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USTUR 0028: Rocky Flats – 1965 Acute Inhalation (Fire) – Refractory 239Pu
Intake
This registrant worked at the Rocky Flats Plant for about 13 y. In 1965, he was involved in an extensive plutonium fire incident. This was his only recorded intake.
1965: Studies of the plutonium fire aerosol showed that the material was highly refractory, and thus retained in the lungs and not responsive to intravenous chelation treatment. Surface contamination indicated small particle sizes: 0.12 µm count median diameter (0.4 µm CMAD) and 0.32 µm mass median diameter (1.0 µm AMAD). Plutonium air contamination in the Registrant’s work area was >90,000 dpm/m3 (1.5 kBq/m3) based on an 8-hour sampling period and the Am:Pu mass ratio was 1830 parts per million (ppm).
Health Physics
While employed at Rocky Flats, this Registrant provided 62 urine samples that were analyzed for 239Pu, 241Am, and/or uranium. Twelve of the thirty-seven plutonium measurements exceeded the contemporary MDA/2 (0.27 dpm/24 h).
The Registrant provided 11 fecal samples. The two samples with the highest plutonium concentrations (64 and 140 dpm/24 h) were collected 19 and 25 days after the fire, respectively.
Twenty-nine chest counts were performed between 1965 and 1969 using a NaI detector. The current interpretation of these data gives an estimated 239Pu activity decreasing from 111 nCi in 1965 to 29 nCi in 1969. The 239Pu activity was calculated from the original 241Am 59 keV counts per minute (cpm) using OCAST-TKBS-0011-5 Rev 02 “Rocky Flats Plant – Occupational Internal Dose” methodologies.
The Registrant’s total external (penetrating) radiation dose was 4.79 rem.
Autopsy and Pathology
The Registrant died at age 64 y from a malignant neoplasm of the bladder that metastasized to the liver and lung.
A portion of left and right lungs, thoracic lymph nodes, liver, heart, kidneys, spleen, rib and urinary bladder were taken at autopsy.
Contemporary Dose Estimates
The last plutonium body burden estimates made by Rocky Flats Plant personnel are as follows:
| % of Maximum Permissible Burden |
Maximum Permissible Burden |
Calculated Estimate of Burden |
|
| Systemic Burden | 3% | 40 nCi | 1.2 nCi |
| Lung Burden | 264% | 16 nCi | 42.2 nCi |
To use USTUR narrative data, please cite:
USTUR 0028: Rocky Flats – 1965 Acute Inhalation (Fire) – Refractory 239Pu: Narrative. United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries. 2 November 2009. Washington State University: College of Pharmacy. Accessed 23 November 2009. Available at: http://www.ustur.wsu.edu/Case_Studies/Narratives/0028_Narrative.php.
This page was last updated on November 2, 2009. usturwebmaster@tricity.wsu.edu