Macrodistribution of plutonium and americium in four human skeletons

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Abstract
Three human half-skeletons were radiochemically analysed by the United States Transuranium Registry (USTR) for 239Pu+240Pu and 241Am and another was analysed for 241Am only. The distribution of activity in individual bones or groups of bones has been characterised as a percentage of the total skeletal content and compared with published distributions reported for primates (baboons and monkeys) and human injection cases. Americium and plutonium distributions in the four skeletons were similar; however, there was somewhat less variability in the plutonium data for the individual bones. In humans, the skull, tarsals (as a group), humeri, scapulae and patellae contained the most consistent percentages of the total skeletal activity and can be individually used to estimate total skeletal content. The patella is particularly suitable because of the ease with which this bone can be obtained at autopsy. The greatest variations in the fraction of the total skeletal activity were found in the mandible, sacrum, coccyx and sternum.