Alternative Model for the Calculation of Uranium Intakes at GSI 

Prepared by 


Robert Anigstein
 

S. Cohen & Associates
 

August 28, 2012
 
Contaminant Fate and Transport
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Uranium Handling Times, Based on MCW Purchase Orders
 

Period covered by PO 

Date Hoursa 

1/1/53 d 2/28/58 d 

3/1/58 6/30/58 2928 

7/1/58 10/31/58 2952 

11/1/58 6/30/59 5808 

7/1/59 6/30/60 8784 

7/1/60 6/30/61 8760 

7/1/61 6/30/62 8760 

7/1/62 6/30/63 8760 

7/1/63 6/30/64 8784 

7/1/64 6/30/65 8760 

7/1/65 6/30/66 8760 

Uranium handling 

Total (h) b Fraction c 

4.99%e 

125 4.27% 

112.5 3.81% 

225 3.87% 

337.5 3.84% 

337.5 3.85% 

437.5 4.99% 

125 1.43% 

28.12 0.32% 

28.12 0.32% 

12.86 0.15% 

a Duration of period 

b Total hours of uranium handling operations during specified time period 

Fraction of time devoted to uranium handling operations (column 4 ÷ column 3) 

d No purchase orders found for this period 

e Maximum of all later periods 

c 
Calculation of Surficial Uranium Concentrations
 

2 ói = surficial uranium concentration due to accumulation during time period i (Bq/m )


t = time (d)
 

μ = fractional removal rate
 

-4 -1 = 6.7 × 10 d (OTIB 70) 

fi = fraction of time during period i during which uranium handling operations occurred 

-1 R = rate of accumulation during uranium handling operations (Bq m-2 d )

Given that ói

(ti1 ) = 0: 

ói(t) = surficial uranium activity concentration at time t due to accumulation during time period i 

2 (Bq/m )

2 S(t) = total surficial uranium activity concentration at time t (Bq/m )

n(t) = number of uranium-handling time intervals up to time t 
Locations of á-Activity Measurements in Old Betatron Building
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alpha Activity Concentrations on Floor of Old Betatron Building
 

Sample location 

North East 

0 4 

0 8 

0 14 

1 6 

1 10 

1 17 

2 2 

2 4 

2 11 

3 3 

3 7 

3 9 

4 12 

4 15 

5 6 

6 7 

6 10 

7 8 

7 13 

7 17 

8 1 

9 5 

9 14 

10 17 

11 1 

14 5 

18 3 

20 1 

21 3 

21 5 

22 4 

Average 

Alpha 

dpm/100 cm 2 Bq/m 2a 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

21 

<MDA 

35 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

35 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

42 

<MDA 

28 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

<MDA 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

35 

42 

58 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

58 

42 

42 

42 

42 

70 

42 

47 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

43.6
 a Calculated assuming “<MDA” = 25 dpm/100 cm2 
Rate of Accumulation of Surficial Uranium During Uranium Handling Operations
 

R = 

= 

rate of accumulation of surficial uranium during uranium handling operations 

1,195 Bq m-2 d-1 

S f (t ) = 

= 

average á f -activity concentration on first floor of Old Betatron Building at time t 

43.6 Bq/m2 

tf = 

= 

time of ORNL survey 

14,767 d (January 1, 1953–June 7, 1993) 
Airborne Uranium Activity Concentrations
 

÷S(t) = airborne uranium activity concentration due to surficial contamination at time t 

F r = resuspension factor 

= 1 × 10-5 m -1 

÷h = airborne uranium activity concentration due to uranium handling activities 

= 18.44 Bq/m3 

= 1,106 dpm/m3 

vd = deposition velocity of 5 μm AMAD particles 

= 7.5 × 10-4 m/s 

= 64.8 m/d 
 

 

 

Inhalation of Uranium by GSI Workers
 

U concentration 

Year 2a 2a 3b Bq/m dpm/100 cm dpm/m 

1953 10,119 6,071 6.07 64.87 1,591.28 1,656.15 

1954 27,245 16,347 16.35 174.67 1,591.28 1,765.95 

1955 40,657 24,394 24.39 260.65 1,591.28 1,851.93 

1956 51,209 30,725 30.73 328.30 1,591.28 1,919.58 

1957 59,402 35,641 35.64 380.82 1,591.28 1,972.10 

1958 64,775 38,865 38.86 415.27 1,327.34 1,742.61 

1959 65,559 39,336 39.34 420.30 1,229.22 1,649.52 

1960 66,123 39,674 39.67 423.91 1,229.25 1,653.16 

1961 66,682 40,009 40.01 427.49 1,410.92 1,838.41 

1962 71,491 42,895 42.89 458.32 1,018.30 1,476.62 

1963 61,489 36,893 36.89 394.20 276.89 671.09 

1964 49,322 29,593 29.59 316.20 102.44 418.64 

1965 39,887 23,932 23.93 255.72 74.30 330.02 

1966 31,800 19,080 19.08 203.87 23.19 227.06 

1967 24,902 14,941 14.94 159.64 159.64 

1970 11,949 7,169 7.17 76.60 76.60 

1973 5,733 3,440 3.44 36.76 36.76 

1976 2,749 1,650 1.65 17.62 17.62 

1979 1,321 793 0.79 8.47 8.47 

1982 634 380 0.38 4.06 4.06 

1985 304 182 0.18 1.95 1.95 

1988 146 87 0.09 0.93 0.93 

1991 70 42 0.04 0.45 0.45 

1993 c 46 28 0.03 0.29 0.29 

Intake (dpm/calendar day) 

Resuspension U handling Total App BB 

111.57 

111.57 

111.57 

111.57 

111.57 

111.57 

111.57 

111.57 

128.07 

93.28 

26.05 

10.13 

7.66 

5.20 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

0.932 

a Surficial activity concentration 

b Airborne activity due to resuspension from contaminated surface
 

Intakes continued until July 10, 1993, the date remediation under FUSRAP was completed.
 c 
Plausibility Tests of Parameter Values 

÷h	 = derived airborne uranium activity concentration due to uranium handling activities 

= 1,106 dpm/m3 

Handling of Uranium Rods at Melt Plant Building at Hanford 

Operation U concentration 

dpm/m3 

Unloading rods from truck with fork lift 3,926 

Receiving rods: unloading truck and stacking rods 517 

Loading straightened rods directly from table onto truck 88 

Geometric mean 563 

Calculation of Air Exchange as the Only Means of Removal
 

r	 = air exchange rate in Old Betatron Building 

= 0.26 h-1 

μ	 = fractional removal rate 

= 6.7 × 10-4 d-1
 

= 2.79 × 10-5 h-1
 

F	 r = resuspension factor 

= 1 × 10-5	 m -1 

H	 = height of shooting room in Old Betatron Building

= 35 ft = 10.7 m