Health Physics · 1965 · 10 citations · 0 references
PharmacyToxicologyHeavy Metal ToxicologyOccupational ToxicologyPoisoning ManagementChemical Exposure PreventionDecontamination ProceduresExposure AssessmentHousehold Chemical ExposuresOccupational Exposure ControlPlutonium ManagementChemical Exposure At WorkHuman Poisoning CasesPlutonium Contamination Control
Two cases of plutonium exposure are reported. Both cases were given prompt DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) treatments. In Case 1, an employee was sprayed with a plutonium nitrate solution. Plutonium entered his body via ingestion, inhalation and absorption through small acid burns on the skin. In Case 2, an employee's thumb was pierced by a wire contaminated with plutonium oxide. The plutonium levels in their urine, feces and blood were measured regularly. The effectiveness of the DTPA treatments was markedly different in the two cases. The DTPA was very successful in removing the soluble plutonium in Case 1. In Case 2, however, the effectiveness of the treatment was inconclusive.