EXTRACTION OF PU FROM RAT BONE BY FORMIC-ACID GUANIDINE TREATMENT AFTER INTRAVENOUS PU-238-CITRATE ADMINISTRATION - INFLUENCE OF TIME AFTERCONTAMINATION AND OF A CHRONIC DTPA TREATMENT

A formic acid/guanidine treatment was used to characterize the kinetic s of Pu extraction from bone powder at different times after Pu contam ination, and after DTPA treatment. Male Sprague-Dawley were contaminat ed by intravenous injection of 37 kBq Pu-238(IV)-citrate either at 3 o r 6 months of age. DTPA treatment was performed between days 42 and 72 post-contamination by adding Zn-DTPA to the drinking water. The anima ls were killed 2 or 85 days after contamination. Significant differenc es in the extraction kinetics of Pu were observed depending on age, ti me post-contamination and DTPA treatment. This method allows us to est imate the Pu internalization in the bone volume with increasing time p ost-contamination and the preferential Pu decorporation of bone surfac es by the DTPA treatment. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.