Oak Ridge Facilities Update

Lara Hughes, PhD, CHP

Health Physicist

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, 

122nd Meeting

Oak Ridge, TN

April 11, 2018

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Oak Ridge EEOICPA Facilities 

Covered Period SEC period NOCTS claims 

(03/16/2018)

ORNL/X-10 1943 - present 1943 - July 31, 1955 3639

Y-12 1942 - present Mar. 1943 - Dec. 1957 6284

K-25 1943 - 1987, 1988 - present 1943 - Feb.1, 1992 3993

CEW 1943 - 1949 1943 - 1949 64

ORISE 1946 - present May 15, 1950 - Dec. 31, 1963 101

Oak Ridge Hospital 1943 -1959 May 15, 1950 - Dec. 31, 1959 26

OSTI 1957- present None 51

S-50 1944 - 1951 July 9, 1944 - Dec. 31, 1951 43

Facility
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Oak Ridge Facilities - CEW Map
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Oak Ridge Facilities - Background

• Clinton Engineer Works (CEW):

• “Everything inside the fence”

• 59,000 acre federal government area

• Exposure potential limited to warehouse area near Elza Gate

• Evaluation report presented to Board in Feb. 2012, class effective June 10, 

2012

• Infeasibility: Internal and external exposure to U bearing ores

• Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25):

• Uranium-235 enrichment, processing and recycling

• SEC was one of the classes that Congress included when the Act was signed
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Oak Ridge Facilities – Background cont.

• Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE):

• Scientific Research Institute operated by ORAU

• ORINS Cancer Research Hospital was evaluated

• Evaluation presented to Board in 2006, class effective Dec. 9, 2006

• Infeasibility: Internal dose from nuclear medicine handling

• Oak Ridge Hospital

• Community Hospital run by MED/AEC

• Evaluation presented to Board in 2009, SEC effective Jan. 9, 2010

• Infeasibility: Internal and external dose from support of nuclear medicine 

operations
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Oak Ridge Facilities – Background cont.

• Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI):

• Federal Repository for DOE technical reports 

• No SEC class (Petition submitted in 2009 did not qualify for evaluation)

• Facility not associated with radiological work

• Oak Ridge Liquid Thermal Diffusion Plant (S-50): 

• U enrichment facility adjacent to K-25 during wartime

• Later work on Nuclear Energy for the Propulsion of Aircraft (NEPA)

• Evaluation presented to Board in 2006, SEC effective Dec. 9, 2006

• Infeasibility: Internal and external exposure to U and unknown radionuclides
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Oak Ridge Facilities - Current Effort

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL/X-10):

• Current SEC period: June 17, 1943 through July 31, 1955

• Current SEC infeasibility based on internal exposure to U, MFP and Th

• Y-12:

• Addressing period after current SEC period ending Dec. 1957

• SEC infeasibility based on internal exposure to thorium and cyclotron produced 

radionuclides

• Potential Pu-241 infeasibility from calutron operations at Y-12 (by ORNL)

• Evaluation of thorium exposures: thorium air and in-vivo data assessment 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - SEC-00189

• SEC-00189 petition was evaluated in 2011-2012

• Exotic radionuclides (reserved in prior SEC evaluation)

• ORAUT-RPRT-0090 sent to ABRWH and ORNL WG
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - History

• Graphite Reactor used for initial Pu production

• DOE civilian nuclear power program

• Total of 7 critical test facilities and reactors

• Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing R&D

• Dissolving of irradiated fuel and separation of Pu and U

• Isotope production

• Production and sale of isotopes for research and medical uses

• Reactor Produced

• Some produced at Y-12 using calutrons

• Separation, packing and shipping facilities

Graphite Reactor
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ORNL - History - cont.

• Fusion Energy Programs

• Conservation/Renewable Energy

• Fossil Energy Programs

• Basic Physical Sciences Research

• Biomedical and Environmental Programs

• Waste Management

• Space and Defense Technologies

• AI

• Parallel Computing

• Education

Early medical isotope production
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - History - cont.

Aerial view of ORNL Campus, undated
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Isotope Production

Graphite Reactor

Isotope Circle
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Isotope Production at Y-12

• Calutrons no longer in use for U 

separation

• Beta calutrons used for Pu 

separations, starting 1952

• Separations in gloveboxes

• Building 9204-3

• Eight calutrons for various 

isotope separations, 1962-1972

Beta calutron at Y-12
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Bioassay Data 

• ORNL bioassay data base: 104,947 results (1949-1988)

• 94,988 results from 7564 individuals for 1955-1988

• 62 different analytes and code “000” for non-standard method

• Data base is known to be incomplete (not inaccurate though)

• Gross beta missing from 1955-1959

• NOCTS bioassay data: 20,374 results (1955-1988)

• Bioassay data extracted for potential coworker approach

• NOCTS/ORNL sample ratio average is 1.13
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Bioassay Data - cont.

• In-vivo data (whole body counts) for gamma emitters:

• Personnel counting started in June 1960, slow ramp up and program 

optimization

• Routine operations starting in 1963 (baseline and recurring counts of 

potentially exposed persons. 

