Physicochemical characterization of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols II: particle size distributions as a function of time.

The Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, which generated and characterized aerosols containing DU from perforation of armored vehicles with large-caliber DU penetrators, incorporated a sampling protocol to evaluate particle size distributions. Aerosol particle size distribution is an important parameter that influences aerosol transport and deposition processes as well as the dosimetry of the inhaled particles. These aerosols were collected on cascade impactor substrates using a pre-established time sequence following the firing event to analyze the uranium concentration and particle size of the aerosols as a function of time. The impactor substrates were analyzed using proportional counting, and the derived uranium content of each served as input to the evaluation of particle size distributions. Activity median aerodynamic diameters (AMADs) of the particle size distributions were evaluated using unimodal and bimodal models. The particle size data from the impactor measurements were quite variable. Most size distributions measured in the test based on activity had bimodal size distributions with a small particle size mode in the range of between 0.2 and 1.2 microm and a large size mode between 2 and 15 microm. In general, the evolution of particle size over time showed an overall decrease of average particle size from AMADs of 5 to 10 microm shortly after perforation to around 1 microm at the end of the 2-h sampling period. The AMADs generally decreased over time because of settling. Additionally, the median diameter of the larger size mode decreased with time. These results were used to estimate the dosimetry of inhaled DU particles.

Physicochemical characterization of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols I: uranium concentration in aerosols as a function of time and particle size.

During the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, aerosols containing DU were produced inside unventilated armored vehicles (i.e., Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles) by perforation with large-caliber DU penetrators. These aerosols were collected and characterized, and the data were subsequently used to assess human health risks to personnel exposed to DU aerosols. The DU content of each aerosol sample was first quantified by radioanalytical methods, and selected samples, primarily those from the cyclone separator grit chambers, were analyzed radiochemically. Deposition occurred inside the vehicles as particles settled on interior surfaces. Settling rates of uranium from the aerosols were evaluated using filter cassette samples that collected aerosol as total mass over eight sequential time intervals. A moving filter was used to collect aerosol samples over time, particularly within the first minute after a shot. The results demonstrate that the peak uranium concentration in the aerosol occurred in the first 10 s after perforation, and the concentration decreased in the Abrams tank shots to about 50% within 1 min and to less than 2% after 30 min. The initial and maximum uranium concentrations were lower in the Bradley vehicle than those observed in the Abrams tank, and the concentration levels decreased more slowly. Uranium mass concentrations in the aerosols as a function of particle size were evaluated using samples collected in a cyclone sampler, which collected aerosol continuously for 2 h after perforation. The percentages of uranium mass in the cyclone separator stages ranged from 38 to 72% for the Abrams tank with conventional armor. In most cases, it varied with particle size, typically with less uranium associated with the smaller particle sizes. Neither the Abrams tank with DU armor nor the Bradley vehicle results were specifically correlated with particle size and can best be represented by their average uranium mass concentrations of 65 and 24%, respectively.

Development of site profiles for dose reconstruction used in worker compensation claims.

For the purpose of dose reconstruction, personal dosimeter data and measured intakes through bioassay analysis (i.e., in-vivo and in-vitro measurements) should be used whenever possible and given precedence over area monitoring data, survey data, or source term data. However, this is not always possible. A worker's exposure record may be incomplete or missing, or, based on directives and guidelines at the time, a worker may not have been monitored during his or her time of employment. In an effort to recognize, analyze, and incorporate all possible considerations of potential exposures, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program developed "site profiles" for all of the major U.S. Department of Energy sites and Atomic Weapons Employer sites. Site profiles are technical documents that (1) provide a brief, general overview of the site; (2) identify the facilities on site with a brief description of the processes and radionuclides used in these processes; (3) contain detailed information on the historical detection limits for film, thermoluminescent dosimeter, and bioassay measurements that are used by the dose reconstructor to interpret a worker's available monitoring records; and (4) provide important supporting information for the dose reconstructor to use if the monitoring data are inadequate or unavailable. When a complete set of monitoring data for an individual is unavailable, it is the parameters in the site profile that are of the most use to the dose reconstructor. These parameters include facility monitoring data (by radionuclide, mechanism of intake, year of exposure, location within a facility); occupational medical x rays and techniques used; environmental measurements (by area on site, radiation type, energy range); minimum detectable activities of the types and kinds of instruments used to detect the different radionuclides; specific source terms (quantities of material and their molecular form) within each facility or process; and specifics of the overall dosimetry programs as they evolved over time. An additional benefit of having a site profile for a site is that it promotes consistency among the numerous health physicists that are working on the project. Resources used in the development of site profiles include technical basis documents for external and internal dosimetry programs, facility descriptions, environmental reports, safety analysis reports, input from past and present site workers, and other reports that have been written to describe the workplace environments within the facilities.