Limitations of tissue analyses in estimating the initial exposures to the workers for thorium, uranium and plutonium and their internal dose estimates

The present paper deals with the following questions: Can a piece of any ti ssue or organ obtained at autopsies and/or biopsies be analyzed to predict the organ and/or body burden, initial exposures, and the committed dose equ ivalents to the workers or retired workers from exposures to thorium, urani um, and plutonium and what are the consequences of using such materials in predicting the initial exposures and the dose estimates? Based on the studi es of the distribution of uranium and thorium in former uranium miners and millers, the distribution of plutonium in general population, and several o ther studies dealing with the distribution of actinides in man, it is reaso nable to state that the utilization of tissue analyses for estimating the i nitial exposure to the workers may have serious limitations. The regulatory agencies must restrict the conditional utilization of tissue analyses in e stimating exposures to the workers for thorium, uranium, and plutonium.