The Efficacies of Pure LICAM(C) and DTPA on the Retention of Plutonium-238 and Americium-241 in Rats after Their Inhalation as Nitrate and Intravenous Injection as Citrate

Summary

The pure carboxylated catechoyl amide LICAM(C) and the calcium and zinc salts of diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (DTPA), were tested for efficacy for removing ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am from rats after inhalation of the nitrate or intravenous injection of the citrate. The results were compared with the efficacy of methylated LICAM(C) used in previous experiments. It was shown that: (1) after inhalation of ²³⁸Pu nitrate, DTPA was far superior to pure LICAM(C); (2) after intravenous injection of ²³⁸Pu citrate, the infusion of DTPA plus LICAM(C) was only marginally more effective than DTPA alone; and (3) after inhalation or intravenous injection of ²³⁸Pu plus ²⁴¹Am, the efficacy of pure LICAM(C) was only marginally more effective than the methylated form and neither form was effective for the decorporation of ²⁴¹Am. It was concluded that DTPA, at present, remains the chelating agent of choice for treating persons accidentally contaminated with transportable forms of Pu and Am.