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Mangano J, S Gaus K, Mousseau TA, Ketterer M. Strontium-90 in Baby Teeth as a Basis for Estimating U.S. Cancer Deaths From Nuclear Weapons Fallout. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES 2023:27551938231152771. [PMID: 36718597 DOI: 10.1177/27551938231152771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere during the 1950s and 1960s deposited fallout throughout the world, exposing all humans to food and water before the Limited Test Ban Treaty ended large-scale tests. The largest effort to measure in vivo fallout in humans, performed by Washington University (USA), collected over 300,000 deciduous teeth to document a sustained increase in Strontium-90 (Sr-90) during testing and a sharp decline after the test ban. Sr-90 patterns and trends in teeth were consistent with those of bones and milk. Sr-90 is still detectable in about 100,000 of the teeth, which were never tested. Tooth donors were born during atmospheric testing (1946-1965) and thus exposed to fallout in utero and during infancy/childhood, when exposures pose the greatest health risk. Preliminary analysis of global fallout's health risk in the United States indicates recent cancer mortality in several high-fallout areas exceeded that of states with the lowest fallout, peaking for the cohort born in the early 1960s, when fallout was highest. These findings support subsequent measurement of Sr-90 in deciduous teeth of persons who died of diseases such as cancer, along with controls, a novel approach to assessing fallout hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Mangano
- Radiation and Public Health Project, Ocean City, NJ, USA
| | - Kelli S Gaus
- Department of Epidemiology, 41474The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Timothy A Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences, 2629University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Michael Ketterer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 3356Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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2
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Froidevaux P, Pittet PA, Bühlmann D, Bochud F, Straub M. Ion-imprinted resin for use in an automated solid phase extraction system for determining 90Sr in environmental and human samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07974-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn 90Sr analysis, determining its daughter 90Y improves the sensitivity of the radiometric methods. We found that to imprint a cavity made of [Y(6-(4-Vinylphenylcarbamoyl)pyridine-2-carboxylate)3] into a polystyrene skeleton yields a solid phase extraction resin with high selectivity for Y and Ln(III) over transition metals, alkaline, and alkaline-earth cations. We used this resin in an automated chromatography system to extract 90Y from milk, grass, vegetables, soil, sediments, water, human bones, and milk teeth samples. We found that the ion-imprinted resin could be used to separate light Ln(III) using a pH gradient, favoring the targeting of molecules used in nuclear medicine.
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Firouzabadi M, Jahromi HJ, Ardakani HA. Determination of 90Sr in sea shell: environmental monitoring. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07871-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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4
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Takahashi A, Chiba M, Tanahara A, Aida J, Shimizu Y, Suzuki T, Murakami S, Koarai K, Ono T, Oka T, Ikeyama J, Kaneko O, Unno M, Hirose K, Ohno T, Kino Y, Sekine T, Osaka K, Sasaki K, Shinoda H. Radioactivity and radionuclides in deciduous teeth formed before the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10335. [PMID: 33990650 PMCID: PMC8121844 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89910-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident in March of 2011 released substantial amounts of radionuclides into the environment. We collected 4,957 deciduous teeth formed in children before the Fukushima accident to obtain precise control data for teeth formed after the accident. Radioactivity was measured using imaging plates (IP) and epidemiologically assessed using multivariate regression analysis. Additionally, we measured 90Sr, 137Cs, and natural radionuclides which might be present in teeth. Epidemiological studies of IP showed that the amount of radioactivity in teeth from Fukushima prefecture was similar to that from reference prefectures. We found that artificial radionuclides of 90Sr and 137Cs, which were believed to have originated from past nuclear disasters, and natural radionuclides including 40 K and daughter nuclides in the 238U and 232Th series contributed to the generation of radioactivity in teeth. We also found no evidence to suggest that radionuclides originating from the FNPP accident significantly contaminated pre-existing teeth. This is the first large-scale investigation of radioactivity and radionuclides in teeth. The present findings will be indispensable for future studies of teeth formed after the FNPP accident, which will fall out over the next several years and might be more contaminated with radionuclides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Takahashi
- Tohoku University Hospital, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8574, Japan
| | - Mirei Chiba
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Akira Tanahara
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru, Nishihara, Nakagami, Okinawa, 903-0129, Japan
| | - Jun Aida
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Yoshinaka Shimizu
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Suzuki
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Shinobu Murakami
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Kazuma Koarai
- Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan
| | - Takumi Ono
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Oka
- Sector of Nuclear Science Research, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
| | - Joji Ikeyama
- The Fukushima Prefecture Dental Association, 6-6 Chugen-cho, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-8105, Japan
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- The Fukushima Prefecture Dental Association, 6-6 Chugen-cho, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-8105, Japan
| | - Makoto Unno
- The Fukushima Prefecture Dental Association, 6-6 Chugen-cho, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-8105, Japan
| | - Kimiharu Hirose
- Faculty of Dentistry, Ohu University, 31-1 Misumido, Tomitamachi, Koriyama, Fukushima, 963-8611, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohno
- Faculty of Dentistry, Ohu University, 31-1 Misumido, Tomitamachi, Koriyama, Fukushima, 963-8611, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kino
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Sekine
- Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, 41 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8576, Japan
| | - Ken Osaka
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Keiichi Sasaki
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hisashi Shinoda
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan.
