ABSTRACT
"Spot samples" of urine are routinely used to monitor occupational exposure to uranium and other toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, and cadmium. In the present work, it was shown that diurnal variations in the uranium concentration in different urine samples from the same individual could be quite large. However, these variations were in correlation to the creatinine level of the same samples, with values of R = 0.72-0.99, for the five subjects studied here. Thus, it is proposed here that uranium concentrations in "spot" urine samples be expressed in terms of ng uranium g(-1) creatinine rather than ng uranium L(-1). Once the 24-h creatinine level is estimated for the individual based on weight, height and age, the adjusted values can be used for determination of the internal dose of uranium.
