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USTUR 0821: Rocky Flats — 1965 Acute Inhalation (Fire) — Refractory 239Pu – Chelated
Intake
This registrant worked at the Rocky Flats Plant for 2 years. In 1965, he was involved in an extensive plutonium fire incident. The Registrant is one of eight workers involved in the fire who were treated with chelation therapy.
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. The Am:Pu mass ratio was 1830 ppm.
Health Physics
While employed at Rocky Flats, this registrant submitted 28 urine samples. These were analyzed for gross alpha, uranium, 239Pu, and/or 241Am. The first positive measurement of Pu in urine was in 1965, soon after the Pu fire. Urine results range from 0 to 2.7 pCi/24-h for Pu and from 0 to 0.7 pCi/24-h for Am.
In the following plot of plutonium urine data, the red points designate data that was assigned a ‘NO CAL = 1’ code. This code was used in the Rocky Flats Health Sciences Data system to indicate that data should not be used in bioassay calculations, either because it was influenced by chelation or was invalid due to other factors. The first four data points correspond with the second through fifth days immediately following the intake, when chelation treatment was administered. On these days, the Registrant was treated by i.v. infusion with 1-g DTPA (in 250 mL normal saline).
Thirteen lung counts, 1 liver count and 1 gut count were performed using a NaI(Tl) detector. The highest plutonium measurement was 1.4 MPLB, i.e., 2.4 x 103 Bq.
The Registrant’s total external (penetrating) radiation dose was recorded as 0.432 rem.
Industrial Hygiene
This registrant ‘self-reported’ exposure to beryllium while working at Rocky Flats. There are two Beryllium Health Surveillance Program x-ray forms in his file records. Also, a letter in the file refers to a report that “shows some atypical [x-ray] findings unrelated to beryllium.”
Autopsy and Pathology
The Registrant died at age 67 y. According to the autopsy report, the primary cause of death was “Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and chronic emphysematous lung disease with chronic bronchitis.” The underlying ICD-10 cause of death is atherosclerotic heart disease (I25.1).
Portions of the right and left lung, abdominal lymph nodes, kidneys, spleen, liver, clavicle, patella, sternum, rib, and vertebral wedge were taken at autopsy.
According to the USTUR Personal History form, this registrant did not smoke.
Contemporary Dose Estimates
The latest plutonium body and lung burden estimates made by Rocky Flats Plant personnel were:
- Extrapolated Systemic Burden (1987): 11 % of Maximum Permissible Systemic Burden
- Lung Burden (1987): 84% of Maximum Permissible Lung Burden (MPLB), i.e., 13.4 nCi based upon a 16-nCi plutonium alpha emitter MPLB.
To use USTUR narrative data, please cite:
USTUR 0821: Rocky Flats — 1965 Acute Inhalation (Fire) — Refractory 239Pu – Chelated: Narrative. United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries. 22 May 2009. Washington State University: College of Pharmacy. Accessed 23 November 2009. Available at: http://www.ustur.wsu.edu/Case_Studies/Narratives/0821_Narrative.php.
This page was last updated on May 22, 2009. usturwebmaster@tricity.wsu.edu