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USTUR 0407: Rocky Flats — 1965 Acute Inhalation (Fire) — Refractory 239Pu — Chelated
Intake
This gentleman worked at Rocky Flats from 1958 through 1975. He was involved in two relatively minor plutonium contamination incidents and in 1965, he was one of the most highly contaminated workers in an extensive plutonium fire incident.
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) and the Am:Pu mass ratio was 1830 ppm.
Health Physics
The inhalation exposure was treated initially by intravenous Ca-DTPA chelation therapy. However, this therapy was of only limited effectiveness. 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. The gentleman was re-assigned to non-plutonium work, and received no further intakes.
USTUR holds complete bioassay, health physics and medical records in this case. Fecal samples collected on the day following the Pu-fire exposure contained 33,100 dpm (0.55 kBq) of Pu α-activity. The contemporary site estimate of this worker’s lung burden was 4.6 times the then-maximum permissible amount, i.e., 74 nCi (2.7 kBq). This corresponds to about 7 times the current DOE (10 CFR 835, November 28, 2006) annual limit on intake of 400 Bq for Class ‘Y’ (insoluble) Pu.
Autopsy and PathologyThis, USTUR’s second oldest Registrant, passed away from heart failure – at age 90+ years. Eighteen years prior to his death, he was treated for prostate cancer (by surgical removal of the prostate and testes). Comprehensive external measurements of the 59.5 keV 241Am γ-emissions from the chest, liver, forehead, knees, and ankles were carried out at PNNL’s In Vivo Radiobioassay Research Facility (IVRRF). A special study of the (43-y) lung and lymph node retention of the refractory Pu particles is planned in this case, including tissue histology and autoradiography. A special quantitative study of the efficiency of counting 241Am γ-emissions from the lungs and skeletal extremities, including the “cross-fire” between organs, is also being made in this case. Ultrasonic measurements of the chest wall thickness (CWT) will be calibrated directly by measuring the physical thickness of the chest wall (removed at autopsy) under the marked detector positions. |
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| Four thin planar germanium detectors positioned over the chest to measure 241Am activity in the lungs. |
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| Template used to mark the position of detectors on the chest, and locations of ultrasonic CWT probe. | Ultrasonic probe measuring the chest wall thickness (three ‘spot’ measurements per line). |
To use USTUR narrative data, please cite:
USTUR 0407: Rocky Flats — 1965 Acute Inhalation (Fire) — Refractory 239Pu — Chelated: Narrative. United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries. 14 May 2009. Washington State University: College of Pharmacy. Accessed 23 November 2009. Available at: http://www.ustur.wsu.edu/Case_Studies/Narratives/0407_Narrative.php.
This page was last updated on May 14, 2009. usturwebmaster@tricity.wsu.edu