Comparison of systemic plutonium deposition estimates from urinalysis and autopsy data in five whole-body donors

The systemic deposition of (239 + 240)Pu was determined by postmortem radiochemical analysis of the tissues from five whole-body donors to the United States Transuranium Registry (USTR). All were males with intakes typically occurring many years prior to death. The postmortem radiochemical results were compared with estimates of systemic deposition made with 13 different biokinetic models using urinary excretion data obtained during life. In general, estimates made with older biokinetic models were severalfold greater than those obtained from radiochemical analysis of the tissues. For all five cases, agreement within a factor of two with the tissue analysis results was obtained with two of the biokinetic models evaluated: the Langham power function model as modified by Leggett and Eckerman and the two compartment exponential model proposed in ICRP Publication Nos. 19 and 30.