Occupational health, waste management, and environmental research program of the Health Division 1981. Progress report

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5578421

Voelz, G L ^[1]

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1. ed.

The primary responsibility of the Health Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide effective programs in health, safety, waste processing, and environmental protection for the Laboratory. During 1981, evaluations of respiratory protective equipment included 3 special DOE contractor supplied-air suits or hoods and 10 commercial supplied-air devices. Preliminary results of chemical permeation tests of different protective garment materials are reported. Industrial hygiene field studies of oil shale work were conducted at the Geokinetics true in situ facility and the Rio Blanco modified in situ facility. An occupational medical survey of workers at the Geokinetics, Inc., facility was completed. Research on the generation and characterization of aerosols was continued for inhalation studies of man-made mineral fibers and oil shale aerosols. The distribution of /sup 241/Am in a whole body was determined by tissue analyses. Preliminary results of mortality in workers formerly employed at the Rocky Flats plant were reported. A simplified method for the analysis of plutonium in urine has been developed. Instrumentation development resulted in a portable computer system for field data analysis and a small, computerized, wristwatch-style radiation dosimeter. Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1981 showed the highest estimated radiation dose due to Laboratory operations is about 4% of the dose due to the natural radioactivity here. A study was completed on alternative strategies for long-term management of Los Alamos transuranic wastes. A successful 10-day test burn of pentachlorophenol-contaminated wastes was conducted in the Controlled Air Incinerator. Decontamination factors for five fission products in the off-gas handling system of the incinerator were measured.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5578421
• Report Number(s): LA-9779-PR; ON: DE84002347
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AMERICIUM 241
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
DOSEMETERS
DESIGN
LASL
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
WASTE DISPOSAL
PERSONNEL
MORTALITY
PLUTONIUM
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
PERMEABILITY
AEROSOLS
COMPUTERS
DECONTAMINATION
FISSION PRODUCTS
INCINERATORS
INHALATION
PERSONNEL DOSIMETRY
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
RADIATION DOSES
RESPIRATORS
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
URINE
WHOLE-BODY COUNTING
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CLEANING
CLOTHING
COLLOIDS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DISPERSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
DOSES
DOSIMETRY
ELEMENTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRY
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPES
SAFETY
SOLS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
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