Analysis of the effects of inter-individual variation in the distribution of plutonium in skeleton and liver

One important parameter for biokinetic plutonium modelling is the ratio between the contents of plutonium in liver and skeleton. Autopsy data show a vast inter-individual variation in the partitioning between these organs. The capacity of recent biokinetic models for plutonium to reproduce these variations was studied. Autopsy data for plutonium amounts in liver and skeleton for both Pu-238 and Pu-239 isotopes can be merged into a single data set following several statistical tests. Simulations with different parameter values generate a mapping between the autopsy values and the model parameters. The observed partitioning distribution can be transformed into a distribution of transfer rates, which would result in the observed data. Besides, the variation in the partitioning between liver and skeleton leads via biliary pathway to a variation in the excretion ratio. This can be used to estimate an individual partitioning factor, which can be used in individual case assessments.