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This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for plutonium. It is one in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. A shorter version, ToxFAQs™, is also available. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This public health statement tells you about plutonium and the effects of exposure to it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in the nation. These sites are then placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for long-term federal clean-up activities. Plutonium has been found in at least 16 of the 1,689 current or former NPL sites. Although the total number of NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known, strict regulations make it unlikely that the number of sites at which plutonium is found would increase in the future as more sites are evaluated. This information is important because these sites may be sources of exposure and exposure to this substance may harm you. When a substance is released from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This release does not always lead to exposure. You are normally exposed to a substance only when you come in contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by skin contact. However, since plutonium is radioactive, you can also be exposed to its radiation if you are near it. External exposure to radiation may occur from natural or man-made sources. Naturally occurring sources of radiation are cosmic radiation from space or radioactive materials in soil or building materials. Manmade sources of radioactive materials are found in consumer products, industrial equipment, atom bomb fallout, and to a smaller extent from hospital waste and nuclear reactors. When you are exposed to plutonium, many factors will determine whether you will be harmed. These factors include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), and how you come in contact with it. You must also consider any other chemicals you are exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health. What is plutonium?Radioactive metal
Exists in various forms called isotopes
Plutonium is not stable
Produced in nuclear power plants and used in nuclear weapons and batteries
What happens to plutonium when it enters the environment?Released during testing of nuclear weapons
Deposited in water or soil
How might I be exposed to plutonium?You may be exposed to plutonium by breathing air, drinking water, or eating food containing plutonium; however, the levels of plutonium in air, water, soil, and food are very low. Soil Average plutonium levels in surface soil from fallout range from 0.01 to 0.1 picocuries (pCi) per gram of soil (1 picocurie equals one-trillionth [10-12] of a curie). Air Plutonium concentrations in air are generally low. Baseline plutonium-239 concentrations in air ranging from 1.6x10-6 to 3.8x10-6 pCi per cubic meter of air (pCi/m3) have been reported. Workplace Persons who work at nuclear fuel and weapons production facilities have a greater chance of being exposed than individuals in the general population. Accident You could be exposed to plutonium if there was an accidental release of plutonium during use. It is very unlikely you would be exposed as the result of a traffic accident or disposal. Plutonium transport containers are virtually indestructible by accident or fire. The disposal site is deep underground and away from the public. How can plutonium enter and leave my body?Plutonium can enter your body when it is inhaled or swallowed
Plutonium in your body will remain there for many years
How can plutonium affect children?This section discusses potential health effects in humans from exposures during the period from conception to maturity at 18 years of age. There are differences between children and adult
Effects in unborn children
How can families reduce the risk of exposure to plutonium?Exposure of the general population to plutonium will be small. Plutonium levels in water, air, and food are generally low in areas that have not been contaminated by accidents or other releases of radioactive materials. Risk for working
Risk near the home
Risk in the air you breathe
Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed to plutonium?Can be measured in urine and feces
Plutonium inside the body can be detected from outside the body
What recommendations has the federal government made to protect human health?The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal agencies that develop regulations for toxic substances include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC). Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to protect public health but cannot be enforced by law. Federal organizations that develop recommendations for toxic substances include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the FDA. Regulations and recommendations can be expressed as "not-to-exceed" levels, that is, levels of a toxic substance in air, water, soil, or food that do not exceed a critical value that is usually based on levels that affect animals; they are then adjusted to levels that will help protect humans. Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal organizations because they used different exposure times (an 8-hour workday, a 24-hour day, or a work-year), different animal studies, or other factors. Recommendations and regulations are also updated periodically as more information becomes available. For the most current information, check with the federal agency or organization that provides it. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) has recommended the following radiation exposure limits for the general public and for workers: General public 0.1 rem/year for the general public and 0.5 rem/year for people who work with patients in nuclear medicine. These regulations are for all forms of radiation combined, so they are not only for plutonium. Workers 5 rem/year for workers in industries where exposure to radiation may occur and 0.5 rem for the pregnancy period following the declaration of pregnancy by a woman in an industry where exposure to radiation may occur. These recommended radiation exposure limits are for all forms of radiation combined and are not specific to plutonium. The limits are expressed in units called rem (roentgen equivalent man). A rem is a radiation unit that expresses the radiation equivalent dose to a particular organ or tissue. The limits on equivalent dose are used to calculate the limits on the amount of radioactive substances that can be inhaled or ingested. ReferencesAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2010. Toxicological profile for Plutonium. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Where can I get more information?If you have questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or environmental quality department or: For more information, contact: ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. Is plutonium is a mixture?Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized.
What kind of substance is plutonium?A radioactive, silvery metal. Plutonium was used in several of the first atomic bombs, and is still used in nuclear weapons.
Is plutonium element or compound?plutonium (Pu), radioactive chemical element of the actinoid series of the periodic table, atomic number 94. It is the most important transuranium element because of its use as fuel in certain types of nuclear reactors and as an ingredient in nuclear weapons.
Is uranium pure or a mixture?Natural uranium as found in the Earth's crust is a mixture largely of two isotopes: uranium-238 (U-238), accounting for 99.3% and uranium-235 (U-235) about 0.7%.
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