The Wound Clearance and Distribution of Plutonium, Americium and Curium in Rodents

Summary

Wound contamination was simulated by the intramuscular injection of either ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴¹Am or ²⁴⁴Cm nitrate in the hamster and by the subcutaneous injection of either ²³⁹Pu or ²⁴¹Am nitrate in the rat. The actinides moved from the hamster muscle at approximately the same rate after injection of 370 Bq of each radionuclide (∼ 80 per cent cleared after 6 months). Similarly, the rates of translocation of ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴¹Am in the rat were the same after injection of 370 Bq of each radionuclide (∼ 80 per cent cleared after 1 month). The clearance of ²³⁹Pu in the rat was slower after injection of 14·8 kBq and more rapid after injection of 20 Bq (approximately 40 per cent and 90 per cent moved after 1 month, respectively) while the movement of ²⁴¹Am showed no dependence on the administered dose over the same range. The mixing of ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴¹Am prior to intramuscular injection appeared to enhance the clearance of both radionuclides.

The levels of accumulation of each actinide in the skeleton and liver of both species showed that they reached the circulation predominantly in soluble form. Some uptake of Pu and Am in regional lymph nodes was also observed, indicating that lymphatic clearance of polymeric material also took place.