Rapid removal of sodium isotopes from the body following accidental internal contamination
- Resource Type
- Conference
- Authors
- Source
- Conference: IAEA international seminar on diagnosis and treatment of incorporated radionuclides, Vienna, Austria, 8 Dec 1975; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-76
- Subject
- N48610* --Life Sciences--Radionuclide Effects (Internal Source)--Man
N48620 --Life Sciences--Radionuclide Effects (Internal Source)--Animals
560161* --Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies--Radiation Effects--Radionuclide Effects--Internal Source--Man *ACCIDENTS-- CONTAMINATION
*MAN-- RADIATION DOSES
*SODIUM 22-- TOXICITY
*SODIUM 24-- TOXICITY
COOLANTS
EXCRETION
INGESTION
INHALATION
RATS
REACTOR SAFETY
SODIUM
- Language
- English
The extensive use of liquid sodium as the primary coolant for fast breeder reactors presents human safety hazards from both the chemical toxicity of the sodium oxide and the radioactive toxicity of the large quantities of $sup 24$Na and $sup 22$Na in case of a rupture in the liquid sodium piping. Although the effects of the chemical toxicity are expected to be very immediate and more severe, the radioactive toxicity is also of significant concern. Other sources of radioactive sodium contamination exist in the nuclear industry. This paper describes some procedures which can significantly reduce the radiation dose to the body from $sup 24$Na and $sup 22$Na which might be accidentally inhaled or ingested. Studies with rats indicate that the retention time of the sodium isotopes which have exchanged with the body sodium pool can be reduced by a factor of 10 by ingestion of high levels of stable sodium. In addition, the ingestion of a sodium salt at the time or immediately after the inhalation incident could result in at least 60 percent or more of the inhaled radioactive sodium to be excreted before it exchanges with the body sodium pool. The combined effects of both immediate and sustained sodium ingestion in rats can result in a radiation dose from $sup 22$Na of only 4 percent or less of that which would result if no additional salt is administered. The dose reduction for $sup 24$Na would not be as much as that for $sup 22$Na but would be significant. The tolerance for high levels of stable sodium intake in humans will be discussed and optimum intakes will be suggested which will provide the maximum radioactive sodium excretion with minimum harm to the physiological processes of the body. (auth)