Determination of Atto- to Femtogram Levels of Americium and Curium Isotopes in Large-Volume Urine Samples by Compact Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.

Ultralow level analysis of actinides in urine samples may be required for dose assessment in the event of internal exposures to these radionuclides at nuclear facilities and nuclear power plants. A new bioassay method for analysis of sub-femtogram levels of Am and Cm in large-volume urine samples was developed. Americium and curium were co-precipitated with hydrous titanium oxide from the urine matrix and purified by column chromatography separation. After target preparation using mixed titanium/iron oxides, the final sample was measured by compact accelerator mass spectrometry. Urine samples spiked with known quantities of Am and Cm isotopes in the range of attogram to femtogram levels were measured for method evaluation. The results are in good agreement with the expected values, demonstrating the feasibility of compact accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for the determination of minor actinides at the levels of attogram/liter in urine samples to meet stringent sensitivity requirements for internal dosimetry assessment.

RETROSPECTIVE METHOD VALIDATION AND UNCERTAINTY ESTIMATION FOR ACTINIDES DETERMINATION IN EXCRETA BY ALPHA SPECTROMETRY.

Two essential technical requirements of ISO 17025 guide for accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories are the validation of methods and the estimation of all sources of uncertainty that may affect the analytical result. Bioelimination Laboratory from Radiation Dosimetry Service of CIEMAT (Spain) uses alpha spectrometry to quantify alpha emitters (Pu, Am, Th, U and Cm isotopes) in urine and faecal samples from workers exposed to internal radiation. Therefore and as a step previous to achieving the ISO 17025 accreditation, the laboratory has performed retrospective studies based on the obtained results in the past few years to validate the analytical method. Uncertainty estimation was done identifying and quantifying all the contributions, and finally the overall combined standard uncertainty was calculated.

AN INTERLABORATORY COMPARISON ON THE DETERMINATION OF 241Am, 244Cm AND 252Cf IN URINE.

An intercomparison exercise on the determination of (241)Am, (244)Cm and (252)Cf in urine was performed. Since it was designed with regard to emergency preparedness, the detection limit for each nuclide was set to 0.1 Bq per 24-h urine sample. Most of the participating laboratories were established bioassay laboratories. However, some laboratories that routinely determine (241)Am only in environmental samples were also invited in order to explore their potential for emergency bioassay analysis. Another aspect of the intercomparison was to investigate the performance of all laboratories concerning the chemical yields of the (243)Am tracer in comparison with (244)Cm and (252)Cf. In summary, both types of laboratories showed good results. There was a negative bias for the results of (244)Cm and (252)Cf, which can be explained by slightly different radiochemical behaviours of americium, curium and californium and which is in agreement with results reported in the literature.

Curium(III) citrate speciation in biological systems: a europium(III) assisted spectroscopic and quantum chemical study.

Citrate complexes are the dominant binding form of trivalent actinides and lanthanides in human urine at pH < 6. Hence, an accurate prediction of the speciation of these elements in the presence of citrate is crucial for the understanding of their impact on the metabolism of the human organism and the corresponding health risks. We studied the complexation of Cm(III) and Eu(III), as representatives of trivalent actinides and lanthanides, respectively, in aqueous citrate solution over a wide pH range using time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Four distinct citrate complexes were identified and their stability constants were determined, which are MHCit(0), M(HCitH)HCit(2-), M(HCit)(2)(3-), and M(Cit)(2)(5-) (M = Cm, Eu). Additionally, there were also indications for the formation of MCit(-) complexes. Structural details on the EuHCit(0) and EuCit(-) complexes were obtained with FT-IR spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory calculations. IR spectroscopic evidence for the deprotonation of the hydroxyl group of the citrate ion in the EuCit(-) complex is presented, which also revealed that the complexation of the Eu(3+) ion takes place not only through the carboxylate groups, like in EuHCit(0), but additionally via the hydroxylate group. In both EuHCit(0) and EuCit(-) the carboxylate binding mode is mono-dentate. Under a very low metal : citrate ratio that is typical for human body fluids, the Cm(III) and Eu(III) speciation was found to be strongly pH-dependent. The Cm(III) and Eu(III) citrate complexes dominant in human urine at pH < 6 were identified to be Cm(HCitH)HCit(2-) and a mixture of Eu(HCitH)HCit(2-) and EuHCit(0). The results specify our previous in vitro study using natural human urine samples (Heller et al., Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2011, 24, 193-203).

Chemical speciation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides in biological fluids: the dominant in vitro binding form of curium(III) and europium(III) in human urine.

