PNL-5843 UC-41

BIOASSAY MEASUREMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING NEAR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S HANFORD S I T E I N WASHINGTON STATE - FALL 1985

M. J . Sula D. E. B i h l

May 1986

Prepared f o r the U.S. Department o f Energy , under Contract DE-AC06-76RLO-1830

P a c i f i c Northwest Laboratory Richland, Washington 99352

. PREFACE

In October of 1985, the Department of Energy (DOE) conducted a workshop a t Edwin Markham School i n Franklin County on Hanford environmental monitor- i n g a c t i v i t i e s . was the uncertainty and concern on the par t o f many residents i n northwest Franklin County regarding potential health e f fec ts o f past and ongoing Hanford operations.

One of the primary issues discussed d u r i n g t h a t workshop

To provide those individuals w i t h additional information regarding poten- t i a l Hanford impacts on t h e i r health, the Manager o f the DOE's Richland Opera- t ions Office announced during the workshop tha t DOE's resources would be avai l - able t o res idents o f northwest Franklin County f o r the evaluation of internal ly deposited radioactive materials.

Following t h a t announcement, the Pacif ic Northwest Laboratory, operated by Bat te l le Memorial I n s t i t u t e u n d e r contract t o DOE, provided whole body counts and analyses of urine samples on request t o the residents o f northwest Franklin County. data .

T h i s report describes those measurements and summarizes the resul t ing

i i i

In the fall of 1985, at the request of the U.S. Department o f Energy's Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL), the Pacific Northwest Laboratory provided special bioassay measurements to individuals living near the Hanford Site in eastern Washington.

The purpose of the bioassay measurements was to provide individuals, living within a specific area near the Hanford Site, information on the current levels of radionuclides in their bodies. The measurements included whole body counter ( i n vivo) examinations and urine sample analyses for detecting the presence of major radionuclides related to current and historical operations at Hanford.

Notifications o f the special measurements were sent by letter to 515 residences in north Franklin County. 515 residences requested and received whole body counts. Of these, 32 also provided urine samples.

Efghty-nine individuals from 52 of the

The measurements gave no evidence of unusual levels o f radioact vity in any individual. o f radioactivity in an individual following an exposure is dependent on the quality of the measurement and the nature of the exposure. This report includes a discussion of the capability, under various circumstances, of the measurements that were provided,

The ability o f bioassay measurements to detect the presence

V

0 0 0 3 8 3 2

CONTENTS

. . . . iii PREFACE . SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION . 0 .

. . . V

. 1

1 BIOASSAY MONITORING FOR INTERNAL RADIOACTIVITY . DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM . 2

WHOLE BODY COUNTING . 4

. .

URINALYSIS 6

RESULTS OF MEASUREMENTS . 6

WHOLE BODY COUNTS . 6

. . .

URINALYSES 7

EVALUATION OF THE CAPABILITY OF THE BIOASSAY MEASUREMENTS . 9

CONCLUSIONS . . 11

.

REFERENCES 13

APPENDIX A - CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS . A.l

APPENDIX B - WHOLE BODY COUNT METHODS . B.l . I

APPENDIX C - WHOLE BODY COUNT DATA . c.1 . . APPENDIX D - URINALYSIS METHODS . . 0.1

APPENDIX E - URINALYSIS DATA . , E.l

APPENDIX F - URINALYSIS STATISTICS . F . l

.

v i i

1

2

c . 1

c.2

1

2

3

B. 1

c. 1 E. 1

F . l

F. 2

. FIGURES

Map o f Area Within Which Notification Letters Were Sent

Battell e Mobi 1 e Who1 e Body Counter

Summary o f Whole Body Count Spectra

Comparison of Spectra Obtained From Individuals with

. Interfering Levels of Natural Radioactivity on Clothing

Sensitivity of Whole Body Count . . Sensitivity of Urinalysis . Sensitivity o f Bioassay Measurements . Calibration Factors for BOMAB Phantom . Summary of Whole Body Count Spectrum Analyses

Urinalysis Data . . . Strontiurn-90 Results Uncorrected f o r Reagent Bias

Reagent Blanks .

.

1

3

5

c.3

c.4

4

6

10

8.2

C.2

E. 1

F.2

F.3

ix

INTRODUCTION

This report describes special pub1 ic bioassay measurements performed by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, operated by Battelle Memorial Institute, in the fall of 1985 at the request o f the Manager of the Richland Operations Office (RL) of the Department of Energy (DOE). The purpose of the measurements was to provide information to individuals living within a specific area near the Hanford Site regarding the current levels of radionuclides in their bodies.

Whole body counts were performed on 89 individuals. Thirty-two of these peopl e a1 so elected to provide samples for urinalysis. were designed to detect major radionuclides related to the current and his- torical operations at Hanford.

These measurements

BIOASSAY MONITORING FOR INTERNAL RADIOACTIVITY

Bioassay monitoring is a common procedure for detecting the presence of Public familiarity with the use of bioassay foreign substances in the body.

techniques has been recently heightened by news articles about the testing o f

professional athletes for certain drugs. Bioassay measurements are equal ly useful for determining the presence of various radioactive materfals in the body. determine worker exposure to internal radioactivity.

Such measurements are commonly performed in the nuclear industry to

I

There are two general types of bioassay measurements: direct and indirect. body counter, to measure the radiations that are emitted by radioactive materials in the body. radioactivity in excreta from the body. presence of radioactive material in the body by inference from the presence of material in the excreta. with both the direct and the indirect bioassay methods.

Direct methods use a sensitive radiation detector, called a whole

Indirect measurements are performed by measuring the The indirect method indicates the

There are advantages and limitations associated

Di rect bioassay measurements are re1 ati vely easy to perform, are capabl e of detecting several radioactive materials from a single measurement, and provide a direct measure of the amount of the radioactive materials present

1

in the body. met: that can escape from the body and enter the detector of the whole body counter and 2) the radiation detector must be sensitive to the incomfng radiations. The capability for detecting a particular type of radioactive material thus depends on the properties of the material and the properties o f the radiation detector. radionuclides such as potassium-40, cobal t-60, cesium-137, iodine-131, and ruthenium-106. However, the Hanford Mobile Whole Body Counter cannot be used for the detection of some radionuclides, including plutonium, radiostrontium, and tritium.

To detect a specific radioactive material, two criteria must be 1) the radioactive material present in the body must emit radiations

The Hanford Mobile Whole Body Counter can detect gamma-ray-emi tting

The indirect bioassay method is potentially effective for measuring all The radioactive materials including plutonium, radiostrontium, and tritium.

criterion for indirect bioassay is only that the material in the body is excreted via the pathway measured. However, the disadvantages of the indirect method are that a separate test must be performed for each type of material and the amount of the material in the body must be inferred based on the quan- tity measured in the excreta. These inferences are made using mathematical models that describe the excretion of materials following their intake into the body.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM 1

Bioassay measurements were performed on individuals 1 iving near the Hanford Site. in November and December of 1985, included both whole body counting and urinalysis.

The measurements, performed by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory

Recipients of the measurements were individuals living in Frank1 in County near the eastern boundary of the Hanford Site as defined by an arc of radius ten miles from the Washington Public Power Supply System's WNP-2 plant (Figure 1). This area was designated by the Department of Energy.

2

3

Invitation letters were sent'by DOE-RL to 515 residences in the desig- nated area. body counts. Of these, 32 also requested the urine analyses. of the individuals requesting the measurements are summarized in Appendix A.

Eighty-nine individuals from 52 of the residences requested whole Characteristics

WHOLE BODY COUNTING

The whole body counting was performed using the Battelle Mobile Whole Body Counter. Grange Hall located on Taylor Flats Road about 0.1 mile south of Mathews Corner in Franklin County.

The tests were conducted from November 12-27, 1985, at the Chiawana

The Battelle Mobile Whole Body Counter is a truck-mounted in vivo radio- assay facility. The facility consists of a shielded 12-inch diameter by 4-inch deep cy1 indrical sodium iodide radiation detector positioned above a sliding pad on which the examinee lies during the test (Figure 2). During the exami- nation, the pad slowly moves underneath the detector so that the entire length of the examinee is scanned. This traverse requires about ten minutes.

The detector is sensitive to photons in the energy range o f 150 to 5000 keV. Table 1 shows the sensitivity of the procedure for several radionuclides.

TABLE 1. Sensitivity of Whole Body Count Radionuclide Detectable Level (pCi)

'PO tass i um-40 0.018 manganese-54 0.003 cobal t-60 0.003 zi nc-65 0.005 rutheni um-106 0.017 iodine-131 0.003 ces i um- 13 7 0.003

Appendix B describes the techniques used to calibrate the detector and to evaluate the measurements,

4

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URINALYSIS

Indirect bioassay monitoring was performed using urine as the excreta medium. The urine samples were collected in late November and early December 1985 using sampling kits that were dellvered to the participants' residences. Sample analyses were performed by U.S. Testing Company at their Richland, Washington, laboratory.

The samples were analyzed for pl utonium-238, pl utoni um-239/240, strontium-90, and tritium. Analyses were performed on 500 mL aliquots of urine. Table 2 shows the detection levels for the analyses. Appendix 0 des- cri bes the radiochemi cal procedures used to process the samples e

TABLE 2. Sensitivity of Urinalysis Detection Level

Radionuclide (pci /L)

plutonium-238 0.02 plutonium-239,240 0.02 strontium-90 2.0 tritium 2000

RESULTS OF MEASUREMENTS

WHOLE BODY COUNTS '

Whole body counts were performed on 89 persons. One individual's examination was invalid because of interferences from naturally occurring radioactivity.

Nine of the 89 persons examined had naturally occurring radioactivity on

This radioactivity is associated with radioactive gases their clothing during their initial examination that interfered with the measurement process. in the atmosphere that are produced by naturally occurring uranium and thorium in the earth. radioactive decay products. radiation inhibits the detection of low levels of radioactivity in the body.

The radioactive gases are radon and thoron, and they produce If present at sufficient levels, this background

6

Except for one case, the interferences were reduced to within acceptable levels by having the individual change to cotton coveralls that were provided for this purpose. clothing made o f synthetic materials, static charge that attracts dust particles in the atmosphere. of the naturally occurring radioactive gases are attached to the dust particles. In the one uncorrected case, the individual did not wish a reexamination. A review of that individual's measurement result showed the characteristic interferences of the naturally occurring radioactivity. The interferences precluded an effective determination o f the presence or absence of Hanford-related radionucl ides.

