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Title: Improved Radiation Dosimetry/Risk Estimates to Facilitate Environmental Management of Plutonium Contaminated Sites

Abstract

Our phase-II research relates to evaluating health risks associated with inhaled plutonium (Pu). Our current research objectives are as follows: (1) to extend our stochastic model for deposition of plutonium (Pu) in the respiratory tract to include additional key variability and uncertainty; (2) to generate and analyze risk distributions for deterministic effects in the lung from inhaled Pu that reflect risk model uncertainty; (3) to acquire an improved understanding of key physiological effects of inhaled Pu, based on evaluations of clinical data (e.g., hematological, respiratory function, chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes) for Mayak workers in Russia that inhaled Pu- 239; (4) to develop biological dosimetry for Pu-239 that was inhaled by some Mayak workers (with unknown intake) based on clinical data for other workers with known Pu-239 intake; (5) to critically evaluate the validity of the linear no-threshold (LNT) risk model as it relates to cancer risks from inhaled Pu-239 (based on Mayak worker data); (6) to evaluate respirator filter penetration frequencies for airborne Pu aerosols using surrogate high density metals.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
OSTI Identifier:
834691
Report Number(s):
EMSP-73942-2002
R&D Project: EMSP 73942; TRN: US0407309
DOE Contract Number:
FG07-00ER62511
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 10 Jul 2002
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; AEROSOLS; CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS; DEPOSITION; DOSIMETRY; LUNGS; LYMPHOCYTES; MANAGEMENT; NEOPLASMS; PLUTONIUM; RADIATIONS; RESPIRATORS

Citation Formats

Scott, Bobby R., Cheng, Yung-Sung, Zhou, Yue, Tokarskaya, Zoya B., and Zhuntova, Galina V. Improved Radiation Dosimetry/Risk Estimates to Facilitate Environmental Management of Plutonium Contaminated Sites. United States: N. p., 2002. Web. doi:10.2172/834691.
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Scott, Bobby R., Cheng, Yung-Sung, Zhou, Yue, Tokarskaya, Zoya B., & Zhuntova, Galina V. Improved Radiation Dosimetry/Risk Estimates to Facilitate Environmental Management of Plutonium Contaminated Sites. United States. doi:10.2172/834691.
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Scott, Bobby R., Cheng, Yung-Sung, Zhou, Yue, Tokarskaya, Zoya B., and Zhuntova, Galina V. Wed . "Improved Radiation Dosimetry/Risk Estimates to Facilitate Environmental Management of Plutonium Contaminated Sites". United States. doi:10.2172/834691. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/834691.
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@article{osti_834691,
title = {Improved Radiation Dosimetry/Risk Estimates to Facilitate Environmental Management of Plutonium Contaminated Sites},
author = {Scott, Bobby R. and Cheng, Yung-Sung and Zhou, Yue and Tokarskaya, Zoya B. and Zhuntova, Galina V.},
abstractNote = {Our phase-II research relates to evaluating health risks associated with inhaled plutonium (Pu). Our current research objectives are as follows: (1) to extend our stochastic model for deposition of plutonium (Pu) in the respiratory tract to include additional key variability and uncertainty; (2) to generate and analyze risk distributions for deterministic effects in the lung from inhaled Pu that reflect risk model uncertainty; (3) to acquire an improved understanding of key physiological effects of inhaled Pu, based on evaluations of clinical data (e.g., hematological, respiratory function, chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes) for Mayak workers in Russia that inhaled Pu- 239; (4) to develop biological dosimetry for Pu-239 that was inhaled by some Mayak workers (with unknown intake) based on clinical data for other workers with known Pu-239 intake; (5) to critically evaluate the validity of the linear no-threshold (LNT) risk model as it relates to cancer risks from inhaled Pu-239 (based on Mayak worker data); (6) to evaluate respirator filter penetration frequencies for airborne Pu aerosols using surrogate high density metals.},
doi = {10.2172/834691},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2002},
month = {Wed Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2002}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/834691
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  • 'The objective of this research is to evaluate distributions of possible alpha radiation doses to the lung, bone, and liver and associated health-risk distributions for plutonium (Pu) inhalation-exposure scenarios relevant to environmental management of PuO{sub 2}-contaminated sites. Currently available dosimetry/risk models do not apply to exposure scenarios where, at most, a small number of highly radioactive PuO{sub 2} particles are inhaled (stochastic exposure [SE] paradigm). For the SE paradigm, risk distributions are more relevant than point estimates of risk. The focus of the research is on the SE paradigm and on high specific activity, alpha-emitting (HSA-aE) particles such as 238more » PuO{sub 2} . The scientific goal is to develop a stochastic respiratory tract dosimetry/risk computer model for evaluating the desired absorbed dose distributions and associated health-risk distributions, for Department of Energy (DOE) workers and members of the public. This report summarizes results after 1 year of a 2-year project.'« less

