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Ingestion of AmO2



In case you every wondered if a person swallowed an Am-241 oxide particle

source:



Intake and Subsequent Fate of a Ceramic Particle Containing 2.85 µCi 241Am:

A Case Study. Health Physics, 44(4):329-334; 1983



Smith L. R, Sullivan P. A., Laferriere J., Cumming E., Demis D.



Abstract: Intake of 241Am was reported in a young female technologist.

External monitoring, whole body counting, urinalysis and fecal analysis were

performed to determine the subsequent fate of the contaminant. Five days

later. more than 99.5% of the radioactivity was voided in a fecal sample. A

single particle, containing 2.85 µCi of 241AmO2 incorporated in a ceramic

matrix, was isolated from the fecal sample. Brief descriptions of the

radioanalytical results and dosimetry implications are presented. A shadow

shield whole body counter was conveniently used to make an early estimate of

the intake. This initial estimate enabled staff to decide that it was not

necessary to artifically remove the contaminant. It was estimated that the

lower large intestine was the organ which received the highest dose due to

the passage of the ceramic particle. Systemic uptake of 241Am was indicated

by urinalysis. The fractional transfer of 241Am from the GI tract to the

blood was estimated to be less than 6 x 10-5. This maximum estimate is

limited by the MDA of the analytical procedures used. The fractional

transfer of the 241Am from the GI tract to blood in this case is about an

order of magnitude less than recent ICRP recommendations for "all compounds

of americium". 



-- John 

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist 

3050 Traymore Lane

Bowie, MD  20715-2024



E-mail:  jenday1@email.msn.com (H)      

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