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5
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Swearingen KJ, Wall NA. Fast and accurate simultaneous quantification of strontium-90 and yttrium-90 using liquid scintillation counting in conjunction with the Bateman equation. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-019-06444-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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6
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Pittet PA, Bochud F, Froidevaux P. Determination of 89Sr and 90Sr in fresh cow milk and raw urine using crystalline synthetic tunnel manganese oxides and layered metal sulfides. Anal Chim Acta 2019; 1047:267-274. [PMID: 30567659 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
89Sr and 90Sr are both fission products of high radiotoxicity, which can be released in significant amounts in the event of a nuclear accident. Radiostrontium isotopes will follow calcium all along the food chain and, after ingestion, accumulate in the bones. Therefore, it is imperative to be able to determine 89Sr and 90Sr in raw milk samples in case of an accidental situation to evaluate the dose given by both radionuclides to the population. Several methods exist for conducting 89Sr and 90Sr determination. However, most of them use at least one chromatographic step to purify strontium. This, unfortunately, increases the analytical time before the results can be released to the authorities. In addition, they often use liquid scintillation counting to determine the 89Sr and 90Sr activities, a method which can handle only one sample at a time. Here we propose using synthetic tunnel manganese oxides such as cryptomelane and todorokite and layered metal sulfides to selectively extract strontium from fresh milk and raw urine in a batch sorption method. We found that the method is very quick and yields very pure sources of (radio)-strontium, which can be counted in a proportional counter. Data (counts per minute) from the counter were fitted to a mathematical expression enabling the simultaneous determination of 89Sr and 90Sr. Because a proportional counter often has several drawers, it is typically possible to measure up to 16 samples at a time. Since cryptomelane is a binding phase easily synthesized in a large quantity, we anticipate that this technique could be an interesting alternative to conventional solid phase extraction chromatography methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-André Pittet
- Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - François Bochud
- Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Froidevaux
- Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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7
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Shao Y, Yang G, Tazoe H, Ma L, Yamada M, Xu D. A review of measurement methodologies and their applications to environmental 90Sr. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 192:321-333. [PMID: 30029206 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The high fission yield product 90Sr has been released into the environment in large amounts due to nuclear weapon tests, nuclear power plant accidents, and nuclear fuel reprocessing industries. It is a long half-life radionuclide (28.9 y), with serious consequences to human health; hence, it is desirable to perform routine monitoring of 90Sr in environmental samples. Many 90Sr radiometric methods have been developed in the past decades, which generally require complicated separation and purification steps with a relatively long analytical time. Moreover, some nominally rapid methods usually have high method detection limits, making them unsuitable for the environmental samples with ultra-low 90Sr levels. In this review, some rapid and practical methods for 90Sr routine monitoring are summarized. Different sample pretreatments and major purification procedures for 90Sr developed in recent years, such as variable digestion methods and extraction chromatography using Sr resin or DGA resin, are especially described. Additionally, four conventional and widely used β spectrometric and mass spectrometric methods are demonstrated. Finally, 90Sr evaluations focusing on contaminated soil and seawater samples collected after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, and 90Sr application as tracers for environmental behavior are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Shao
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan; School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guosheng Yang
- Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Tazoe
- Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
| | - Lingling Ma
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Masatoshi Yamada
- Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan.
