The association of inbreeding with lung fibrosis incidence in Beagle dogs that inhaled 238PuO2 or 239PuO2.

Studies of health effects in animals after exposure to internally deposited radionuclides were intended to supplement observational studies in humans. Both nuclear workers and Beagle dogs have exhibited plutonium-associated lung fibrosis; however, the dogs' smaller gene pool may limit the applicability of findings to humans. Data on Beagles that inhaled either plutonium-238 dioxide ((238)PuO(2)) or plutonium-239 dioxide ((239)PuO(2)) were analyzed.