Uranium oxides structural transformation in human body liquids

Uranium oxide microparticles ingestion is one of the potential sources of internal radiation doses to the humans at accidental or undesirable releases of radioactive materials. It is important to predict the obtained dose and possible biological effect of these microparticles by studying uranium oxides transformations in case of their ingestion or inhalation. Using a combination of methods, a complex examination of structural changes of uranium oxides in the range from UO(2) to U(4)O(9), U(3)O(8) and UO(3) as well as before and after exposure of uranium oxides in simulated biological fluids: gastro-intestinal and lung—was carried out. Oxides were thoroughly characterized by Raman and XAFS spectroscopy. It was determined that the duration of expose has more influence on all oxides transformations. The greatest changes occurred in U(4)O(9), that transformed into U(4)O(9-y.) UO(2.05) and U(3)O(8) structures became more ordered and UO(3) did not undergo significant transformation.