Linde Ceramics Plant

Special Exposure Cohort

Petition Evaluation Report

Revision 1

James W. Neton, Ph.D., CHP

Associate Director for Science

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

December 2011

Tampa, FL
Petition Overview

 Petition received on November 5, 2009

 Petitioner proposed class definition:

• All employees who worked in any area 

Linde Ceramics in Tonawanda, NY, from

November 1, 1947 to December 31, 195

 Petition qualified for evaluation on

January 22, 2010
Petition Overview—cont.

 Class evaluated by NIOSH

• All employees who worked in any area at the Lind

Ceramics Plant in Tonawanda, NY, from Novembe

to December 31, 1953

 Covered periods at Linde Ceramics Plant

• Contract period extends from October 1, 1942 thr

December 31, 1953

• Residual contamination continues through Octobe

 Previously added SEC classes

• October 1, 1942 through October 31, 1947• January 1, 1954 through December 31, 1969
Evaluation Report Backgroun

 Original evaluation report presented to the

Advisory Board in November 2010

 NIOSH believed at that time that all doses 

be reconstructed with sufficient accuracy

• Ability to reconstruct internal doses largely ba

the existence of >600 uranium urinalysis samp

collected between 1947 and 1950

 Detailed review of available samples and

operations between 1947 and 1953 has be

conducted
Linde Ceramic Plant’s AEC Activ

 Linde Ceramics Plant (a division of L

Air Products Corporation) located in Tonawanda, New York 

 Originally handled uranium products 

as dyes for ceramic tableware 

 In 1942, contracted with the Manhatta

Engineering District (MED) to procesuranium ores to produce uranium oxand later, green salt 
Linde Ceramic Plant’s AEC Activit

 In 1942 and thereafter, the MED erect

several buildings (30, 31, 37, and 38) site, which became known as the LinCeramics Plant 

 The MED contracted for the processi

uranium ores into green salt in a 3-stprocess extending from October 1, 1through June 30, 1949 
Chemical Processes at Linde

Ceramics Plant

 Step 1

• Conversion of uranium ore to U3O8 (black oxide)

• Unrefined ore contained U progeny in equilibrium

• Occurred in Building 30

 Step 2

• Conversion of U3O8 to UO2 (brown oxide)

• UO3 (orange oxide) was an intermediary product

• Occurred in Building 30

 Step 3

• Conversion of UO2 to UF4 (green salt)

• Occurred in Buildings 37 and 38
Major Operations (1947 – 195

 Production of UF4 in Building 38

• November 1, 1947 – June 30, 1949

• UO2 + 4HF → UF4 + 2H2O

• Started with purified U, so no exposure to progeny

 D&D of Building 30

• Some step 2 process equipment removed starting i

April 1948

• Extensive D&D activities (e.g., sand blasting, remov

contaminated parts, jack hammering) started in M

and completed February 1950

• Potential for exposure to U and progeny
Building 38 After June 30, 19

 Decontamination efforts not well docume

 Minor cleanup performed at the end of

operations and equipment placed in stand

mode

 Memos indicate that decontamination effo

occurred sometime between 1950 and 195

 NIOSH has no internal monitoring data for 

efforts
Review of Urinalysis Data

 Urine samples collected between 1947 and 19

measured for mass of uranium only

 Most samples appear to have been collected 

monitor workers in Building 38

• Fluorine results reported in addition to U

 Mass measurements incapable of evaluating 

of long lived progeny present in Building 30

 No bioassay or air sample data available after 

 D&D operations conducted in Building 38 som

after 1950
Feasibility ‐ Internal Dose

 Building 38 decontaminated after July 194

workers who were either unmonitored or 

whom the monitoring records have been l

 Building 30 contaminated with raffinate m

and, after 1950, with residual material tha

included some raffinates of unknownconcentration

 Available bioassay data incapable of quan

exposures in either situation
Feasibility ‐ Radon

 All above ground structures assumed to have 

pCi/L radon level, per the Technical Basis

Document, Table 3‐5

 Documentation indicates that the utility tunn

near the Linde Ceramics Plant (Buildings 30, 3

and 38) were not built until after 1956

 Documentation and soil samples show that th

Bldg. 14 area was not contaminated with rad

that the surface radon levels are bounding foexisting utility tunnel
Feasibility – External Dose

 Principal sources of exposure

• Direct beta/gamma from uranium and progeny c

in process material

• Residual contamination present on surfaces

 Approximately 6,000 weekly film badge resu

available

• Allows for correlation between job category and

measured dose

 Radiation area survey data available to supp

film badge data
Evaluation Process

 Two‐prong test established by EEOICPA an

incorporated into 42 C.F.R. § 83.13 (c)(1) a

C.F.R. § 83.13 (c)(3):

1. Is it feasible to estimate the level of radiation 

of individual members of the class with sufficiaccuracy?

2. Is there a reasonable likelihood that such radi

dose may have endangered the health of mem

the class?
Feasibility of Dose Reconstruct

 NIOSH finds that the available monito

records, process descriptions, and soterm data are insufficient to bound intdoses or to complete dose reconstrucwith sufficient accuracy for the evaluaclass of employees 
Health Endangerment

 The evidence reviewed in this evaluation

indicates that some workers in the class m

have accumulated chronic radiation expos

through intakes of radionuclides and direc

exposure to radioactive materials

 Consequently, NIOSH is specifying that hea

may have been endangered for those work

covered by this evaluation who were empl

for a number of work days aggregating at l

250 work days within the parameters

established for this class or in combination 

work days within the parameters establish

one or more other classes of employees in 

SEC
NIOSH Recommendation

All employees who worked in any area at t

Linde Ceramics Plant in Tonawanda, New Y

from November 1, 1947 through December 

1953, for a number of work days aggregatin

least 250 work days, occurring either solely 

this employment or in combination with wdays within the parameters established for 

more other classes of employees in the Spe

Exposure Cohort
Summary of Feasibility

, 1947 through December 31, 1953)

NIOSH Recommendation—con

Summary of Feasibility 

(November 1, 1947 through December 31, 1953) 

Source of 

Exposure 

Feasible Not Feasib

Internal 

U and progeny X 

Radon X 

External 

Gamma, Beta, and 

neutron 

X 

Medical X (1950-1953)