| | - Diandou Xu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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8
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Koarai K, Kino Y, Takahashi A, Suzuki T, Shimizu Y, Chiba M, Osaka K, Sasaki K, Urushihara Y, Fukuda T, Isogai E, Yamashiro H, Oka T, Sekine T, Fukumoto M, Shinoda H. 90Sr specific activity of teeth of abandoned cattle after the Fukushima accident - teeth as an indicator of environmental pollution. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 183:1-6. [PMID: 29274551 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
90Sr specific activity in the teeth of young cattle that were abandoned in Kawauchi village and Okuma town located in the former evacuation areas of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident were measured. Additionally, specific activity in contaminated surface soils sampled from the same area was measured. (1) All cattle teeth examined were contaminated with 90Sr. The specific activity, however, varied depending on the developmental stage of the teeth during the FNPP accident; teeth that had started development before the accident exhibited comparatively lower values, while teeth developed mainly after the accident showed higher values. (2) Values of 90Sr-specific activity in teeth formed after the FNPP accident were higher than those of the bulk soil but similar to those in the exchangeable fraction (water and CH3COONH4 soluble fractions) of the soil. The findings suggest that 90Sr was incorporated into the teeth during the process of development, and that 90Sr in the soluble and/or leachable fractions of the soil might migrate into teeth and contribute to the amount of 90Sr in the teeth. Thus, the concentration of 90Sr in teeth formed after the FNPP accident might reflect the extent of 90Sr pollution in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasushi Kino
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshihiko Suzuki
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan; International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Mirei Chiba
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Ken Osaka
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan; International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Emiko Isogai
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshitaka Oka
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan; Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Sekine
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan; Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan.
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9
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Koarai K, Kino Y, Takahashi A, Suzuki T, Shimizu Y, Chiba M, Osaka K, Sasaki K, Fukuda T, Isogai E, Yamashiro H, Oka T, Sekine T, Fukumoto M, Shinoda H. (90)Sr in teeth of cattle abandoned in evacuation zone: Record of pollution from the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24077. [PMID: 27045764 PMCID: PMC4820720 DOI: 10.1038/srep24077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we determined the 90Sr concentrations in the teeth of cattle abandoned in the evacuation area of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident. 90Sr activity concentrations in the teeth varied from 6–831 mBq (g Ca)−1 and exhibited a positive relationship with the degree of radioactive contamination that the cattle experienced. Even within an individual animal, the specific activity of 90Sr (Bq (g Sr)−1) varied depending on the development stage of the teeth during the FNPP accident: teeth that were early in development exhibited high 90Sr specific activities, while teeth that were late in development exhibited low specific activities. These findings demonstrate that 90Sr is incorporated into the teeth during tooth development; thus, tooth 90Sr activity concentrations reflect environmental 90Sr levels during tooth formation. Assessment of 90Sr in teeth could provide useful information about internal exposure to 90Sr radiation and allow for the measurement of time-course changes in the degree of environmental 90Sr pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasushi Kino
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshihiko Suzuki
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Mirei Chiba
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Ken Osaka
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Tomokazu Fukuda
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Emiko Isogai
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshitaka Oka
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Sekine
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Manabu Fukumoto
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
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10
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Solecki J, Misztal M, Skupiński S, Solecki M. Determination of radionuclides in samples of middle-aged and older human femurs. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2015; 143:85-90. [PMID: 25752703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.01.021] [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: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The paper presents the studies of the presence of gamma isotopes and (90)Sr in 19 middle-to old-aged human femur samples. The samples were taken up during routine orthopedic operations in 2012. The aim of the paper was determination of some radionuclides in human bones and estimation of radiation dose created by (90)Sr and (90)Y (in bones). The (137)Cs, (40)K, (226)Ra, (228)Th, (234)Th and (210)Pb isotopes were determined by gamma spectrometry. The above mentioned radionuclide contents were in the ranges: (137)Cs (0.04-1.45); (40)K (13-86); (226)Ra (1-21.5); (228)Th (1.4-40.2); (234)Th (0.4-5.7); (210)Pb (0.7-8.4) Bq/kg d.w. (90)Sr was assayed based on radiometric measurement of ingrown (90)Y. The (90)Sr content was in the range 0.27-1.85 Bq/kg d.w. Measurements of concentration of (90)Sr and (90)Y in bones were used to estimation of health risk by calculation of radiation dose. Adsorbed doses ranged from 2.7 · 10(-7) to 1.9 · 10(-6) Gy/y for (90)Sr and from 1.2 · 10(-6) to 8.3 · 10(-7) Gy/y for (90)Y.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Solecki
