SOLUBILITY AND TRANSFERABILITY OF SEVERAL INDUSTRIAL FORMS OF URANIUM-OXIDES

This study was aimed at determining the solubility of two uranium oxid es (U3O8 and UO2+U(metal)) produced by a new enrichment process using laser technology and at understanding some mechanisms involved in the intracellular particle transformation. The solubility of the two compo unds is lower when they have been phagocytised by alveolar macrophages than in a medium without cells. The addition of new macrophages durin g the culture has permitted the solubility of U3O8 to be tested over 1 4 days in spite of the toxicity of this compound. The biokinetics of u ranium after exposure of rats to UO2+U(metal) have confirmed the in vi tro results. The electron microscopy study and EELS analysis of alveol ar macrophages from rats instilled with both compounds have shown the formation of very thin needles of uranyl phosphate within the lysosome s.