• System capacity of over 100 persons per month

• Selection on 5 part criteria based on exposure potential by area HP

• Baseline/termination, quarterly, semiannual counts
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL Radioisotope Inventory List

• Isotope Shipping and sales reports

• Operational and technical reports series

• Logbooks

• ORNL and Y-12 related holdings in the SRDB (over 15,000)

• Does not include service irradiations unless target rupture observed

• Table 6.3 in ORAUT-RPRT-0090: 213 isotope inventory list

• Hydrogen – 3: 1955-1957, 1959-1988

• Beryllium – 7: 1955, 1957-1959, 1962, 1964, 1969

• ...

• Fermium-255: 1984, 1988

• Fermium-257: 1968-1977, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Capability Analysis 

• Compare annual production history of 213 nuclides to available 

bioassay methods for each year

• Characteristic radionuclide emission (type and energy)

• Analytical method sensitivity (chemical specificity)

• Did not reconcile quantity of radionuclide with frequency of 

monitoring method

• Once adequate method was indicated it was assumed to be 

available in following years

• Gap is defined as no monitoring results for other years of interest
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Capability Analysis - Table Excerpt

• N: No radionuclide present in specified year

• Y: Nuclide present, bioassay method present, no sample recorded

• R: Nuclide present, no method identified, further analysis needed

• G: Nuclide present, bioassay method available, sample results available
Department of Health and Human Services

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ORNL - Further Evaluation Needed

• 34 Radionuclides need additional research

• 6 are iodines, DR method suggested in Appendix C (more later)

• 28 have short half-lives (22 < 1 year) and decay by EC or IT

• Estimated intake of 1x10-5 of listed inventory quantity for each

• Compared to action levels of workplace monitoring

• Calculated 50yr committed organ dose to the highest organ

• Postulate that dosimetrically significant intake was not likely
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Nuclide Max. (mCi/yr) Organ Dose (mrem)

Be-7 340 ET 5

Ca-41 501 BS 46

Cr-51 46,225 ET 428

Mn-54 115 ET 31

Fe-55 620 Spleen 172

Co-57 175 Lungs 24

Ga-67 120 ET 8

Se-75 2,160 Kidneys 599

Sr-85 142 ET 29

Sr-87m 84 ET 2

Mb-93 n/a BS n/a

Ru-103 1020 Lungs 566

Pa-103 n/a ET n/a

Cd-109 64 Kidneys 545

Nuclide Max. (mCi/yr) Organ Dose (mrem)

Sn-113 610 Lungs 293

Sn-119m 3,598 Lungs 1464

Te-121 13 ET 3

Cs-131 25 BS 1

Ba-133 80 BS 28

Ce-139 n/a Lungs n/a

Pm-145 32 BS 49

Tb-156 n/a ET n/a

Dy-156 60 BS 6

W-181 18 ET 0.3

Os-185 n/a ET n/a

Au-195 5.6 Lungs 2

Hg-197 542 Lungs 722

Bi-206 n/a ET n/a
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Iodine Production

• Iodine produced for commercial applications since 1946

• Since 1958 through separation from reactor fuel

• Production (1946-1964) ranged from 1.3 to 3600 Ci/yr

• Limited personnel monitoring data during that time

• Thyroid monitoring took place 1944 – 1954

• Workplace controls were available

• Separations in 3026D and 3028, but exposure possible 

wherever reactor fuel was processed

• Whole body counting for iodine started in 1961
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORNL - Iodine

• Chronic 95th percentile 

intake derived from 1943-

1957 data: 5.4x105 pCi/d 

• Bounds acute intakes in 

post-1955 period

• Assign intake to unmonitored 

workers from 1955 to onset 

of WBC for iodine
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Y-12 - History

• First Era (1942-1946): U isotope separation

• Calutrons for Uranium enrichment

• Second Era (1947-1992): Cold war nuclear weapons components 

manufacturing

• Produce and test key components of nuclear weapons

• Stockpiling HEU

• Technology development for new weapons designs

• Third Era (post 1992): Multiple new missions

• Storing HEU

• Continued weapons part production on smaller scale

• D&D

• Environmental and waste management
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Y-12 History - Thorium

• Thorium processing operations started in early 1960’s

• Thorium electrodes were arc melted

• Metal from meltings was pressed, rolled and machined 

• Radium and progeny volatilized during process

• Process controls, air sampling, and in-vivo counting

• Detailed process information is classified

• Thorium processing end date is being researched

• In-vivo and air data for DR is being assessed
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Y-12 - History

Aerial Photograph of Y-12 Campus, undated
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Y-12 - Issue with In-vivo and Air Data

• In-vivo:

• Thorium results are reported in units of mg of Th

• Need calibration and count/channel data to potentially assess intakes 

from in-vivo results

• Thorium chain disequilibrium is an issue 

• Air data:

• GA, BZ and operational data available, majority is GA

• Y-12 Thorium air sample data base has issues with data pedigree and 

completeness

• BZ and operational samples not sufficient for intake approach for all years
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Path Forward - ORNL and Y-12

• No obvious ORNL internal DR infeasibility determined

• Continued evaluation of internal data issues

• ORAUT-RPRT-0090 was delivered to ORNL WG

• To be discussed in detail in WG meeting

• Potential Pu-241infeasibility: ORNL process at Y-12 

• SEC evaluation for Y-12 moving forward 

• Thorium DR feasibility evaluation

• Continued data capture to collect more information on Th operations

• Potential Th infeasibility would be an SEC issue