RESUMO
Polonium-210 ((210)Po) concentration was quantified in the muscle tissue and organs of two predatory marine fishes (Genypterus brasiliensis and Cynoscion microlepidotus) from Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The species C. microlepidotus, a benthic carnivore, registered higher (210)Po in its tissue. The organs associated with digestion displayed the maximum radionuclide compared with other organs. The average activity was 2 mBq kg(-1) for G. brasiliensis and it was 6 mBq kg(-1) for C. microlepidotus. The activity concentrations varied significantly between the species and among organs.
Assuntos
Exposição Ambiental , Peixes/metabolismo , Polônio/metabolismo , Poluentes Radioativos da Água/metabolismo , Animais , Brasil , Monitoramento de Radiação , Especificidade da EspécieRESUMO
210Po and 210Pb concentrations in urine, hair and skin smear samples from individuals using phosphated fertilizers have been compared with a control group of occupationally unexposed individuals. Urine and hair samples of the test group showed slightly higher concentrations of 210Po and 210Pb than those observed for the control group. These concentrations remained, however, lower than those for uranium mine workers. Skin smear values indicated contamination by direct contact with dust from fertilizers and this may contribute to skin cancer induction in this risk population.
Assuntos
Fertilizantes , Cabelo/química , Radioisótopos de Chumbo/análise , Exposição Ocupacional/análise , Fosfatos , Polônio/análise , Pele/química , Monitoramento Ambiental , Humanos , Radioisótopos de Chumbo/urina , Polônio/urinaRESUMO
210Po and 210Pb concentrations in urine and hair samples from individuals working in different areas of the uranium industrial complex of Poços de Caldas (Brazil) have been determined and compared with a control group of occupationally unexposed individuals. In the control group, smokers showed higher urinary excretion of these radionuclides. Such difference could not be detected in the workers group, which showed an increase in urinary excretion of 210Po for the group working in the chemical laboratory. Accumulation of 210Po and 210Pb in hair showed the same trends as for urinary excretion. The workers group, with the exception of the office employees, showed a 210Po/210Pb ratio > 1 in hair.
Assuntos
Cabelo/química , Radioisótopos de Chumbo/análise , Mineração , Exposição Ocupacional/análise , Polônio/análise , Urânio , Adulto , Brasil , Comportamento Alimentar , Feminino , Humanos , Radioisótopos de Chumbo/urina , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Polônio/urina , Fumar/efeitos adversosRESUMO
Contamination of vegetables and associates soils by 210Pb, originating either by natural fallout from uranium or by the processing mills of Poços de Caldas (CIPC), State of Minas Gerais, Brazil is estimated by comparison with similar control samples collected from areas distant from the mining and milling operations. For lichens and bryophytes, the mean values of 210Pb concentrations were significantly higher than those of the control region. Similarly, vegetables and soils from kitchen-gardens located near the mill contained much higher concentrations of 210Pb than those observed for other regions.
Assuntos
Radioisótopos de Chumbo/análise , Mineração , Poluentes Radioativos do Solo/análise , Solo/análise , Urânio , Verduras/química , BrasilRESUMO
Data are presented for 210Pb and 210Po concentrations in three species of molluscs collected in the intertidal region of the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lead-210 activity in the soft tissue of the edible mussel Perna perna was 20 times higher than that found in its shell. The visceral mass contained the largest activity for both radionuclides, which is attributed to the feeding habits of the molluscs. Animals collected from Ponta Negra beach (open sea) showed higher concentrations of isotopes than those collected from Boa Viagem beach (within Guanabara Bay).
Assuntos
Bivalves/química , Radioisótopos de Chumbo/análise , Polônio/análise , Animais , Brasil , Água do Mar , Distribuição TecidualRESUMO
Bunodosoma caissarum, a carnivorous marine species exclusive to the Brazilian southern coast, recognized as a sensitive bioindicator of artificial radioactive pollution, also shows a great capacity for concentrating natural alpha-emitters. The authors have measured the alpha-emitters 210Po and its precursor 210Pb in this animal. The average concentrations found are greater (by a factor of 4.6) for 210Po measured in samples gathered on Ponta Negra Beach (protected outer coast) than the values obtained in specimens collected on Boa Viagem Beach (closed bay) along the Rio de Janeiro coast, Brazil. The same was also found for 210Pb (a factor of 2.5).