Publication Abstract

The Human Alimentary Tract Transfer and Body Retention of Environmental Polonium-210

G.J.Hunt and H.S.Rumney

This paper presents the results of a 4 year study to investigate the human alimentary tract transfer factor (f_A value) and body retention of ²¹⁰Po in shellfish. In the first 3 years, (Mytilus edulis L.), cockles (Cerastoderma edule L.) and brown meat from crab (Cancer pagurus L.) were successively studied. In each year 5 volunteers (from a pool of 7) ate a suitable portion of the shellfish and provided 24h samples of excreta for usually 3 days before and for at least 7 days during and after eating. Subsamples of shellfish were analysed to determine the intakes of ²¹⁰Po. Faeces were analysed and the data used to assess apparent f_A values. Urine samples were analysed in the mussel and crab studies to provide urinary excretion parameters. Pb-210 was also analysed during the mussel study; the levels were low leading to large uncertainties, but confirming the negligible effect of radioactive decay to its granddaughter ²¹⁰Po in the main study. In the fourth year, larger samples of brown crab meat were eaten by 5 volunteers and faecal samples taken at suitable times over periods of up to 43 days to study body retention of ²¹⁰Po. The first ~7 days provided additional data on f_A values. Pooled results for f_A for the whole study lay in the range 0.15 to 0.65 with a mean of 0.46, supporting the value of 0.5 currently used by ICRP. The retention data suggest a biological half time of about 50 days, the same as currently used by the ICRP. Thus there is no evidence from this study suggesting a change in dose coefficient for ²¹⁰Po. Full experimental data are provided to allow independent further interpretation.

Reference

G.J.Hunt and H.S.Rumney (2007) The Human Alimentary Tract Transfer and Body Retention of Environmental Polonium-210. Journal of Radiological Protection

http://stacks.iop.org/0952-4746/27/405.