Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2016. Vol. 61. No. 4. P. 43-47

RADIATION SAFETY

Yu.E. Kvacheva

Chernobyl Hot Particles in Lungs of the Participants of the Post-Accident Clean-up Operation and Residents of the Contaminated Regions

A.I. Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of FMBA, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To investigate the morphological specificity of hot particles (HP) retention in the lungs of participants of liquidation of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and residents of the contaminated territories.

Material and methods: The lungs obtained after the standard manner were examined in total using an elaborated technique based on auto- and histoautoradiography of autopsy materials. Three distinct groups of patients were studied: 12 persons who participated in postaccident clean-up operation (1986-1988) and died 3 years later after the accident; 170 residents of the contaminated regions, who died from casual causes in 1989-1992; and the immediate witnesses of the accident (27) who dying from the acute radiation sickness (ARS).

Results and conclusion: Chernobyl HP were observed in most of patients (24/27; 88 %) died of ARS. These particles presented as mixed alpha-/beta- and pure beta-emitters were seen in pulmonary macrophages (i.e. intracellulary), located predominantly in the bronchioles and alveoli, as well as on the surfaces of alveolar septa (intraluminal localization). Only one of 12 participants of the postaccident clean-up operation had HP in his lungs (1/12; 8.3 %). Morphological specificity of HP retention was similar to the mentioned above (intracellular + intraluminal localization). Three out of 170 (3/170; 1.8 %) residents of the Ukranian and Belorussian regions contaminated by radionuclides, died in 1989-1992 from accidental causes (acute alcohol intoxication, transport injury, suicide, etc.), were shown to have HP. These particles were few in number and, unlike the above presented groups, were visualized in macrophages, located in fibrous tissue along the vessels and bronchi (intramural localization). In addition, all three cases were found to be accompanied by lung pathology indicative of pulmonary self-clearance deficiency.

Key words: Chernobyl NPP disaster, hot particles, human lungs, inhalation retention, autopsy

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For citation:. Kvacheva YuE. Chernobyl Hot Particles in Lungs of the Participants of the Post-Accident Cleanup Operation and Residents of the Contaminated Regions. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2016;61(4):43-47. Russian.

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