The biokinetics and radiotoxicology of curium: A comparison with americium

The human and animal data on the biokinetics of 242Cm and 244Cm are reviewed and shown to be very similar to those for 241Am. Liver and skeleton are the main organs of deposition and the retention of curium in the skeleton is very prolonged in all the species examined. Retention of both curium and americium in the liver appears to be species-dependent, being relatively rapidly removed from the liver of rats, and probably humans, but being tenaciously retained in dogs and some other species. The radiotoxicity of curium is also reviewed and it is shown that, as with 241Am, lung and bone tumour induction are the major hazards from inhaled and systemically deposited 244Cm. The use of chelating agents for the treatment of accidental contamination of the human body with 242,244Cm is also discussed.