Evaluation of health effects in Sequoyah Fuels Corporation workers from accidental exposure to uranium hexafluoride

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6945131· OSTI ID:6945131

Fisher, D R ^[1]; Swint, M J; Kathren, R L ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
2. Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, Richland, WA (USA)

Urine bioassay measurements for uranium and medical laboratory results were studied to determine whether there were any health effects from uranium intake among a group of 31 workers exposed to uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) and hydrolysis products following the accidental rupture of a 14-ton shipping cylinder in early 1986 at the Sequoyah Fuels Corporation uranium conversion facility in Gore, Oklahoma. Physiological indicators studied to detect kidney tissue damage included tests for urinary protein, casts and cells, blood, specific gravity, and urine pH, blood urea nitrogen, and blood creatinine. We concluded after reviewing two years of follow-up medical data that none of the 31 workers sustained any observable health effects from exposure to uranium. The early excretion of uranium in urine showed more rapid systemic uptake of uranium from the lung than is assumed using the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 30 and Publication 54 models. The urinary excretion data from these workers were used to develop an improved systemic recycling model for inhaled soluble uranium. We estimated initial intakes, clearance rates, kidney burdens, and resulting radiation doses to lungs, kidneys, and bone surfaces. 38 refs., 10 figs., 7 tabs.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA). Div. of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety; Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: NRC
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6945131
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-5566; PNL--7328; ON: TI90011966
• 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.
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
AMIDES
ANIMAL TISSUES
AZOLES
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BLOOD
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
BONE TISSUES
CARBONIC ACID DERIVATIVES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
CREATININE
DOSES
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
IMIDAZOLES
IMINES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INTAKE
KIDNEYS
LUNGS
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PH VALUE
PHYSIOLOGY
RADIATION DOSES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RISK ASSESSMENT
SEQUOYAH UF6 PRODUCTION PLANT
TISSUES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
UREA
URINE
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES