Using Hair as a Bioindicator for Inhalation of Uranium : A Study on Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Workers

• Scalp hair is evaluated and compared with urine as a potential biomonitor following inhalation intake of uranium. The samples were collected among eight workers at a nuclear fuel fabrication factory and the sample concentrations of 234U and 238U were analyzed by α-spectrometry after radiochemical preparation using a TBP-based liquidliquid separation method. Personal air samplers (PAS) filters were also analyzed for determination of inhaled uranium activity.The results show that there is a large day-to-day variation (7-70 Bq d-1) of the inhaled 234U activity over a 6 week period. A large variation is also seen for the 234U activity concentration among 12 urine samples collected over a 12 week period; (2-50 mBq kg-1). Four hair samples from the same subject and period showed less variation (100-240 mBq g-1) as they reflect the average excretion over a longer period than the periodic urine samples.The total inhalation intake and excretion in urine and hair was obtained for two study subjects over a 6 week period. The uranium inhalation to urine and hair factors finh,u and finh,h were 0.0014 and 0.0002 respectively, given by calculations based on the measured PAS, urine and hair data. It has been demonstrated that scalp hair could be a valuable complement to urine as biomonitor of uranium intake.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Radiologi och bildbehandling (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Hair

uranium

alpha spectroscopy

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)