ORAU Team

NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Project

Technical Basis Document: Basis for Development of an 

Exposure Matrix for Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Lackawanna, 

New York; Period of Operation: 1949-1952

Document Number:

ORAUT-TKBS-0001

Effective Date: 06/29/2004

Revision No.: 01

Controlled Copy No.: ________

Page 1 of 13

Subject Expert: Cindy W. Bloom

Document Owner

Approval: Signature on File Date: 06/18/2004

Cindy W. Bloom, TBD Team Leader

Approval: Signature on File Date: 06/15/2004

Judson L. Kenoyer, Task 3 Manager

Concurrence: Signature on File Date: 06/28/2004

Richard E. Toohey, Project Director

Approval: Signature on File Date: 06/29/2004

James W. Neton, OCAS Health Science Administrator

Supersedes:

Revision No.: 00

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section

Record of Issue/Revisions ...................................................................................................................

Page

2

1.0 Site Description and Operational History.....................................................................................3

2.0 Estimation of Internal Exposure ..................................................................................................5

3.0 Estimation of External Exposure ................................................................................................. 7

References ........................................................................................................................................11

LIST OF TABLES

Table

1 Documented rollings at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Lackawanna, New York ..........................

Page

3

2 Internal exposure matrix – lower bound ......................................................................................5

3 Internal exposure matrix – upper bound......................................................................................5

4 Estimated ingestion exposures ...................................................................................................6

5 Estimated maximum annual external dose due to submersion in air 

contaminated with natural uranium dust......................................................................................7

6 Estimated external shallow dose due to electron exposure from natural 

uranium source ...........................................................................................................................8

7 Annual organ doses due to assumed annual diagnostic chest X-ray........................................... 9

8 Annual organ doses due to photons from a natural uranium source............................................ 9

9 Annual organ doses due to photons (30-250 keV) from natural uranium source ....................... 10

10 Annual organ doses due to photons (>250 keV) from natural uranium source .......................... 10
Effective Date: 06/29/2004 Revision No. 01 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0001 Page 2 of 13

RECORD OF ISSUE/REVISIONS

ISSUE 

AUTHORIZATION 

DATE

EFFECTIVE 

DATE

REV. 

NO. DESCRIPTION

Draft 12/17/2002 0-A New document to establish the technical basis for 

the development of a radiation exposure matrix 

for Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Initiated by Jeri 

L. Anderson.

Draft 12/17/2002 0-B Changes in response to internal and NIOSH 

review comments.

Draft 12/17/2002 0-C Changes in response to NIOSH review 

comments.

Draft 12/17/2002 0-D Changes in response to NIOSH review 

comments.

Draft 12/17/2002 0-E Changes in response to NIOSH review 

comments.

03/31/2003 03/31/2003 00 First approved issue.

Draft 02/19/2004 01-A Revision to incorporate occupational X-ray doses 

from the OTIB-0006 and to incorporate estimates 

of ingestion intakes. Initiated by Jeri L. Anderson.

Draft 04/27/2004 01-B Revision to incorporate additional OCAS 

comments. Initiated by Jeri L. Anderson.

06/29/2004 06/29/2004 01 Approved issue of Revision 01. Initiated by Jeri L. 

Anderson.
Effective Date: 06/29/2004 Revision No. 01 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0001 Page 3 of 13

1.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND OPERATIONAL HISTORY

Technical Basis Documents and Site Profile Documents are general working documents that provide 

guidance concerning the preparation of dose reconstructions at particular sites or categories of sites. 

They will be revised in the event additional relevant information is obtained about the affected site(s). 

These documents may be used to assist NIOSH in the completion of the individual work required for 

each dose reconstruction.

In this document the word “facility” is used as a general term for an area, building or group of buildings 

that served a specific purpose at a site. It does not necessarily connote an “atomic weapons 

employer facility” or a “Department of Energy facility” as defined in the Energy Employee 

Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. § 7384l (5) and (12)).

In 1949, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) contracted with Bethlehem Steel Corporation 

(BSC) to develop improved rolling mill pass schedules. BSC conducted this work under contracts 

AT(30-1)-1279 and AT(30-1)-1156, which were subcontracts with National Lead of Ohio (DOE 1985). 

