Evaluation of Pb-210 in urine and frequency of micronuclei in exfoliated cells as indicators of exposure to cigarettes.

This study aimed at analyzing the frequency of micronuclei (MN) in exfoliated cells as well as the levels of Pb-210 in urine samples to evaluate the association between the smoking habit and toxic stress of transitional epithelial cells. The frequency of MN was scored from Giemsa-stained slides while exchange resin and beta counting techniques were employed to measure the concentrations of this radioisotope. Urine samples of smokers had levels of Pb-210 up to 158.65 mBq L-1. For nonsmokers, the median was below the detection limit (45 mBq L-1). The analyses of mononucleated cells showed a significant increase of the frequency of MN in smokers when compared to nonsmokers. Statistical tests showed a tight relation between the cigarette consumption and the increase of the frequency of MN, rather than with the levels of Pb-210 present in smoke particles. The results indicate the usefulness of the methodology for the evaluation of human health risks related to chronic contamination with Pb-210.

Excretion rates of 210Po and 210Pb in Prague inhabitants.

Excretion rates of (210)Po and (210)Pb in the urine were investigated in 40 healthy inhabitants of Prague (22 males, 18 females, age: 23-70 y, non-smokers). In 20 inhabitants the excretion rates of (210)Po and (210)Pb in faeces were also studied. The mean urinary excretion rates of (210)Po and (210)Pb were 4.1 and 6.0 mBq d(-1), respectively. It was demonstrated, statistically, that the urinary excretion rates of (210)Po and (210)Pb are higher in men than those in women. The highest excretion rates of (210)Po and (210)Pb found in the participants were 10.8 and 16.6 mBq d(-1), respectively. The mean activity ratio of (210)Po/(210)Pb in the urine was 0.73. The mean excretion rates of (210)Po and (210)Pb in faeces were 56.5 and 54.6 mBq d(-1). The mean activity ratio of (210)Po/(210)Pb in faeces was 1.0.

Natural variation in 210Po and 210Pb activity concentrations in the urine of Finnish population groups.

A study to determine activity concentrations of (210)Pb and (210)Po in the urine of certain Finnish population groups was conducted, to investigate the variation in natural background level of urinary excretion. The study participants were divided into three groups mainly based on their diet. The first group comprised recreational fishermen and the second group represented people consuming more reindeer meat than an average Finn, while people using drinking water with very high activity concentrations of (210)Po were selected for the third group. The fourth group was a control group. The mean urinary excretion of (210)Po in groups 1 and 2 was 73 and 100 mBq d(-1), respectively. These values were higher than the value of the control group (20 mBq d(-1)) and the mean values reported in the literature. The mean daily urinary excretion of (210)Pb in groups 1 and 2, 70 and 52 mBq d(-1), was also slightly higher than that in the control group (32 mBq d(-1)). In contrast, the excretion rates of both (210)Po and (210)Pb for the members of group 3 were one to two orders of magnitude higher than those reported in the literature. This was clearly due to the elevated levels of natural radionuclides in their drinking water. The present study demonstrates the importance of possessing good knowledge of the background levels, in order to allow the determination of the additional exposure due, for example, to the malevolent use of radiation.

210Pb: a predictive biomarker of retrospective cigarette smoke exposure.

Although cigarette smoking continues to occur worldwide, there are few methods available to assess a person's retrospective exposure to mainstream smoke. The tobacco of cigarettes contains trace quantities of radioactive 210Pb and 210Po, which are volatilized and inhaled when a cigarette is smoked. It was hypothesized that urinary 210Pb and 210Po activity concentrations could be used as biomarkers of exposure to mainstream tobacco smoke. Human subjects (n = 250) were recruited from Beijing, China, and reported their smoking habits. Each subject provided a 24-hour urine sample, which was assayed for its 210Pb and 210Po activity concentrations. Although the urinary 210Po activity from smoking was very low compared with background levels, the urinary 210Pb activity correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD; rho = 0.38, P < 0.001) and the urinary cotinine concentration (rho = 0.52, P < 0.001). In a linear regression model, a 1-unit increase in CPD was associated with an increase of 0.13 mBq in urinary 210Pb activity. In a logistic regression model, a 1-unit increase in urinary 210Pb activity was associated with an estimated 25% increase in the odds of being a smoker. These data were modeled using the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and biokinetic models of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. When the final model was applied for a long-term smoker (20 CPD) that suddenly quits, the predicted urinary activity decreased to 50% of the steady-state activity in about 90 days. Based on this half-time estimate and the regression results, urinary 210Pb can be used to assess the probability of having smoked in the past months.