- Maria Curie Skłodowska University, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Radiochemistry and Colloid Chemistry, Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 2, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
| | - M Misztal
- Department of Trauma Surgery and Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 16, 20 081 Lublin, Poland
| | - S Skupiński
- Maria Curie Skłodowska University, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Radiochemistry and Colloid Chemistry, Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 2, 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
| | - M Solecki
- 2nd Department of General Surgery, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 16, 20 081 Lublin, Poland
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12
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Radioactive isotope analyses of skeletal materials in forensic science: a review of uses and potential uses. Int J Legal Med 2014; 128:685-98. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-014-0970-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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13
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Schrag B, Uldin T, Mangin P, Froidevaux P. Dating human skeletal remains using a radiometric method: biogenic versus diagenetic 90Sr and 210Pb in vertebrae. Forensic Sci Int 2012; 220:271-8. [PMID: 22497702 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Revised: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In forensic science, there is a strong interest in determining the post-mortem interval (PMI) of human skeletal remains up to 50 years after death. Currently, there are no reliable methods to resolve PMI, the determination of which relies almost exclusively on the experience of the investigating expert. Here we measured (90)Sr and (210)Pb ((210)Po) incorporated into bones through a biogenic process as indicators of the time elapsed since death. We hypothesised that the activity of radionuclides incorporated into trabecular bone will more accurately match the activity in the environment and the food chain at the time of death than the activity in cortical bone because of a higher remodelling rate. We found that determining (90)Sr can yield reliable PMI estimates as long as a calibration curve exists for (90)Sr covering the studied area and the last 50 years. We also found that adding the activity of (210)Po, a proxy for naturally occurring (210)Pb incorporated through ingestion, to the (90)Sr dating increases the reliability of the PMI value. Our results also show that trabecular bone is subject to both (90)Sr and (210)Po diagenesis. Accordingly, we used a solubility profile method to determine the biogenic radionuclide only, and we are proposing a new method of bone decontamination to be used prior to (90)Sr and (210)Pb dating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Schrag
- Centre Universitaire Romand de Médecine Légale, 9 avenue de Champel, 1211 Genève, 21 Rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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14
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Chawla F, Steinmann P, Loizeau JL, Hassouna M, Froidevaux P. Binding of ²³⁹Pu and ⁹⁰Sr to organic colloids in soil solutions: evidence from a field experiment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2010; 44:8509-8514. [PMID: 20964354 DOI: 10.1021/es101766g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal transport has been shown to enhance the migration of plutonium in groundwater downstream from contaminated sites, but little is known about the adsorption of ⁹⁰Sr and plutonium onto colloids in the soil solution of natural soils. We sampled soil solutions using suction cups, and separated colloids using ultrafiltration to determine the distribution of ²³⁹Pu and ⁹⁰Sr between the truly dissolved fraction and the colloidal fraction of the solutions of three Alpine soils contaminated only by global fallout from the nuclear weapon tests. Plutonium was essentially found in the colloidal fraction (>80%) and probably associated with organic matter. A significant amount of colloidal ⁹⁰Sr was detected in organic-rich soil solutions. Our results suggest that binding to organic colloids in the soil solutions plays a key role with respect to the mobility of plutonium in natural alpine soils and, to a lesser extent, to the mobility of ⁹⁰Sr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Chawla
- Institute for Radiation Physics, University Hospital Center, and Institute of Mineralogy and Geochemistry, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
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15
