DETERMINATION OF PB-210 AND PO-210 IN HUMAN TISSUES OF JAPANESE

To determine the levels of210Pb and210Po in human tissues of people in Japan, various tissue samples were obtained at autopsy from the cadavers of 22 oncologic cases, mainly in Niigata Prefecture in northern Japan, from 1986 to 1988. Wet ashing, followed by electrochemical deposition and alpha spectrometry were used to separate and determine the210Pb and210Po present. Among the tissues analyzed, the highest concentrations of210Pb and210Po were observed in bone (sternum), liver, and kidneys. The total body burden of210Pb and210Po was found to be approximately 427 pCi and 514 pCi, respectively. This estimated210Po value did not differ significantly from values found in populations in the U.S.A. and European countries. © 1990 Akadémiai Kiadó.