  • The objective of this research is to evaluate distributions of possible alpha radiation doses to the lung, bone, and liver, and associated health-risk distributions for plutonium (Pu) inhalation exposure scenarios relevant to environmental management of PuO2-contaminated sites. Currently available dosimetry/risk models do not apply to exposure scenarios where relatively small numbers of highly radioactive PuO2 particles are presented for inhalation (stochastic exposure [SE] paradigm). For the SE paradigm, distributions of possible risks are more relevant than point estimates of risk. The main goal of the project is to deliver a computer program that will allow evaluation of the indicated riskmore » distributions for the SE paradigm. However, some of our work also relates to the deterministic exposure [DE] paradigm where large numbers of airborne particles (resuspended dust containing PuO2) are presented for inhalation to members of the public residing or working at a remediated Department of Energy (DOE) site.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    The main objective of this research is to evaluate health-risk distributions for plutonium (Pu) inhalation-exposure scenarios relevant to environmental management of plutonium dioxide (PuO2)-contaminated sites. These distributions incorporate variability/uncertainty.

  • Currently available radiation dosimetry/health-risk models for inhalation exposure to radionuclides are based on deterministic radiation intake and deterministic radiation doses (local and global). These models are not adequate for brief plutonium (Pu) exposure scenarios related to Department of Energy (DOE) decontamination/decommissioning (D&D) operations because such exposures involve the stochastic-intake (StI) paradigm. For this paradigm, small or moderate numbers of airborne, pure, highly radioactive PuO2 particles could be inhaled and deposited in the respiratory tract in unpredictable numbers (stochastic) during D&D incidents. Probabilistic relationships govern intake via the respiratory tract for the StI paradigm. An StIparadigm incident occurred on March 16,more » 2000, at Los Alamos National Laboratory. It involved eight workers who inhaled high-specific-activity, alpha-emitting (HSA-aE) 238PuO2-contaminated room air (glovebox-failure incident). Health-risk estimation is not trivial for the StI-exposure paradigm, especially for HSA-aE 238PuO2, as different individuals can have very different and uncertain radioactivity intakes for the same exposure duration and same incident. Indeed, this occurred in the Los Alamos incident. Rather than inappropriate point estimates of intake, dose, and risk, more appropriate probability distributions are needed. A main objective of this project has been to develop a stochastic dosimetry/risk computer model for evaluating radioactivity intake (by inhalation) distributions, organ dose distributions, and health risk distributions for DOE workers who may inhale airborne, alpha-emitting, pure PuO2 at DOE sites such as Rocky Flats. Another objective of this project has been to address the deterministic intake (DI) paradigm where members of the public could inhale, over years, millions and more resuspended, air-transported, PuO2-contaminated dust particles while residing (e.g., farmer) or working (e.g., office worker) at a remediated DOE site that contains mainly residual PuO2 (and daughters) in soil.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    The main objective of this project is to improve capabilities for evaluating health risks to humans associated with inhaling plutonium (Pu). Two key DOE issues are being addressed: (1) the need to improve capabilities for evaluating plutonium dioxide (PuO2)-associated health risks for DOE workers involved in decommissioning/decontamination (D&D) activities; and (2) the need to improve capabilities for evaluating health risks for public exposures arising from residual PuO2 in soil at remediated (cleaned-up) DOE sites. The scientific goal of this project is to improve capabilities for assessing health risk distributions for DOE workers and the public associated with inhaling Pu. Themore » focus of our work has been on DOE worker and public exposure scenarios related to the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site near Denver, Colorado, commonly called Rocky Flats.« less