Plutonium accumulation from long-term occupational exposure.

~b~tr~ct -hdy~a of tissue aiiquota from a plutonium procesi operptor, who had batr; -.._ eXp0iEaG-P~~ largely via chronic low-level inhalation for appmximately 6 out of' 11) ycan of employment, showed that he had accumulated a body burden of approxhatcly 0.018 pc. Estimations of his body burden from hk urine assay record ranged Gom 0.019 to 0.034 highat plutonium concentrat& (125 d m / m i n pa g) was found in pulmonary lymph nodes, rillowed by liver (9.9 &/min per g), lungs (4.8 dis/min per g) and bone (average of staaum, rib and vertebra, 1.4 dn/min per g). Some implications of thae findings to chronic low-level inhalation exposura and to estimation of body burden from urine assays arc diuxuraL . .