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Walencik-Łata A, Kozłowska B, Mietelski JW, Szufa K, Freire FD, Souza SO. The study of natural and artificial radionuclides incorporation in teeth and head bones of animals lived nearby Caetité uranium mine, Brazil. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 162-163:39-44. [PMID: 27214286 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed at assessing the incorporation of radionuclides in animals in the proximity of the uranium mine in Caetité, Brazil. In 2014, samples of bovine and equine teeth and skull bones were collected and their contents of natural and artificial isotopes were assessed using nuclear spectrometry techniques. Gamma ray emission from 226,228Ra and 40K isotopes was determined using high-purity germanium (HPGe) spectrometry, 90Sr radioactivity was measured with liquid scintillation, and 234,238U, 232,230,228Th, 210Po and 239+240Pu radioactivity was assessed with alpha-spectrometry. Prior to the measurements, sample dissolutions and isotope separations were performed. Our results indicate a high 228Th isotope content in the skull bones and the teeth of animals, up to 179 Bq per kg of ash. The 226Ra and 228Ra concentrations were slightly lower. Activity concentrations of other isotopes were significantly lower or below the detection limit. We could not identify sources of technologically enhanced levels of 228Ra in the area we investigated; therefore we suggest that their origin is natural.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Walencik-Łata
- University of Silesia, Institute of Physics, Department of Nuclear Physics and Its Applications, Uniwersytecka 4 St., 40-007 Katowice, Poland.
| | - B Kozłowska
- University of Silesia, Institute of Physics, Department of Nuclear Physics and Its Applications, Uniwersytecka 4 St., 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - J W Mietelski
- The H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, Poland
| | - K Szufa
- The H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, Poland
| | - F D Freire
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n 49100-000 São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - S O Souza
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n 49100-000 São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
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Brudecki K, Mietelski JW, Anczkiewicz R, Golec EB, Tomankiewicz E, Kuźma K, Zagrodzki P, Golec J, Nowak S, Szczygieł E, Dudkiewicz Z. Plutonium, 90Sr and 241Am in human bones from southern and northeastern parts of Poland. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2013; 299:1379-1388. [PMID: 26224962 PMCID: PMC4514605 DOI: 10.1007/s10967-013-2850-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The paper presents the results of our study on 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Am and 90Sr concentration in human bones carried out on a set of 88 individual samples of central Europe origin. Bone tissue samples were retrieved under surgery while introducing hip joint implants. The conducted surgeries tend to cover either southern or northeastern parts of Poland. While for the southern samples only global fallout was expected to be seen, a mixed global and Chernobyl fallout were to be reflected in the others. Alpha spectrometry was applied to obtain activity concentration for 238Pu, 239+240Pu, 241Am, while liquid scintillation spectrometry for 90Sr and mass spectrometry to receive 240Pu/239Pu mass ratio. Surprisingly enough, and to the contrary to our expectations we could not see any significant differences in either Pu activity or Pu mass ratio between the studied populations. In both populations Chernobyl fraction proved marginal. The results on 90Sr and 241Am confirm similarities between the two examined groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Brudecki
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jerzy W. Mietelski
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Robert Anczkiewicz
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Edward B. Golec
- 5th Military Clinical Hospital with Polyclinic, Kraków, Poland
- Faculty of Motor of the Bronislaw Czech University School of Physical Education, Kraków, Poland
- Faculty of Physical Therapy, Administration College, Bielsko-Biała, Poland
| | - Ewa Tomankiewicz
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Konstanty Kuźma
- General Hospital in Bielsk Podlaski, Bielsk Podlaski, Poland
| | - Paweł Zagrodzki
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Chair of Bromathology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Golec
- Faculty of Motor of the Bronislaw Czech University School of Physical Education, Kraków, Poland
- Faculty of Physical Therapy, Administration College, Bielsko-Biała, Poland
| | - Sebastian Nowak
- 5th Military Clinical Hospital with Polyclinic, Kraków, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Szczygieł
- Faculty of Motor of the Bronislaw Czech University School of Physical Education, Kraków, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Dudkiewicz
- Hand Surgery Clinic, Chair of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Medical University Łódź, Lodz, Poland
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Mietelski JW, Golec EB, Tomankiewicz E, Golec J, Nowak S, Szczygiel E, Brudecki K. Human bones obtained from routine joint replacement surgery as a tool for studies of plutonium, americium and ⁹⁰Sr body-burden in general public. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2011; 102:559-565. [PMID: 21420209 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2010] [Revised: 02/04/2011] [Accepted: 02/18/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The paper presents a new sampling method for studying in-body radioactive contamination by bone-seeking radionuclides such as (90)Sr, (239+240)Pu, (238)Pu, (241)Am and selected gamma-emitters, in human bones. The presented results were obtained for samples retrieved from routine surgeries, namely knee or hip joints replacements with implants, performed on individuals from Southern Poland. This allowed to collect representative sets of general public samples. The applied analytical radiochemical procedure for bone matrix is described in details. Due to low concentrations of (238)Pu the ratio of Pu isotopes which might be used for Pu source identification is obtained only as upper limits other then global fallout (for example Chernobyl) origin of Pu. Calculated concentrations of radioisotopes are comparable to the existing data from post-mortem studies on human bones retrieved from autopsy or exhumations. Human bones removed during knee or hip joint surgery provide a simple and ethical way for obtaining samples for plutonium, americium and (90)Sr in-body contamination studies in general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy W Mietelski
- The Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Cracow, Poland.
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Wakeford R, Darby SC, Murphy MFG. Temporal trends in childhood leukaemia incidence following exposure to radioactive fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2010; 49:213-227. [PMID: 20309707 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-010-0266-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2009] [Accepted: 01/21/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Notably raised rates of childhood leukaemia incidence have been found near some nuclear installations, in particular Sellafield and Dounreay in the United Kingdom, but risk assessments have concluded that the radiation doses estimated to have been received by children or in utero as a result of operations at these installations are much too small to account for the reported increases in incidence. This has led to speculation that the risk of childhood leukaemia arising from internal exposure to radiation following the intake of radioactive material released from nuclear facilities has been substantially underestimated. The radionuclides discharged from many nuclear installations are similar to those released into the global environment by atmospheric nuclear weapons testing, which was at its height in the late-1950s and early-1960s. Measurements of anthropogenic radionuclides in members of the general public resident in the vicinity of Sellafield and Dounreay have found levels that do not differ greatly from those in persons living remote from nuclear installations that are due to ubiquitous exposure to the radioactive debris of nuclear weapons testing. Therefore, if the leukaemia risk to children resulting from deposition within the body of radioactive material discharged from nuclear facilities has been grossly underestimated, then a pronounced excess of childhood leukaemia would have been expected as a consequence of the short period of intense atmospheric weapons testing. We have examined childhood leukaemia incidence in 11 large-scale cancer registries in three continents for which data were available at least as early as 1962. We found no evidence of a wave of excess cases corresponding to the peak of radioactive fallout from atmospheric weapons testing. The absence of a discernible increase in the incidence of childhood leukaemia following the period of maximum exposure to the radioactive debris of this testing weighs heavily against the suggestion that conventional methods are seriously in error when assessing the risk of childhood leukaemia from exposure to man-made radionuclides released from nuclear installations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Wakeford
- Dalton Nuclear Institute, The University of Manchester, Pariser Building, G Floor, Sackville Street, PO Box 88, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK.
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