I. Cesium-137 Metabolism in Man

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Abstract
The main pathway of Cs137 excretion in man after either intravenous or oral administration is via the kidney; the ratio of urinary to fecal excretion is approximately 10:1. Orally administered Cs137 is rapidly and almost completely absorbed. The metabolism of the radioisotope was shown to be similar after either intravenous or oral administration. Cs137 disappears very rapidly from plasma and is taken up by red cells. The biological half-life of cesium in man, determined by analyses of excreta of 2 patients, was found to be 50 and 60 days, respectively. These values are similar to the biological half-lives obtained by long-term whole-body counting studies. The tissue distribution of Cs137 in man decreases with time, and the concentration is fairly uniform in the soft tissues by 10 days. Attempts to enhance the excretion rate of Cs137 with diuretics, corticosteroids, and ion-exchange resins were unsuccessful.