ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the methods in general use to assess uranium concentrations in tissues resulting from exposure to depleted uranium in environmental media, and the resulting radiation doses. Because of the importance of inhalation of airborne dust in such assessments, it includes an introduction to the mechanisms and terminology relating to aerosols. There is potential for people to be irradiated as a result of internal contamination by a wide range of radionuclides and in a variety of chemical forms. In only a few cases, however, such as exposure to radon, do epidemiological studies enable a direct assessment to be made of the risk to people. Systemic models describe the behavior of radionuclides after they enter the bloodstream. Generally, a separate systemic model has been developed for each element, or group of similar elements. The deposition and clearance models enable the amounts of activity throughout the respiratory tract at any time after intake to be calculated.
