Lifetime followup of the 1976 americium accident victim: (Final report)

Conference · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:7125581

Breitenstein, Jr, B D; Palmer, H E

This report describes the 11 year medical course of Harold R. McCluskey, a Hanford nuclear chemical operator, who, at age 64, was involved in an accident in an americium recovery facility in August 1976. As a result of the accident, he was heavily contaminated with americium (Am-241), sustained a substantial internal deposition of this isotope, and was burned with concentrated nitric acid and injured by flying debris about the face and neck. The immediate and long-term medical care is summarized, including decontamination procedures, chelation therapy, and routine and special clinical laboratories studies. The estimates of the operator's Am-241 deposition, post accident and during the remainder of his life and the special techniques and equipment used to make the estimates, are reported. Post-accident, the total amount of Am-241 excreted in his urine and feces was 41 MBq (1.1 mCi). He died of complications of chronic coronary artery disease on August 17, 1987. 20 refs., 2 figs.

• Research Organization: Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-65RL01837
• OSTI ID: 7125581
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-15996; CONF-880514-4; ON: DE88014073
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AMINO ACIDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHELATING AGENTS
CLEANING
DECONTAMINATION
DOCUMENT TYPES
DRUGS
DTPA
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
NUCLEI
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
SURVEILLANCE
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES