Biokinetics of Plutonium in Nonhuman Primates.

A major source of data on metabolism, excretion and retention of plutonium comes from experimental animal studies. Although old world monkeys are one of the closest living relatives to humans, certain physiological differences do exist between these nonhuman primates and humans. The objective of this paper was to describe the metabolism of plutonium in nonhuman primates using the bioassay and retention data obtained from macaque monkeys injected with plutonium citrate.

Independent evaluation of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) 'dot' dosemeters for environmental monitoring.

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) 'dot' dosemeters (manufactured by Landauer®) are reported to have a high degree of environmental stability, high level of sensitivity and provide wide range of dose measuring capabilities from 0.05 mGy to 100 Gy. The optical read out method is fast and relatively simple and permits repeated read out, but few studies have been performed about its application in monitoring radiation in the environment.

Variations in backscatter observed in PMMA whole-body dosimetry slab phantoms.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a useful material for dosimetry phantoms in many ways including approximate tissue equivalence, stability, accessibility and ease of use. However, recent studies indicate that PMMA may have some unanticipated variation in backscatter from one phantom to another. While the reasons behind the variations have not been identified, it has been demonstrated that the backscatter from one phantom to another may vary by as much as 15%, resulting in a dosemeter response variation of as much as 5%.

Residential radon exposure and lung cancer: risk in nonsmokers.

Lung cancer is a disease that is almost entirely caused by smoking; hence, it is almost totally preventable. Yet there are a small percentage of cases, perhaps as many as 5 to 15%, where there are other causes. Risk factors identified for this other group include passive smoking, occupational exposure to certain chemicals and ionizing radiation, diet, and family history of cancer.