Assaying depleted uranium in bones in-situ using a non-invasive x-ray fluorescence technique (original) (raw)

Advances in X-Ray Analysis

Abstract

The occupational exposure to uranium associated with milling and fabrication of depleted uranium is presently assessed from bioassay of urine samples. The evaluation of the body-burden of uranium from urine analysis has many difficulties and uncertainties associated with accounting for the bio-transport of inhaled uranium particles from the lungs, to absorption in the blood and excretion through the kidneys. The chemical toxicity of uranium and other transuranic elements is not fully understood, partially because of the difficulty of assessing the body burden of these metals in-situ. The transuranic elements are known to be deposited and retained in bone. A non-invasive X-ray fluorescence technique has been developed to assay the depleted uranium in bones in-situ. The K-shell electrons in uranium, which have a binding energy of 115.6 keV, are excited by the 122 and 136 keV gamma rays from a Co-57 source. A liquid N{sub 2} cooled intrinsic Ge-detector is employed to measure the chara...

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