Re: info

[Elizabeth Brackett <ebracket@freenet.columbus.oh.us>]

On Wed, 17 Jul 1996 kaplan@bnl.gov wrote:

> We are examining the possibility of replacing a 24 hour composite urine
> sample with a single grab sample for plutonium bioassay.  Can a single 
>grab sample at one point during the day be scaled up to a full day?  Does
> anyone use this value to determine body burden?  Physicians scale urine
> sample results by the creatinine level.  Can we also use creatinine? Does 
> plutonium excretion follow a diurnal cycle that would make one void, 
>perhaps the first morning, more representative of the entire day????? 
> 
>-- 
> ----------------------------------------------------------- >
kaplan@bnl.gov >
-----------------------------------------------------------> 
Activity in urine is generally more concentrated in the first excretion of
the day so a spot sample is not entirely accurate when scaled.  However,
the primary problem with a spot sample for plutonium is reaching an
acceptable detection limit.  In most cases, even a 24-hour sample does not
allow you to meet DOE requirements unless you are sampling very shortly
after the intake, so you need to look at your detection limits in terms
of missed dose to determine if it's feasible to go to spot samples.  I know
BNL has the means to measure extremely low plutonium activities but I
wouldn't think this was practical (i.e., cost effective) on a routine basis.

Liz Brackett, CHP
ebracket@freenet.columbus,oh.us
(614) 459-0695