In all of these cases, the individual had arrived wearing Synthetic materials can generate a

The products

Individually, none of the 88 Val id examinations showed detectable levels o f internal radioactivity except for naturally occurring potassium-40. Potassium-40 levels in the subjects ranged from 0.048 PCi in a 4-year-old child to 0.16 vCi in an adult male. be expected In the U.S. population (UNSCEAR 1972).

These levels are in the range that would

Analysis of grouped data can sometimes enable detection of small amounts of radioactivity present in a study group at levels below that which can be detected in a single individual. Therefore, spectra for the 88 measurements were summed and visually inspected for indications of apparent radioactivity. No indications of such activity from radionuclides o f potential Hanford origin were observed. prevalence of lo; levels of naturally occurring radionuclides in the study group. The summed spectrum is shown in Figure C.l of Appendix C. The sensi- tivity o f the procedure could be improved by having each subject shower thoroughly and change to clean cotton clothing just before the examination.

However, the sensitivity of the analysis was limited by the

URINALYSES

Participants in the urine testing program were a subset of the group that received whole body counts, provided a urine sample. No measurement result for an individual exceeded its corresponding analytical detection 1 imit.

Thirty-two of the 35 persons requesting the test

7

The data for individual sample analyses are listed in Appendlx E. These data are the products o f the analytical process in which the activity indicated by the measurement is reported along with the uncertainty associated with the measurement.

The analytical results for the strontium-90 and plutonium analyses were compared to the results obtained from performing the analytical procedure without any urine ({.e., a reagent blank). significance level, the urine data were tested to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the analytical results obtained from the samples compared to the reagent blanks, This test showed that, for all three radionuclides, the urine analyses and the reagent blank analyses were not statistically different. Appendix F provides additional detail on the statistical tests that were performed.

Using a one-tailed test at the 95%

The tritium data could not be tested the same way because the analytical procedure was based on a comparison to a reagent blank. were therefore tested against the hypothesis that the samples actually contained zero activity. significance level. and standard error of the mean for the grouped tritium data were 240t110 pico- curies per liter. Since tritium is a naturally occurring radionuclide and was introduced into the environment during the atmospheric nuclear testing of the 1960s, its presence in environmental and biological media is expected.

The amount of tritium excreted daily from the body is nearly the same as the amount taken daily into the body. i s thus about the same as its concentration in the water taken into the body. The bias observed for tritium in the grouped samples can thus be compared to levels of tritium in the environment to determine if the levels are within the range that would be predicted by environmental samples. Based on the results of environmental samples collected in the Hanford environs during 1984 (Price et al. 1985), the observed concentration bias for tritium in urine i s similar to the concentrations observed in various environmental media in

The tritium data

The test was performed using a one-tailed t-test at the 95% This test indicated a slightly positive bias. The mean

The concentration of tritium i n urine

8

the vicinity of as well as away from the Hanford Site. observed range for tritium in drinking water across the United States as measured by the Environmental Protection Agency (1985) ranges from 100-400 picocuries per liter. are not considered unusual.

Additionally, the

Thus, tritium levels from the analysis of grouped data

'EVALUATION OF THE CAPABILITY OF THE BIOASSAY MEASUREMENTS

Bioassay measurements readily provide a qualitative indication of the presence of radioactive materials in the body. However, in order to evaluate the significance o f the presence of the material in terms of potential health impact, additional information is necessary. Specifically, the consequence of radioactive material in the body is a function of the amount of energy deposited in body tissues by the radiations emitted from the material. measurements do not provide a direct measure of the total amount o f energy deposited in tissues following internal exposure to radioactive material. However, mathematical models can be used to predict the relationship between a bioassay measurement and a corresponding total energy deposition for given circumstances.

Bioassay

Estimates of the sensitivity of the bioassay measurements were made by using the mathematical models to predict, under various circumstances, the amount o f exposure that could have been detected. The models and parameters for radionucl idelretention and excretion were those recommended by the Inter- national Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) as described in their Publication 30 (1979). ingestion were considered, and the time from the initial intake to the bioassay measurement was varied over 40 years.

Both chronic and acute intakes via inhalation and

The effective dose equivalent that would be received by an individual over a 50-year period following an intake (or the onset of intake in the case o f chronic exposures) detectable by a bioassay measurement, was calculated. To simplify their presentation, these doses are expressed in terms of multiples of the 5 rem whole body dose that i s received from the natural radiation back- ground during a 50-year period. The results of the calculations are summarized in Table 3.

9

TABLE 3. Sensitivity of Bioassay Measurements

Detectable Dose (mu1 tip1 es of environmental background)a

Years After Initial Intake EXPOSURE MATERIAL 1 - 2 - 5 10 20.40

Acute Inhalation -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Tritium co.1 <0.1 co.1 0.1 10 Cobal t-60

Strontium-90 (0.1 '0.1 0.1 0.4 3 Ruthenium-106 <0.1 cO.1 0.3 -- Iodine-131 Cesi urn-137 co.1 <0.1 4 P1 utoni um 2 2 2 3 3 4

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

-- -- --

Acute Ingestion -- -- -- -- -- Tritium -- Cobal t-60 <0.1 co.1 <0.1 0.1 9 Strontium-90 <0.1 ~ 0 . 1 ~ 0 . 1 (0.1 0.2 1 Ruthenium-106 < 0.1 ~0.1 0.8 Iodine-131 Cesium-137 0.1 0.1 4 Plutonium 2 3 3 3 3 4

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Chronic Inhalation Tritium Cobal t-60 Strontium-90 Ruthenium-106 Iodine-131 Cesium-137 P I utonium

