Metabolism of Plutonium Introduced As Tri-N-butylphosphate Complex in the Rat and Removal Attempts by Dtpa

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Abstract
The metabolism of plutonium introduced as the Pu-Tri-N-Butylphosphate complex (Pu-TBP) was studied in rats after inhalation, injection and ingestion. Early translocation and distribution of 239Pu in organs for 30–400 days after inhalation exposure are presented. The tracheobronchial clearance was impaired at early times, followed from about one week by clearance from the deep lung as characterized by a half time of 100 days. Skeleton was the main organ for deposition of the transferable fraction. The bone burden reached a plateau value of 10% of Initial Lung Burden (ILB) at 50 days after inhalation, while retention in liver reached 2% of ILB at 50 days and decreased to 0.3% by 1 yr after inhalation. Thirty days after intramuscular injection, translocated plutonium (15% of injected activity) resulted in a skeletal deposit that was 17.5 times higher than the deposit in the liver. By both routes, inhalation and intramuscular injection, 239Pu was transported in the blood as a Pu-transferrin complex. However, therapy with 30 μmol * kg−1 DTPA was ineffective. This result, together with the magnitude of the skeletal deposit observed, indicate that Pu-TBP follows a specific metabolic pathway that results in a Pu-transferrin complex that is more stable than the complexes described after Pu nitrate or citrate contamination. Lastly, absorption of Pu-TBP from the gut was poor, reaching 0.015% of the Pu given by gavage, a value not significantly different from the values assumed by ICRP 30 for class W compounds.