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H. Métivier, R. Masse, G. Rateau, D. Nolibé, J. Lafuma, New Data on the Toxicity and Translocation of Inhaled 239PuO2 in Baboons, Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Volume 26, Issue 1-4, 1 January 1989, Pages 167–172, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a080398
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Abstract
In 1973-1974, baboons were exposed to a polydispersed aerosol of 239PuO2, prepared at 1000 oC, at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique in France. The data published in 1978 for these baboons were used by Bair et al (1980), for comparison with those obtained in beagles exposed to 239PuO2 at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, USA. Since our 1978 publication, 8 baboons have died or were killed by euthanasia when moribund, and 11 were still alive when the present report was drafted. Two of the eight baboons died of lung squamous cell carcinoma at 2171 and 2528 days respectively (their initial lung burdens were 1 and 1.9 kBq.g-1 (26 and 50.5 nCi.g-1). The remaining 6 died of fibrosis, interstital pneumonia or diseases unrelated to Pu toxicity. The relationship observed in the eight baboons between initial lung burden and survival time shows that their lifespan was longer than expected from the data curve based on the findings for the first 1000 days. However, this increased survival time was not observed if the lifespan was expressed as a function of the average lung burden.
