?? Cs-137 uptake through skin

["Bruce A. Busby" <bbusby@umich.edu>]

Hi All,

Here is someone who is looking for some help and information. Please 
respond to the e-mail address below. Thank again, as always.

-Bruce Busby
 bbusby@umich.edu

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: 74472.154@COMPUSERVE.COM

We have had several instances of plant employees - mostly those who work 
in our irradiated fuel bays - being subject to whole body counting, with 
low levels (average of 10 nCi) of Cesium-137 being indicated.  Large 
volume urinalysis also indicates Cs-137 uptake (up to 30 pCi/l, on 
average).  Although this is not unusual for those who have worked in the 
bays without respiratory protetction, in each of these cases the 
employees are adamant that they were at no time unprotected, nor did they 
ingest anything while in the bay rooms.  However, in each case, they WERE 
subject to skin wetting from the bay water.  It would almost appear then 
that there was some absortion of Cs-137 through the skin. Our problem is 
that none of the ICRP guidelines contains any information as to skin 
absorption rates; excretion functions, etc, for such an intake 
route. We're not even sure if this IS a route.
Has there been any other experience with this problem that you are aware 
of?  If so, are there any guidelines which we could use to evaluate each 
case and assign dose, if necessary?
Thanks, and looking forward to your answer.

Jim Patterson
Canada