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Title: X-ray fluorescence investigation of surface lead in the Pilot Plant Complex, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/197212· OSTI ID:197212

This report presents the results and findings from a field measurement program undertaken in the Pilot Plant Complex (PPC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, to address the potential contamination of the PPC structures with lead in paint. A portable x-ray fluorescence device was used to measure the lead loading at approximately 1,000 locations on painted surfaces in the PPC buildings. The device performed well, although external calibration was necessary for accurate results. The principal conclusion is that the amount of lead present in all the buildings examined presents no regulatory waste disposal problems. The analysis showed that the estimated lead concentration in the amount of rubble expected from each building is far below the regulatory limit, even assuming that all the lead present would be leached during the test procedure (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure). The level of confidence for this conclusion exceeds 95%. The frequency distributions of the data were markedly skewed; the most probable values were quite low, but significant tails were detected. Evidence for at least three different sub-populations of lead loading values was found, and no simple curve is adequate to describe the observed distributions.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
197212
Report Number(s):
ANL/ESD/TM-113; ON: DE96005817
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Sep 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English