Tritium Cobal t-60 S t ront i urn-90 Rutheni urn- 106 Iodine-131 Cesium-137 P1 utoni um

C hron 9 c Ingest i on

co.1 co.1

1 0.8 0.2

<0.1 36

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<o. 1 7

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<O.l 20

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0 . 3 0.2

<o. 1 6

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0.4 0.5 0.2 <0.1 10

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0 . 3 0.5 0.2

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i o . 1 2

a The detectable dose shown in the table represents the accumulated 50-year whole body effective dose equivalent (ICRP 1979) expressed in multiples o f the dose from naturally occurring radioactivity normally expected t o be received by a person during a 50-year period (i.e., 5 rem). Thus, a detectable dose of <0.1 means that the capability of the bioassay measurements is better than that needed to detect an accumulated effective dose equivalent of 0.5 rem.

-- Bioassay measurement not applicable for this situation.

10

The table shows that, in general, the bioassay measurements that were performed are good for detecting the presence of radioactivity in the body resulting from chronic exposure to radioactive materials in the environment. Except for plutonium, the bioassay measurements could have detected the presence of radioactivity producing radiation doses equivalent to or less than the doses received from naturally occurring environmental radioactivity (i .e., cosmic rays, uranium in rocks, etc.). Exposures of similar magnitudes to plutonium in the environment are more difficult to detect right away because the quantity involved is so small. However, after about 10 years of chronic exposure, the measurements could detect a plutonium level in the body that would result in the accumulation of a dose of about four times the amount that i s normally received from natural environmental radiation sources.

The table also shows that the bioassay measurements could detect radio- activity in the body from acute intakes that might occur following an accident. The ability o f the measurement to detect an acute intake is dependent on the length of time the material remains in the body and the elapsed time from the intake to the bioassay measurement. For example, an acute intake of plutonium occurring 40 years ago and resulting in a dose equivalent o f four times that received from naturally occurring environmental radioactivity could be detect- able. As another example, acute intakes of cobalt-60 or ruthenium-106 could also be detectable, but only for about 5 years from the time of intake. The removal rate of the radioactive material from the body by both physical and biological process determines the length o f time that a material can be detected after an exposure occurs.

CONCLUSIONS

Bioassay measurements o f participating individuals gave no evidence o f the presence of radioactivity other than naturally occurring potassium-40 in any specific individual.

Where possible, statistical techniques were used to evaluate the results of the individual measurements grouped together. I f the individuals, as a group, contained low levels o f radioactivity that would

This was done to determine

not be detectable by a single measurement on any one individual. tical analyses indicated that the individuals, as a group, contain normal levels of tritium. The statistical tests did not provide evidence of any other types of radioactivity that might be associated with Hanford. is expected to be present in all individuals because o f the worldwide presence of tritium in the environment.

The statis-

Tritium

Although the current measurements do not provide any evidence o f unusual or unexpected levels of radioactivity in the tested individuals, the signifi- cance of the results in terms of evidence of past exposures must be inferred. The inference is made through the use o f mathematical models that predict bioassay measurement results at various times following an intake.

Analysis o f bioassay measurement capabi 1 i ties showed that, within certain time constraints, the bioassay measurements would be capable o f detecting an internal radiation exposure of about the same magnitude as that normally received from naturally occurring environmental radiation. For example, ruthenium-106 could be detected by a bioassay measurement up to 5 years after intake; and acute intakes of plutonium could be detected for up to 40 years. Tritium and iodine-131, however, could not be reliably detected at one year following an acute intake resulting from an accidental release, but could easily be detected if intakes are continuous such as from routine effluents.

12

.REFERENCES

Brownlee, K.A. 1965. Statistical Theory and Methodology in Science and Engineering. Wiley, New York.

Price. K.R., J.M.V. Carlile, R.L. Dirkes, R.E. Jaauish. M.S. Trevathan, and R.K. Woodruff. 1985. Environmental Monitoring at.Hanford. PNL-5407, Paci f i c Northwest Laboratory, Ri chl and, Washi ngton .

International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). 1979. Limits for Intakes o f Radionuclides by Workers. ICRP Publication 30, Pergamon Press, New York.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . 1985. Environmental Radiation Data - Report 42. 1 i ty, Montgomery, Alabama.

EPA 520/5-85-031, Eastern Environmental Radiation Faci-

UNSCEAR. 1972. Ionizing Radiation: Levels and Effects - Volume I: Levels. A report o f the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) to the General Assembly, with annexes. New York.

13

APPENDIX A

CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS

0009848

APPENDIX A

CHARACT ERI ST ICs OF STUDY PART IC I PANTS

Summary of Quest1 onni res Compl eted by Exam1 nees

No.

42 2. Sex.. 47 Males

Females

No. 10 4 7

11 7 20 19 5 6

1. Age <IO years 11-20 21-30 3 1-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 7 71

Not given

3. Weight Male Female

<lo0 lbs 4 101-120 2 121-140 2 141-160 7

201-220 5 221-240 0 241-260 2 Not given 6

161-180 6 181-200 13

t

4 5

11 5 5 5 2 0 0 5

5. Time In Area No.

14 16 30 15 5 1 2 6

4 0 years 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 Not given

4. occupation

Farmer Farm Laborer Farm Wife Chi I d Professional C1 erk Reti red Not given

No. - 38 3 18 12 7 2 4 5

No.

