毒理性
评估。在人类中,对于中子的致癌性证据不足。在实验动物中,有足够的证据表明中子具有致癌性。总体评估。中子对人类具有致癌性(第1组)。在进行总体评估时,工作组考虑了以下因素:当中子与生物材料相互作用时,裂变中子会产生质子,而在治疗中使用的高能中子会产生质子和α粒子。α粒子发射的放射性核素(例如氡)已知是人类致癌物。质子的线性能量传递与伽马辐射产生的低能电子的重叠。中子相互作用还产生伽马辐射,这也是一种人类致癌物。暴露于中子的人的淋巴细胞中会产生总染色体畸变(包括环形、双中心和游离片段)和数量染色体畸变。中子诱导的DNA损伤谱与X射线诱导的相似,但相对含有更多严重(即不易修复)的类型。已经检查过的伽马射线或X射线的每一个相关生物效应都被发现可以被中子诱导。中子在诱导肿瘤细胞转化、体外突变、体内生殖细胞突变、体内和体外染色体畸变以及实验动物癌症方面比X射线和伽马射线有效几倍。
Evaluation. There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of neutrons. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of neutrons. Overall evaluation. Neutrons are carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). In making the overall evaluation, the Working Group took into consideration the following: When interacting with biological material, fission neutrons generate protons, and the higher-energy neutrons used in therapy generate protons and alpha particles. Alpha Particle-emitting radionuclides (e.g. radon) are known to be human carcinogens. The linear energy transfer of protons overlaps with that of the lower-energy electrons produced by gamma-radiation. Neutron interactions also generate gamma-radiation, which is a human carcinogen. Gross chromosomal aberrations (including rings, dicentrics and acentric fragments) and numerical chromosomal aberrations are induced in the lymphocytes of people exposed to neutrons. The spectrum of DNA damage induced by neutrons is similar to that induced by X-radiation but contains relatively more of the serious (i.e. less readily repairable) types. Every relevant biological effect of gamma- or X-radiation that has been examined has been found to be induced by neutrons. Neutrons are several times more effective than X- and gamma-radiation in inducing neoplastic cell transformation, mutation in vitro, germ-cell mutation in vivo, chromosomal aberrations in vivo and in vitro and cancer in experimental animals.
来源:Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)