COMBINATION OF ENERGY-DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROMETRY AND AUTORADIOGRAPHY FOR PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF INHALED ACTINIDE OXIDE

We have developed a technique using combined light and electron micros copy to characterize both a activity and the chemical composition of i nhaled actinide oxides. Rats were exposed to industrial (U, Pu)O-2 aer osols, and the alveolar macrophages were extracted 3 days after inhala tion by pulmonary lavage. The distribution of the a activity per parti cle was measured on autoradiographs using nuclear emulsion. Solid trac k detectors were used to vizualize << hot spots >> on grids. The super position of the autoradiograph and the grid images with reference patt erns obtained after light microscopy observation allowed easy identifi cation, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS) allowed analysi s of particles of high a activity by electron microscopy.