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Froidevaux P, Bochud F, Haldimann M. Retention half times in the skeleton of plutonium and 90Sr from above-ground nuclear tests: a retrospective study of the Swiss population. CHEMOSPHERE 2010; 80:519-524. [PMID: 20466404 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2009] [Revised: 04/15/2010] [Accepted: 04/20/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Plutonium and (90)Sr are considered to be among the most radiotoxic nuclides produced by the nuclear fission process. In spite of numerous studies on mammals and humans there is still no general agreement on the retention half time of both radionuclides in the skeleton in the general population. Here we determined plutonium and (90)Sr in human vertebrae in individuals deceased between 1960 and 2004 in Switzerland. Plutonium was measured by sensitive SF-ICP-MS techniques and (90)Sr by radiometric methods. We compared our results to the ones obtained for other environmental compartments to reveal the retention half time of NBT fallout (239)Pu and (90)Sr in trabecular bones of the Swiss population. Results show that plutonium has a retention half time of 40+/-14 years. In contrast (90)Sr has a shorter retention half time of 13.5+/-1.0 years. Moreover (90)Sr retention half time in vertebrae is shown to be linked to the retention half time in food and other environmental compartments. These findings demonstrate that the renewal of the vertebrae through calcium homeostatic control is faster for (90)Sr excretion than for plutonium excretion. The precise determination of the retention half time of plutonium in the skeleton will improve the biokinetic model of plutonium metabolism in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Froidevaux
- University Institute for Radiation Physics, University Hospital Center, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
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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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Angelopoulou M, Vlachou V, Halazonetis D. Fluctuating molar asymmetry in relation to environmental radioactivity. Arch Oral Biol 2009; 54:666-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2009.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2008] [Revised: 03/28/2009] [Accepted: 04/25/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Jungck MHA, Andrey JL, Froidevaux P. Determination of radionuclide levels in rainwater using ion exchange resin and gamma-spectrometry. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2009; 100:361-365. [PMID: 19231044 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2009.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2008] [Revised: 01/16/2009] [Accepted: 01/21/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The evaluation of radioactivity accidentally released into the atmosphere involves determining the radioactivity levels of rainwater samples. Rainwater scavenges atmospheric airborne radioactivity in such a way that surface contamination can be deduced from rainfall rate and rainwater radioactivity content. For this purpose, rainwater is usually collected in large surface collectors and then measured by gamma-spectrometry after such treatments as evaporation or iron hydroxide precipitation. We found that collectors can be adapted to accept large surface (diameter 47mm) cartridges containing a strongly acidic resin (Dowex AG 88) which is able to quantitatively extract radioactivity from rainwater, even during heavy rainfall. The resin can then be measured by gamma-spectrometry. The detection limit is 0.1Bq per sample of resin (80g) for (137)Cs. Natural (7)Be and (210)Pb can also be measured and the activity ratio of both radionuclides is comparable with those obtained through iron hydroxide precipitation and air filter measurements. Occasionally (22)Na has also been measured above the detection limit. A comparison between the evaporation method and the resin method demonstrated that 2/3 of (7)Be can be lost during the evaporation process. The resin method is simple and highly efficient at extracting radioactivity. Because of these great advantages, we anticipate it could replace former rainwater determination methods. Moreover, it does not necessitate the transportation of large rainwater volumes to the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias H A Jungck
- Radioprotection, Consumer Protection, Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland
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Froidevaux P, Haldimann M. Plutonium from above-ground nuclear tests in milk teeth: investigation of placental transfer in children born between 1951 and 1995 in Switzerland. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2008; 116:1731-4. [PMID: 19079728 PMCID: PMC2599771 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.11358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2008] [Accepted: 09/16/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Occupational risks, the present nuclear threat, and the potential danger associated with nuclear power have raised concerns regarding the metabolism of plutonium in pregnant women. OBJECTIVE We measured plutonium levels in the milk teeth of children born between 1951 and 1995 to assess the potential risk that plutonium incorporated by pregnant women might pose to the radiosensitive tissues of the fetus through placenta transfer. METHODS We used milk teeth, whose enamel is formed during pregnancy, to investigate the transfer of plutonium from the mother's blood plasma to the fetus. We measured plutonium using sensitive sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques. We compared our results with those of a previous study on strontium-90 ((90)Sr) released into the atmosphere after nuclear bomb tests. RESULTS Results show that plutonium activity peaks in the milk teeth of children born about 10 years before the highest recorded levels of plutonium fallout. By contrast, (90)Sr, which is known to cross the placenta barrier, manifests differently in milk teeth, in accordance with (90)Sr fallout deposition as a function of time. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that plutonium found in milk teeth is caused by fallout that was inhaled around the time the milk teeth were shed and not from any accumulation during pregnancy through placenta transfer. Thus, plutonium may not represent a radiologic risk for the radiosensitive tissues of the fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Froidevaux
- University Institute of Radiation Physics, University Hospital Center, University of Lausanne, Grand Pré 1, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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