Estimation of human exposure to natural radionuclides using in vivo skull measurements.

In a preliminary study, in vivo skull measurements and in vitro urine measurements of 210Pb and nulU have been performed to find out the individual, chronic exposure to waterborne natural radionuclides of a small group of Finnish people. For their domestic water, the studied individuals use water from drilled wells containing elevated concentrations of natural uranium and its daughter nuclides ((234,235,238)U, 222Rn, (226,228)Ra, 210Po, 210Pb). Enhanced 210Pb and 235U activities were observed in several people. A positive correlation is observed between the U concentration in urine (microg d(-1)) and the number of counts (cpm) in the gamma ray energy peaks originating from the decay of 235U and 234Th respectively. Calibration of the detector set-up and the determination of background sources are in progress.

Human occupational radioactive contamination from the use of phosphated fertilizers.

210Po and 210Pb concentrations in urine, hair and skin smear samples from individuals using phosphated fertilizers have been compared with a control group of occupationally unexposed individuals. Urine and hair samples of the test group showed slightly higher concentrations of 210Po and 210Pb than those observed for the control group. These concentrations remained, however, lower than those for uranium mine workers. Skin smear values indicated contamination by direct contact with dust from fertilizers and this may contribute to skin cancer induction in this risk population.

Concentrations of 210Pb and 210Po in hair and urine of workers, of the uranium mine at Poços de Caldas (Brazil).

210Po and 210Pb concentrations in urine and hair samples from individuals working in different areas of the uranium industrial complex of Poços de Caldas (Brazil) have been determined and compared with a control group of occupationally unexposed individuals. In the control group, smokers showed higher urinary excretion of these radionuclides. Such difference could not be detected in the workers group, which showed an increase in urinary excretion of 210Po for the group working in the chemical laboratory. Accumulation of 210Po and 210Pb in hair showed the same trends as for urinary excretion. The workers group, with the exception of the office employees, showed a 210Po/210Pb ratio > 1 in hair.

Long-term retention of 210Pb in man: a unique case of internal contamination.

Knowledge of the long-term effective half-life of 210Pb in man is essential for estimating the cumulative exposure to inhaled short-lived radon daughters from measured values of the 210Pb skeletal burden. For this purpose, the effective half-life has been obtained from sequential measurements of 210Pb made in vivo during a 10-y period and by bioassay of 210Pb excreted in the urine of an individual with a 43-y-old body burden. The long-term effective half-lives obtained by these two methods were 18.1 +/- 4.8 y and 15.8 +/- 0.8 y, respectively. These values are not very different from the estimate of 12.3 y previously adopted by the ICRP.

[Scavenging effect of EDTA-fluorocarbon microspheres on 210lead].

EDTA-fluorocarbon microspheres (EDTAFM), calcium disodium ethylene diaminetetraacetate (CaNa2EDTA), calcium- or zinc-diethylene triamine pentaacetate (Ca- or Zn-DTPA) were investigated for their ability to treat experimental lead intoxication in mice. The 48 ICR mice were divided into six groups. Group I = no treatment; The other groups were injected with single ip doses of 210Pb (10 mg Pb2+ +555 kBq/kg). After 24 h they were injected in the tail vein with the chelating agents (20 mg/kg) or an equal volume of 10% glucose (10 mg/kg). Each mouse was housed in one metabolic cage, and urine was collected daily for 3 d. After 3 d, the mice were sacrificed for comparison of lead distribution within the liver, kidney, femur and the entire carcass as measured by 0.047 Mev gamma emission from 210Pb. The results reveal that injection of EDTA-FM to lead poisoned mice pretreated with 210Pb was more effective than Zn- or Ca-DTPA and CaNa2EDTA in reducing the lead induced inhibition in the activity of blood ALAD, and that it increased the excretion of 210Pb into the urine. The hepatic, renal and femur 210Pb contents after treatment with EDTAFM were much more decreased than Zn- or Ca-DTPA and CaNa2-EDTA. The order of effectiveness was EDTAFM greater than Zn-DTPA greater than Ca-DTPA greater than CaNa2-EDTA.