THE ACTION OF SALTS OF ZIRCONIUM AND OTHER METALS ON PLUTONIUM AND YTTRIUM DISTRIBUTION AND EXCRETION

¹ Division of Biological and Medical Research, Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, Illinois

1. Treatment of rats with zirconium prior to injection of plutonium (Pu²³⁹) and yttrium (Y⁹¹) lowered the amount of Pu and Y subsequently deposited in the skeleton and increased the amount of Pu in the kidneys. The deposition of both Pu and Y in the bone was correlated with the length of time between pretreatment and their injection.

2. Zr injected 24 hours after Pu and Y prevented further deposition of the radioelements in bone, but had no other observable effect on their organ distribution.

3. In addition to Zr other hydrolyzable elements—manganese, iron, titanium, aluminum, and thorium—reduced bone deposition of Pu, but had various effects on the amounts deposited in other organs. Al and Th increased the Pu content of the liver and other soft tissues. Non-hydrolyzable magnesium had no significant effect on the distribution of either Pu or Y.

4. The mechanism by which salts of Zr and other hydrolyzable elements may affect Pu and Y metabolism is discussed. This includes adsorption of the radioelement on colloidal aggregates in the circulation and the relation between particle sue and the resulting distribution of the aggregate plus adsorbed radioelement.