11.4 percent, of the dry weight of the tissue.
OSTI ID 159359
Report Numbers line line docnumall
Other ID Numbers ON: DE95013619
Document Type Technical Report
Research Organization Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (United States)
Sponsor Organization USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
Bibliographic Source OSTI
Country United States
Language English
Pages/Size 8 p.
System Entry Date 1996 Jan 19
Subject Category Code 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES
Descriptors HEAVY WATER; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; CHRONIC EXPOSURE; MAN; TRITIUM COMPOUNDS; SKIN; ADIPOSE TISSUE
Format Other: PL:
Availability OSTI as DE95013619
Notes PBD: Oct 1952
Reference Numbers SCA: 560161; PA: EDB-96:021517;NTS-96:007911; SN: 96001509650