1 Several meal s/week Several meal s/month 3 7 Several meal s/year None 69 9 Not given

6. Consumed Wild Game

7. Previous employment a t Hanford o r other nuclear f a c i l i t y :

Yes No Not given

2 76 11

A . 1

APPENDIX B

WHOLE BODY COUNT METHODS

2. a

. -

APPENDIX B

WHOLE BODY COUNT METHODS

The whole body counting facilities for the Hanford Site are among the most sophisticated in the world, The Hanford Mobile Whole Body Counter is a semi- portable sodium-iodide detector based unit comparable in radioactivity detection capability to that of the main whole body counting facility in Richland. Because of the diagnostic capabilities available at the main facility, it was planned to use the main facility to perform quantitative assessment of radio- activity levels if radioactivity of potential Hanford origin was detected in the examinations at the Chiawana Grange Hall.

The data analysis procedure for each examination involved the comparison o f the net integral of observed radiations in energy regions of the spectrum, corresponding to radionuclides of interest, to a predetermined threshold level Such "observed radiations" are counted by the whole body detector and thus are generally referred to as "counts". determining the expected variability of the net counts in the various energy regions based on measurements of a group of subjects assumed to have no internal radioactivity other than natural background. The net counts for a particular energy region is the total number o f counts in the region minus the number estimated to be due to scattered radiations based on counts observed fn energy regions bordering the regfon of interest.

The threshold level was calculated by

w

The threshold level for each region o f interest was establlshed at three Thus, the threshold value standard deviations above the expected net counts.

represents an a priori decision to accept, with a probability of occurrence of 1%, that the measurement could falsely detect radioactivity in a subject who actually had no internal radioactivity. Conversely, the procedure has a 99% probability of detecting radioactivity in excess of the stated detection limit.

For each examination, the net counts in the energy regions of interest were compared to the predetermined threshold level, the threshold level, the corresponding radionuclide was concluded to be pre- sent.

If the observed level exceeded

The quantity o f the radionuclide in the subject was then calculated by

0 0 0 9 8 5 1 B.l

correcting the net counts for radioactivity assumed to be external to the subject (e.g., potassium-40 in the detector itself or radon and thoron radio- nuclides on the skin and hair) and applying the appropriate calibration factor from Tab1 e B. 1.

The calibration factor for each radionuclide was determined by placing known amounts of the radionuclide of interest in an. anthropomorphic phantom and then performing a standard whole body examination with the phantom as the subject. absorption) phantom.

The phantom used for calibration was the BOMAB (bottle manikin The BOMAB phantom consists of 10 polyethylene bottles of

sizes that, when appropriately arranged, approximate the size and shape of a standard adult. The ratio of the net number of counts in the energy region of interest to the known quantity of the radionuclide in the phantom is the calibration factor.

TABLE B.l Calibration Factors for BOMAB Phantom Radi onucl i de Cal ibration Factora

potassium-40 manganese-54 cobal t-60 zi nc-65 rutheni um-106 iodine-131 cesi um-137

9.35 68.6 60.2 30.4 17.2 75.9 63.4

t

aCounts per minute in principal energy region per nanocurie.

0.2

0 0 0 9 8 5 2

APPENDIX C

WHOLE BODY COUNT DATA

?

0004853

. APPENDIX C

WHOLE BODY COUNT DATA

As described i n Appendix B, a radionuclide of i n t e r e s t was ident i f ied i f the net integral observations i n the corresponding energy region exceeded a threshold value t h a t was calculated before the study began. the net integral observations in the energy regions o f i n t e r e s t f o r seven radionuclides. kets a t the top of each column of data.

Table C.l shows

The values of the corresponding thresholds a re given in brac-

As shown i n the table , w i t h the exception o f potassium-40, none of the Potassium-40 levels i n the subjects ranged threshold values were exceeded.

from 0 mal e. such a

F

048 microcuries i n a 4-year-old chi ld t o 0.16 microcuries in an adult These values a r e w i t h i n the range t h a t would normally be expected f o r group of people (UNSCEAR 1972).

gure C.l shows averages of the energy spectra obtained during the course of the examinations. eight individuals t h a t had interfer ing levels of natural ly occurring radioac- t i v i t y on t h e i r clothing during their i n i t i a l examination and the average spectra from the 88 valid measurements. up examinations performed on the eight individuals a f t e r t h e i r clothing change. The principal energy regions f o r radionuclides of potential Hanford or igin a re shown below the curves, and the energy regions f o r radionuclides asso- c ia ted w i t h natural ly occurring radioact ivi ty a re shown above the curves. Averaging the data from the individual examinations reduces the variabil Sty inherent in individual measurements. spectrum and enables peaks within specified energy regions t o be more not i ceabl e.

The two curves show the average spectra obtained from the

The bottom curve includes the follow-

The procedure thus produces a smoother

Figure C.2 shows spectral data f o r the eight subjects who had interfer ing levels of natural ly occurring radioact ivi ty on t h e i r clothing. compare the spectrums obtained from the individuals before and a f t e r clothing change.

