1976 Hanford americium exposure incident: in vivo measurements

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6602681

Palmer, H E; Rieksts, G A; Icayan, E E

Detailed external measurement were made of internally deposited /sup 241/Am in a nuclear chemical operator involved in an americium exposure accident at the Hanford plant. Despite some interference from high-level external contamination, quantitative measurements of the /sup 241/Am content in the lung, liver, and bones were made starting on the third day after the accident. The rate of excretion of /sup 241/Am from these organs was determined. The /sup 241/Am embedded in the skin of the face and head was carefully mapped. The distribution over the total length of the body was also determined. Linear and rectilinear scanners, gamma cameras, large and small scintillation detectors, proportional counters, and Si(Li) and intrinsic germanium detectors were used to evaluate the internal deposition. Methods of calibration for quantitative measurement included simulation of the /sup 241/Am activity in both phantom and cadaver parts.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA); Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6602681
• Report Number(s): DOE/RL-82-10; ON: DE83004024
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMERICIUM 241
EXCRETION
LIVER
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
LUNGS
SKELETON
CONTAMINATION
HANFORD RESERVATION
IN VIVO
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
PERSONNEL
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIOLOGICAL PERSONNEL
UPTAKE
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
BODY
CLEARANCE
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MEDICAL PERSONNEL
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SAFETY
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man
560161 - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Man