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Answer to Question #4952 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Alpha Emitters — Plutonium The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
How much time can pass such that chelation will no longer help
me rid myself of a plutonium body burden? The maximum found at my work
station was 6,000 dpm. My shoes had 2,800 dpm. What can be determined
by bioassay, i.e., fecal and urine?
A
Chelation chemically removes the plutonium from the circulating
blood and is most effective when given immediately after an intake of
plutonium. Plutonium in the blood is quickly deposited in the skeleton,
liver, and other tissues, with a portion being quickly excreted via the
urine. Once the deposition has occurred, chelation therapy will remove
some plutonium, but only a very tiny fraction of what has been
incorporated into the body. Thus, for all practical purposes chelation
is ineffective a few days to a week or so after the initial intake.
Analysis of feces and urine—bioassay—can reveal a great deal about the
intake, including how much material was taken into the body, its
chemical composition and solubility, and excretion rate. Information
from bioassay can also be used to assess the efficacy of chelation
therapy and thus provide guidance to the physician. The contamination
found on your shoes and at your work station indicates the possibility
of an intake of plutonium; the magnitude of that intake can be assessed
through bioassay.
Answer posted on November 4, 2005. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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