A comparison of the distributions of the actinides uranium and thorium with the lanthanide gadolinium in the tissues and eggs of Japanese quail: concentrations of uranium in feeds and foods.

Japanese quail were given UCl3 , UO2 (NO3)2, Th(NO3)4, or GdCl3 ( 153Gd -labeled) intravenously in aqueous solution. Distribution of Th among the tissues was as for Gd; distributions of U(III) and U(VI) were markedly different. For example, 18 hr after a 1.5 mumol/100 g dose, accumulations in females were: growing oocytes, U(III) 2.0%, U(VI) 2.4%, Th 27.7%, Gd 44.7%; leg bones, U(III) 12.5%, U(VI) 14.1%, Th 1.2%, Gd 1.4%; liver, U(III) 1.1%, U(VI) 1.1%, Th 44.0%, Gd 40.2%. Whole body losses by 18 hr were: females, U 24%, Th 14%, Gd 4%; males, U 72%, Th 23%, Gd 1%. Cumulative depositions in yolks of eggs laid over 8 days were: U(III) 1.9%, U(VI) 1.7%, Th 57.3%, Gd 46.8%. The distribution of U in quail may be atypical of actinides . Concentrations of U in various feeds, foods, and mineral supplements ranged from 169 micrograms/g in a phosphate fertilizer for farm use to below the lower detectable limit of .01 microgram/g in many foods intended for human use. Two batches of the game bird laying ration supplied to the quail colony contained 3.05 and 4.42 micrograms U/g. Body burdens of 3.5 micrograms U/bird for noninjected quail were attributed to the U content of this feed.