Radionuclides represent a serious health risk to humans in the case of incorporation. To elucidate the potential of time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) to determine the dominant radionuclide species in natural biofluids, we investigated the in vitro speciation of curium(III) in human urine samples. Because in speciation studies trivalent lanthanides are often used as analogues for trivalent actinides, we also probed the suitability of this theory by investigating the speciation of europium(III) in human urine. Comparison with reference spectra of both heavy metals in model urine and of their complexes with single organic and inorganic urine constituents then allowed for the determination of the dominant species. Furthermore, the chemical composition of all urine samples was analyzed, and the parameters affecting the speciation of the metals were determined. The pH was found to be the most important parameter because for both, the actinide and the lanthanide, two analogue species were identified in dependence on the pH. In samples with slightly acidic pH a curium(III) and europium(III) citrate complex dominates, respectively, whereas in samples with near-neutral pH a higher complex with phosphate and calcium as the main ligands and the additional participation of citrate and/or carbonate is formed in each case. Comparison with thermodynamic modeling yields some discrepancies, especially at higher pH, which is due to a lack of data for the complex formation of the higher species for both heavy metals. Nevertheless, TRLFS has proven to be a suitable method for the direct determination of the dominant heavy metal species in untreated natural human urine samples.

Measurements of actinide gut-transfer factors in humans.

Measurements have been made of the gastrointestinal absorption in humans of 239Np and 242Cm administered together in citrate media. Using five volunteers, consistent results of (2.0 +/- 0.2) x 10(-4) and (1.7 +/- 0.3) x 10(-4) were obtained for Np and Cm respectively; the quoted uncertainties are the standard errors of the means. A progress report is given of work to measure the f1 value for Pu in humans. Early work suggests an f1 value of 2 x 10(-4).

Biokinetics and dosimetry of inhaled Cm aerosols in beagles: effect of aerosol chemical form.

This study was designed to provide tissue distribution data of 244Cm that was inhaled by beagle dogs. Two chemical forms that were presumed to bracket the solubility of pure Cm compounds in vivo were used: 244Cm2O3 (oxide) and 244Cm(NO3)3 (nitrate). Adult dogs of both sexes received a single brief pernasal exposure to either a monodisperse aerosol of 244Cm2O3 (1.4 micron activity median aerodynamic diameter, AMAD, and 1.16 geometric standard deviation, sigma g) or a polydisperse aerosol of 244Cm(NO3)3 (1.1 micron AMAD, 1.74 sigma g). The resulting initial pulmonary burdens (IPB) were 1.5 and 1.7 kBq kg-1 body mass for the oxide and nitrate groups, respectively. The tissue distribution data obtained from the dogs that were serially sacrificed from 4 h to 2 y after exposure showed that both chemical forms were very soluble in vivo. For the oxide group, 78% IPB was cleared from the lung with a T 1/2 of 7.6 d, whereas for the nitrate group, 42% IPB cleared with a T 1/2 of 0.6 d. The lung retention for each group was described by three-component exponential functions. Most of the Cm that cleared the lung was redeposited in the liver (37% IPB) and skeleton (27% IPB), with lesser amounts in the muscle, fat and connective tissue (3.5% IPB) and kidney (approximately 2% IPB). The only significant difference noted in the biokinetics of Cm for the two exposure groups was a more rapid translocation of Cm from the lung to liver and bone during the first 10-20 d after exposure to the nitrate compared to the oxide chemical form. Extrapolation of these data to obtain estimates of committed dose equivalents for man indicate substantial agreement with the limits for occupational exposure specified by ICRP 30 (1979).

Biokinetics of inhaled 244Cm oxide in the rat: effect of heat treatment at 1150 degrees C.

A study was conducted in rats to determine solubility and subsequent metabolism of an inhaled aerosol of curium treated at high temperatures. Young adult Fischer-344 rats received a single inhalation exposure to one of three monodisperse aerosols of 244Cm2O3 (0.70, 1.3, or 2.6 micron activity median aerodynamic diameter) heat-treated at 1150 degrees C. Animals were maintained individually in metabolism cages for excreta collection and serially sacrificed in groups of two male and two female rats from 2 to 33 days after inhalation exposure. Additionally an injection study with curium citrate was done to define the systemic behavior of Cm in this rat model. The in vivo solubility was inversely related to the aerosol particle size. The relationship of the results of this study to results from other experimental inhalation studies with curium oxide aerosols is discussed, as is the relevance to bioassay interpretation and risk assessment in man.

The mobility of curium-244 dioxide in the bronchially intubated rat.

The mobility of curium dioxide in the rat after pulmonary intubation has been investigated by administering suspensions containing different particle size ranges of the oxide. A major factor influencing the movement of curium from lungs to blood is the formation of hydroxide or hydrous oxide particles about 0.001 micrometer in diameter. This process is sufficiently rapid for the lung clearance kinetics of the dioxide to resemble those of a soluble compound more closely than those of an insoluble one. Filtration of 0.001 micrometer particles through the kidneys results in considerably enhanced excretion of curium relative to administered curium citrate. It is concluded that current metabolic models, which assume that solubility in the lung is a prerequisite for transport in body fluids, do not adequately describe the behaviour of curium fromthe standpoint of radiological protection.