curium-oxide and plutonium-dioxide

The reactions of 1 nm particles of plutonium-238 dioxide and curium-244 dioxide with rat lung fluid have been studied both in vitro and in vivo. The plutonium-238 particles are positively charged and combine by electrostatic attraction with the negative pulmonary surfactant which mediates the transfer of radioactivity to the blood. In contrast the curium-244 particles are negative and are assumed to diffuse passively through the alveolar walls. The results emphasise that electrostatic charge is an important factor governing the reaction of 1 nm actinide oxide particles with macromolecules.

Topics: Actinoid Series Elements; Aerosols; Animals; Chromatography, Gel; Curium; Diffusion; Electricity; Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate; Female; Lung; Osmolar Concentration; Particle Size; Plutonium; Pulmonary Alveoli; Pulmonary Surfactants; Rats; Time Factors