The curves

The presence of low levels of the naturally occurring radionuclides

c . 1

0009855

TABLE C . l . Summary o f Whole Body Count Spectrum Analyses

SltLccf 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88

6a

1980 2034 2099 2100 1601 1531 1585 1753. 2272 1654

2204 1948 1721 2148 2152 1825 1679 2172 2129 2294 1812 1519 2300 1695 1948 2285 2476 2355 2320 1938 2267 1939 2020 2120 2274 2022 2254 2006 1886 2146 1803 2243 1640 1730 2243 2354 1971 1688 1420 1838 1614 1620

p 2215 1921 2027 2158 1863 2108

, 2175

2171 1912 1929 2040 I850 1821 1946 2016 1716 1968 2286 1965 2237 2201 1915 1880 2257 1751 2088 2042 2123 2346 1909 1766 2214 2214 2185 2134 2234

!!cQmm 11 -21 -99 48 -6 12 42

-71 101 -38 -22 -34 -57 -59 -8 16 -56 -37 45 -70 32 -89 -172 -105 44 26 -90 -9 17 -69 -8 10 -4 12

-13 51 82

-124 -116 -53 -55 -133 -60 40 83 -13 -21 58 6 73 133 -119 -99 -73 30 -57 -11 -64 -53 -30 5 72 105

-114 6

-59 34 -56 36 9

-75 -110 125 24 24 - 69

-35 155 -3 112 40 70 26 -2 -5 28 -54 23

!Lcz!ul - 69 102 7

-8 5

-22 115 68

4 109 31 65 40 86 -23 56 57 152 87 109 25 66 -15

I -3 40 79 -2 -23 47 39 -15 89 70 -44 37 56 -21 -103 26 90 110 151 4

106 61 -13 61 - 29 0

-40 50 18

-56 -134 62 -1 33 33 74 -19 81 70 119 -32 4 25 68 127 53 110

-117 -6 59 -5 -49 53 175 40 101 45 64 -9 -10

7 134 61

I a

-96 -27 58 -38 -92 -10 -35 - 68 -109 -188 -21 -25 -90 -46 -16 -16 -16 48 -74 -60 -73 -73 52

-124 -131 -56 -91 -143

-18 -50

-125 I7

-104 -19 - 30 -11 -66 -44 -96 -84 -37

-171 -78 23 -7 23 -64 -12 -58 19 -92 -56 -52

-164 -22 -27 -38 -164 -69 25 -33 -205 57 24 31

-127 83 -32 -7 18 -69 33 -69 -78 - 26 -38 -19 0

-15 -179 -8

-32 -30

-166 23

-145 -39 -4

46 1 458 432 389 483 423 381 502 524 542 578 449 328 453 540 47 0 567 447 610 450 424 544 432 575 543 376 363 453 454 369 424 6 2 493 268 359 470 543 112 383 471 551 491 387 423 390 538 371 389 516 467 341 456 417 50 1 505 433 485 565 51 7 508 605 546 398 572 464 365 517 570 499 421 410 621 433 486 338 446 533 512 378 580 472 560 498 38 1 484 533 610 49 1

-65 178 I 4 3 60

173 73 194 9

-47 65 93 58 -27 151 143 44 47 79 -35 5

I54 -26 190 107 53 223 151 97 127 266 91 294 124 322 287 84 -78 156 230 131 223 17 57 43 73

-75 225 112 101 197 228 159 287 42 128 69 24 171 34 199 - 55 172 I51 103 61 147 -63 -27 88 75 160 -3 87 88 156 47 -62 -56 134 -10 55 153 118 228 86 40 5

I28

a Net counts in e n e q y region . gross counts in regton minus estlndted background count The threshold f s the number of net counts in the energy region that would in region.

be required for porltlve identlflcation as described in Appendix 8.

58 7 93

-121 -38 -64 -137 -74 -69 14

-51 -153 -84 -109 -75 18 12 47 173 -143 -43 -55 -16 35 -16 6 43 - 30 157 -51 16 88 -56 0 58

-15 -15 -87

-118 -7

7 -90 -40 27 87 -46

-1 9 24 18 73 11

-137 -12 8

-41 -83 70

-100 -26

37 44 -85 13 4 81 104 124 8

-58 32 -31 17 100 55 57 -7 177 -47 108 13

213 115 -46 80 117 -31 45

c.2

Performed Before Clothing Change) 2’4Pb 0.29 MeV - Average of 88 Valid Examinations

900 1

800

- C W E 7 0 0 E

P

V C

> W

-

:.35 ‘14Pb MeV

L I I I

Energy Regions for Naturally Occurring Radionuclides are Shown Above the Spectra

Energy Regions for Hanford Related Radionuclides are Shown Below the Spectra

‘OK 1.46 MeV

J

I I I I _ _ 2.4 2.8

2 1 4 ~ i

1.76 MeV 214Bi A 2.20 I MeV

0 Photon Energy (MeV)

1.6 2.v 1.2 . ..

0.4 0.8

Figure C . l . Summary o f Whole Body Count Spectra

c. 3

0 Q,

P) In E.

$ 400 c. E 3 0 V P) 0 3

300 k

200

I I '"Pb 1 / 0.29 MeV d I '14Pb

MeV 11 I I

ql

Average Spectra From the Examination of 8 Persons that had Interfering Levels of Naturally Occurring Radioactivity on Clothing

- - Before Clothing Change - After Clothing Change

Energy Regions for Naturally Occurring Radionuclides are Shown Above the Spectra.

