Toxicological Profile for Plutonium

---

TOXICOLOGICAL PROFILE FOR 
PLUTONIUM
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES  
Public Health Service 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 
November 2010 

---

ii 
PLUTONIUM 
DISCLAIMER 
The use of company or product name(s) is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 

---

iii 
PLUTONIUM 
UPDATE STATEMENT
 
A Toxicological Profile for Plutonium, Draft for Public Comment was released in October 2007.  This 
edition supersedes any previously released draft or final profile.  
Toxicological profiles are revised and republished as necessary.  For information regarding the update 
status of previously released profiles, contact ATSDR at: 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry  
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine/Applied Toxicology Branch  
1600 Clifton Road NE  
Mailstop F-62  
Atlanta, Georgia 30333  

---

iv 
PLUTONIUM 
This page is intentionally blank. 

---

---

---

vii 
PLUTONIUM 
QUICK REFERENCE FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS 
Toxicological Profiles are a unique compilation of toxicological information on a given hazardous 
substance.  Each profile reflects a comprehensive and extensive evaluation, summary, and interpretation 
of available toxicologic and epidemiologic information on a substance.  Health care providers treating 
patients potentially exposed to hazardous substances will find the following information helpful for fast 
answers to often-asked questions. 
Primary Chapters/Sections of Interest 
Chapter 1:  Public Health Statement
: The Public Health Statement can be a useful tool for educating 
patients about possible exposure to a hazardous substance.  It explains a substance’s relevant 
toxicologic properties in a nontechnical, question-and-answer format, and it includes a review of 
the general health effects observed following exposure. 
Chapter 2:  Relevance to Public Health
: The Relevance to Public Health Section evaluates, interprets, 
and assesses the significance of toxicity data to human health. 
Chapter 3:  Health Effects
: Specific health effects of a given hazardous compound are reported by type 
of health effect (death, systemic, immunologic, reproductive), by route of exposure, and by length 
of exposure (acute, intermediate, and chronic).  In addition, both human and animal studies are 
reported in this section. 
NOTE
: Not all health effects reported in this section are necessarily observed in the clinical 
setting.  Please refer to the Public Health Statement to identify general health effects observed 
following exposure. 
Pediatrics
:  Four new sections have been added to each Toxicological Profile to address child health 
issues: 
Section 1.6 
How Can (Chemical X) Affect Children?  
Section 1.7 
How Can Families Reduce the Risk of Exposure to (Chemical X)?  
Section 3.8 
Children’s Susceptibility  
Section 6.6 
Exposures of Children  
Other Sections of Interest: 
Section 3.9 
Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect 
Section 3.12 
Methods for Reducing Toxic Effects 
ATSDR Information Center 
Phone: 
1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) or 1-888-232-6348 (TTY)  Fax:  [phone] 
E-mail: 
[e-mail] 
Internet
:  http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov 
The following additional material can be ordered through the ATSDR Information Center: 
Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Taking an Exposure History
—The importance of taking an 
exposure history and how to conduct one are described, and an example of a thorough exposure 
history is provided.  Other case studies of interest include Reproductive and Developmental 
Hazards; Skin Lesions and Environmental Exposures; Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticide 
Toxicity
; and numerous chemical-specific case studies. 

---

viii 
PLUTONIUM 
Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents
 is a three-volume set of recommendations for on-scene 
(prehospital) and hospital medical management of patients exposed during a hazardous materials 
incident.  Volumes I and II are planning guides to assist first responders and hospital emergency 
department personnel in planning for incidents that involve hazardous materials.  Volume III— 
Medical Management Guidelines for Acute Chemical Exposure
s—is a guide for health care 
professionals treating patients exposed to hazardous materials. 
Fact Sheets (ToxFAQs) 
provide answers to frequently asked questions about toxic substances. 
Other Agencies and Organizations 
The National Center for Environmental Health
 (NCEH) focuses on preventing or controlling disease, 
injury, and disability related to the interactions between people and their environment outside the 
workplace.  Contact:  NCEH, Mailstop F-29, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Atlanta, 
GA 30341-3724 • Phone: [phone] • FAX: [phone]. 
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH) conducts research on occupational 
diseases and injuries, responds to requests for assistance by investigating problems of health and 
safety in the workplace, recommends standards to the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and trains 
professionals in occupational safety and health.  Contact: NIOSH, 200 Independence Avenue, 
SW, Washington, DC 20201 • Phone: [phone] or NIOSH Technical Information Branch, 
Robert A. Taft Laboratory, Mailstop C-19, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998 
• Phone: 800-35-NIOSH. 
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
(NIEHS) is the principal federal agency for 
biomedical research on the effects of chemical, physical, and biologic environmental agents on 
human health and well-being.  Contact:  NIEHS, PO Box 12233, 104 T.W. Alexander Drive, 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 • Phone: [phone]. 
Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) provides support to the U.S. 
Department of Energy, the World Health Organization, and the International Atomic Energy 
Agency in the medical management of radiation accidents.  A 24-hour emergency response 
program at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), REAC/TS trains, 
consults, or assists in the response to all kinds of radiation accidents.  Contact: Oak Ridge 
Institute for Science and Education, REAC/TS, PO Box 117, MS 39, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117 • 
Phone [phone] • FAX [phone] • 24-Hour Emergency Phone [phone] (ask for 
REAC/TS) • e-mail: [e-mail] • website (including emergency medical guidance): 
http://www.orau.gov/reacts/default.htm 
Referrals 
The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
 (AOEC) has developed a network of clinics 
in the United States to provide expertise in occupational and environmental issues.  Contact: 
AOEC, 1010 Vermont Avenue, NW, #513, Washington, DC 20005 • Phone:  [phone] 
• FAX:  [phone] • e-mail: [e-mail] • Web Page:  http://www.aoec.org/. 

---