Practical action levels for chelation therapy in plutonium inhalation using nose swab

Kurihara, Osamu; Takada, Chie ; Takasaki, Koji  ; Ito, Kimio ; Momose, Takumaro  ; Miyabe, Kenjiro

Practical action levels for beginning chelation therapy to remove plutonium in the body are now under discussion in Japan since there has been no experience in administrating agents to a subject in accidental intake in Japan although a first commercial reprocessing plant is about to start operation. Recently, International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) proposed some medical intervention levels for chelation therapy on ICRP Publication 96. These levels are determined based on internal dose however common monitoring methods such as lung counting or excreta analysis are not necessarily suitable in terms of both sensitivity and promptness. As an alternative, the authors paid attention to nose swabs and introduced the practical action levels.