"K 1.46 MeV

J

Annihilation Radiation

100 -

I I I I I I I 2.0 2.4 2.8 1.2 1.6 0.8

0 0 0.4

Photon Energy (MeV)

FIGURE C.2. Comparison of S p e c t r a Obta ined From I n d i v i d u a l s W i t h I n t e r f e r i n g Levels o f Natura l R a d i o a c t i v i t y on C l o t h i n g

c .4

i s reduced but is still apparent even after the clothing change. attributed to the presence of the radionuclides on underclothing and in the hair. nuclides that are external to the body can be essentially completely removed only by a shower and clothing change immediately before the examination.

This i s

Experience has shown that levels of such naturally occurring radio-

c . 5

0009858

APPENDIX D

URINALYSIS METHODS

APPENDIX D

URINALYSIS METHODS

Urine samples were processed by U.S. Testing Company, Inc., at their Richland, Washington, laboratory. to a large glass beaker and dilute acid was added to prevent plateout. the exception o f tritium, 500 mL aliquots were used for analyses. Tritium was measured by direct counting of the sample using a liquid scintillation spectrometer. solution for the measurement.

the sample through sequential precipitation as the nitrate and then as the carbonate. scavenge. The yttrium-90 decay product was allowed to grow into equilibrium with the strontium-90, then separated and counted using a low-background beta proportional counter. Strontium-85 was used as a yield monitor.

Upon receipt, the samples were transferred With

One milliliter of sample was diluted by 15 mL o f scintillation

Strontium-90 was determined by chemical separation o f the strontium from

Iron and final traces of other elements were removed by a hydroxide

Plutonium was determined by chemical separation of the plutonium from other elements by dissolution in nitric acid, absorption on anion exchange resin, and washing of the resin by nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. was then desorbed from the resin, electroplated on a counting disk, and counted using an alpha spectrometer. nation of plutoni,um-238 and plutonium-239/240 individually. was used as a yield monitor.

The plutonium

Analysis of the alpha spectrum enabled determi- Plutonium-242

Along with the samples, blank and spiked quality control samples were processed to monitor the performance of the overall procedures.

D. 1

APPENDIX E URINALYSIS DATA

TABLE E.1. U r i n a l y s i s Data

Sample Number

I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Tritium (x 10' pci/L)

Detection Level=20b Result Uncertaintv

10.0 9.7 2.4 9.5 -8.0 9.3 -10.5 9.4

5.1 9.6 0.0 9.7

-5 .1 9.9 3.3 9.7 5 . 3 9.6 7.3 9.6 0.9 9.5 7.1 9.9 -3.4 9.8 6.0 9.9 14.0 7.2 - 2 . 2 9.4 -5 .1 9 . 5 7 .a 9.6 9.5 10.2 6.9 10.0

-0.3 9.8 3.2 9.7

-9.1 9.3 -2.8 9.5 9.1 9.8 2.8 9.7 -1.5 9.6 5.0 9,7 -4.1 9.4 16.1 10.5

3 . 4 9.7 3.0 ,9.6

S tront i um-90 (x IO-' pci/500 mL)' Detection Level=20b Result Uncertainty

0.7 0.9 0.4 0.9 1.7 1.1 0.4 1.0 0.1 0.8 -0.2 0.8

0.2 0.8 0.7 0.9 -0.8 0.8 -0.4 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.8

-0.2 0.9 0.1 0.9 1.1 0.4 0.8 1.0 1.5 1.0 I . 4 1.1

1.4 0.9 2.1 1 .o 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.8 1.6 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.3 0.9 0.7 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.9 1.8 1.0 0.0 0.8 0.2 0.9

0.7 0.8

Plutonium-238 (x p ~ i / 5 0 0 mLja Detection Level =20b Result Uncertainty

0.8 0.8 0.0 1.7 0.5 "1.2 0.3 1.1 0.0 1.2 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.2 0.0 1.3 -0.5 0.5 -1 .o 0.7 -0.5 0.5 0.0 1.3 -0.8 0.8 1.7 1.9 0.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 0.8 0.8 0.7 1.6 1.4 3 . 2 0.3 0.9 -1.0 0.7 0.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 -0.5 0.5 - 0 . 5 0.5 -0 .5 0 . 5 0.7 0.7 0.0 1.3 -0.5 0.5 -1.3 0.9 0.0 1.3 0.8 0.8

P1 utonium-239 (x pci /500 mL)a Detect I on Level '2ob Result Uncertainty

1.1 1.2 -1.4 1 .O 0.0 1.1 0.0 1.4

-0.5 0.5 0.0 1.2 2.4 1.7 0.1 1.5 -0.5 0.5 -0.2 1.1 0.8 0.8 -0.6 0.6

1.2 1.2 2.9 2.3

1 .3 1.5 0.0 1.2 0.0 1.4 0.1 1.7 -0.5 0.5 0.0 1.2 1.7 1.3 0.0 1.6 0.0 1.2 -0.5 0.5 0.0 1.2 0.0 1.1

-0.2 1.1 0.8 0.8 0.0 1 .5 0.0 1 . 3 0 . 3 1.0

1.6 1 .a

a ,,Data normalized to 500 mL. Aliquots were approximately 500 mL. One standard deviation o f the estimated total propagated uncertainty.

