HEMODIALYSIS AS A POTENTIAL METHOD FOR THE DECONTAMINATION OF PERSONSEXPOSED TO RADIOCESIUM

Radiocesium may be deposited in the environment as a result of acciden ts in nuclear installations, for example, as in Chernobyl, Significant internal contamination with radiocesium poses a serious risk to human health, and, therefore, expedient removal is essential to reduce the radiation body burden, In vitro hemodialysis was tested as a potential method to remove radiocesium from a pasteurized plasma solution of bo vine or human blood. Clearance values were calculated by a flow indepe ndent method. Hemodialysis appears to be a good method to remove radio cesium from blood: within 4 h more than 90% of the administered radioc esium is removed from blood or plasma, Radiocesium in dialysis fluid c an be concentrated on Prussian Blue coated columns that were tested pr eviously for hemoperfusion. Radioactive waste disposal problems can be solved by concentration of radiocesium on these columns, In vise expe riments are necessary to confirm these in vitro results.