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G.E. Dagle, J.F. Park, E.S. Gilbert, R.E. Weller, Risk Estimates for Lung Tumours from Inhaled 239PuO2, 238PuO2, and 239Pu(NO3)4 in Beagle Dogs, Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Volume 26, Issue 1-4, 1 January 1989, Pages 173–176, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a080399
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Abstract
Lung cancer risks are being studied in beagle dogs given single exposures to aerosols of 239PuO2, 238PuO2, or 239Pu(NO3)4. A major objective of these studies is to examine the risk of lung cancer relative to the specific activity of the radionuclide, rate of dose accumulation due to differences in solubilities of the radionuclides, and the presence of competing risk from extrapulmonary lesions. Dose-response relationships were studied for the three groups of dogs, with analyses specifically designed to evaluate differences in response. Based on estimated cumulative dose to the lung, risks were found to differ significantly among the radionuclides; they were highest for 239Pu(NO3)4 and lowest for 238PuO2. A model in which the risk was assumed to be a pure quadratic function of dose fitted the data much better than a pure linear model. Currently, all three groups of dogs can be compared only to 10 years after exposure. However, it is apparent that the average cumulative dose to the lung may not be an adequate predictor of lung cancer risk for different isotopic and physicochemical forms of plutonium.