E. 1

APPENDIX F

URINALYSIS STATISTICS

APPENDIX F

URINALY S IS STAT1 ST1 CS

The urinalyses r e s u l t s were grouped by radionuclide. Normally, f o r

strontium-90, plutonium-238, and plutonium-239, the data from the lab a r e reported uncorrected f o r biases t h a t may be introduced by the presence of radioact ivi ty introduced during the analytical process because the levels are below t h a t o f concern. obtained from analysis of reagent blanks t o check f o r any s t a t i s t i c a l d i f - ference. That is, the reagent blanks served as a control group. rected urine data f o r strontium-90 a r e given i n Table F.l and the data f o r plutonium a r e given i n Appendix E. The urine data were not s t a t i s t i c a l l y d i f fe ren t from the reagent blanks using the two-sample t - t e s t f o r unequal variances a t the 95% significance level (Table F.3). T h u s the urine contained no detectable quanti t i e s of strontium-90, plutonium-238, o r plutonium-239.

Therefore, the grouped data were compared t o r e s u l t s

The uncor-

As shown i n Table F.2, the strontium-90 analytical procedure apparently causes a s t a t i s t i c a l l y s ignif icant bias i n the reported r e s u l t s i f no correc- t ion i s applied. T h i s makes the uncorrected strontium-90 data shown i n Table F . l appear t o have many posi t ive values, Therefore, the strontium-90 r e s u l t s reported i n Appendix E were corrected f o r the reagent blank a c t i v i t y . The bias introduced during the pl utoni um analytical procedure were regarded as insignif icant , apd t h u s no corrections were applied t o the plutonium data.

For the t r i t ium analyses, the reagent background was subtracted along with the counter background as par t o f the analytical procedure. T h u s , the comparison of the group data t o reagent blanks could not be made. Instead, the mean o f the tritfum resul t s was tes ted t o determine i f i t was s t a t i s t i - ca l ly d i f fe ren t from zero. ficance level , i t was determined tha t the mean of the reported t r i t ium resu l t s was di f fe ren t from zero. urine samples apparently contain low levels of t r i t ium. and standard e r r o r of the mean f o r the tritium data were 240t110 pCi/L.

Using a one-tailed t - s t a t i s t i c a t the 95% signi-

This was interpreted t o mean t h a t as a group, the The calculated mean

F. 1

Two samples received rep1 i cate analyses. The tr i t l um resul t f o r sampl e 15 i s based on a t o t a l of f i v e determinations, and the plutonium-238 r e s u l t f o r sample 19 i s based on three determinations. The multiple determinations were performed because of uncertainties regarding the v a l i d i t y of the i n i t i a l determination. The reported r e s u l t s a re the average o f the determinations including the i n i t i a l determination. All other r e s u l t s a re based on a s ingle analysi s.

TABLE F. 1. Stronium-90 Results Uncorrected For Reagent Bias

Sample Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

29 30 31 32

-

a

ia

28

aOne standard dev ia t ion of propagated uncertainty

S t ron t i urn-90 (x 10-1 pci/500 mL) - Result Uncertai n t y a

2.4 0.8 2.2 0.8 3.4 1.0 2.1 0.8

2.4 0.8

2 . 5 0.8

1.6 0.8 1 .a 0.8 2.8 0.8 2.5 0.9 3.2 0.9 3.1 1 .o 2.4 0.7 3.1 0.8 3.8 o .a

3.4 0.8

1.9 0 6 1.5 0.6 1.9 0.7

1 .o 0.6 1.3 0.7

2.8 0.7

2.1 0.7 1.9 0.7

2.6 0.7 3.0 0.8 2.4 0.7 2.5 0.7 2.3 0.7

1.7 0.7 1.9 0.7

3.5 0.8

he e t imated total

Stronti urn-90 (x 10-1 pci /500 mL) - Result Uncertaintya

1.32 0.75 0.82 1.28 3.42 2.94 2.13 3.68 5.90

4.00 2.77 4.24 0.45 1.46 3.15 2.21 1.82 1.92 1.92 0.04

-5.00 2.22 3.21 2.73 1.67 1.27 0.99 1.62 4.18 0.88

4.45 4.55

-2.27

-a. 38

0.76 0.82 1.55 1.68 0.81 2.27 2.75 1.84 2.88 2.71 3.27 1.06 3.18 3.48 4.64 1.61 1.45 1.92 2.13 2.09 0.64 2.37 2.38 1.50 1.58 0.97

11.74 1.21 0.51 2.77 1.42 6.04 0.91 3.91

mean = 1.7 S.D. = 2.7 S.E. = 0.5

TABLE F.'2. Reagent B1 anks

P1 utoni urn-238 (x pci /500 mL) - Result Uncertaintya

-1.05 -0.72 -0.54 -2.48

1.27 0.00 1.13

-0.24 1.99 0.00

-0.80 3.40

-0.61 0.79

-1.61

0.74 0.72 0.54 1.26 2.30 1.61 1.14 1.26 1.41 3.25 0.81 2.65 0.61 0.79 1.15

mean = 0.04 S.D. = 1.5 S.E. = 0.4

Pl utoni urn-239

(x pci /500 mL) Result Uncertai ntya -

0.00 . -1.4 -1.1

1.4 3.1

-0.20 0.42

-0.90 4.5 1.6 0.0 0.68 0 .o 0.30

-0.81

1.4 1 .o 0.77 1.5 2.5 1.07 1.33 0.63 2.9 3.6 1.9 1.52 1.4 0.94 0.81

aOne standard deviation o f the estimated ..J S.D. = standard deviation S .E . = standard error o f mean

F . 3

mean = 0.5 S.D. = 1.6 S.E. = 0.4

a1 propagated uncertainty.

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