ACUTE MORTALITY OF MICE AND RATS EXPOSED TO MIXED GAMMA-NEUTRON RADIATIONS OR TO X RAYS

Abstract

Mortality data for C57BL mice and Sprague-Dawley rats were collected as a part of the program to biologically characterize AFRRI-TRIGA reactor radiations and to provide reference information for future studies. Unilateral whole body exposures to mixed gamma-neutron radiations from the reactor or to 250 kVp x rays were carried out over a range of midline tissue doses from 370 to 875 rads. The 30-day median lethal doses were calculated to be 589 and 432 rads for mice exposed to the x rays and to the reactor radiations, respectively. The corresponding values for the rat exposures were 740 and 434 rads. Using the LD50/30 values as the end points for comparison, the reactor radiations were 1.4 and 1.7 times more effective in mice and rats, respectively, than were the x rays. The survival times of the mice and rats exposed to reactor radiations were significantly less than those of the animals exposed to similar doses of x rays.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1968
Accession Number
AD0678365

Entities

People

  • L. J. Seigneur
  • R. E. Stanley
  • T. A. Strike

Organizations

  • Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Biological Factors
  • Chambers
  • Classification
  • Dosimetry
  • Factor Analysis
  • Fast Neutrons
  • Fission Neutrons
  • Ionization
  • Ionization Chambers
  • Lethal Dosage
  • Lethality
  • Measurement
  • Neutrons
  • Radiation
  • Reactor Cores
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.
  • Toxicology/Environmental Toxicology