H-3 in Monkey Breath

[Sue Dupre <dupre@Princeton.EDU>]

I'm looking hopefully to RADSAFE for some quick help.  Our researchers
rarely do in vivo radioisotope work, but now we have a researcher who'd
like to inject a couple of monkeys each with 5-15 mCi of tritiated
thymidine.  The monkeys will have survival times of 2-3 weeks before
sacrifice.  I'm considering the issue of H-3 release into the room air
as a result of the monkeys' respiration, but have no idea what to
expect.  Have any of you had experience with this?  Can you give me an
idea to what extent H-3 will appear in the breath and at what rate?  I'm
grateful for any help you can offer.

Sue Dupre
Princeton University
Email:  dupre@princeton.edu
=======================================================
Sue M. Dupre, University Health Physicist

Environmental Health and Safety Office
262 Alexander Street
Princeton, NJ  08544

Phone:  (609) 258-6252
Fax:    (609) 258-1804

Visit the EHS Web site at http://www.princeton.edu/~ehs


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