The pass schedules were for the rolling of 5-in. natural uranium billets into 1.5-in. rods for use in 

nuclear reactors (LaMastra 1976; DOE 1985) for production of plutonium. The billets were prepared 

by Mallinckrodt Chemical in St. Louis, Missouri, and shipped to Lackawanna in freight cars. The 

freight cars, which were spotted at the BSC plant, served as storage for the uranium billets during the 

week (Range 1976; ORNL 1980; DOE 1985). The rolling experiments generally took place on 

weekends because the mills were in full use 5 days per week. The work only involved the 10-in. bar 

mill and associated billet preparation and handling equipment (LaMastra 1976; Range 1976; Thornton 

1977; ORNL 1980; DOE 1985). 

Because of material accountability procedures, scale, residue and cropped ends were collected and 

fine debris was vacuumed, packaged, and returned to the AEC (LaMastra 1976; Range 1976; ORNL 

1980; DOE 1985). Radiological surveys in 1976 and 1980 of the original facility and equipment, which 

were still in existence, identified no residual contamination above natural background levels (LaMastra 

1976; ORNL 1980; DOE 1985). 

Some references indicate that all work occurred between 1949 and 1951 (Summary 1951; LaMastra 

1976; ORNL 1980). However, other reports indicate that eight additional rollings occurred in 1952 

(Bowman et al. 1952; Hershman 1952; NLO 1952a; DOE 1985), although they were reported to be 

production rollings. A letter from a labor representative in October 1979 claims that six to eight 

rollings took place in 1955 although no verification of these dates has been found (Kosanovich 1979). 

The work was supposedly transferred to the Fernald Plant around September 1952 (NLO 1952a; 

LaMastra 1976; Range 1976). Information obtained from the rolling experiments at BSC was used in 

the design of a rolling mill at the National Lead Company plant in Fernald, Ohio, which began 

production in 1953 (LaMastra 1976; Range 1976). Table 1 lists the dates of rollings at BSC for which 

documentation has been found.

Table 1. Documented rollings at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Lackawanna, 

New York. 

Date Day Type Billets rolled Bath type

April 26-27, 1951 Thurs., Fri. Experimental 26 Lead/salt

July 29, 1951 Sun. Experimental 24 Lead/salt

August 26, 1951 Sun. Experimental 32 Lead/salt

September 30, 1951 Sun. Experimental 43 Lead/salt

October 28, 1951 Sun. 93 Salt

January 26, 1952 Sat. Production Salt
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March 15, 1952 Sat. Production 218 Salt

April 12, 1952 Sat. Production 220 Salt

August 17, 1952 Sun. Production 157 Salt

August 31, 1952 Sunday Production 219 Salt

September 14, 1952 Sunday Production 303 Salt

September 22, 1952 Monday Production 302 Salt

October 19, 1952 Sunday Production ~300

Several documents report that AEC personnel were present during all rolling operations. These 

personnel conducted air and surface radioactivity monitoring and checked personnel involved in the 

rolling for contamination (LaMastra 1976; ORNL 1980; DOE 1985). Documents also report that no 

records are available of these monitoring activities (LaMastra 1976; Range 1976; ORNL 1980). If 

monitoring records ever existed, they were not retained (LaMastra 1976). Uranium metal 

accountability records apparently were destroyed (Range 1976). 

During the war, permissible levels for uranium dust in air were set at 500 μg/m3 for insoluble uranium 

compounds and 150 μg/m3 for soluble compounds. After the war, the University of Rochester lowered 

its recommendation for soluble uranium compounds to 50 μg/m3 on the basis of chemical toxicity, 

which is equivalent to 70 disintegrations per minute per cubic meter. The University based this level 

primarily on animal studies. The Medical Division of the New York Operations Office felt that a 

“maximum permissible level” was really unknown and should be based on human data. Therefore, 

50 g/m3 level was referred to as the “preferred level” (AEC 1949b). Many AEC contractors used the 

term Maximum Allowable (air) Concentration (MAC) interchangeably with “preferred level” and often 

reported air-sampling results as multiples of the MAC (NLO 1952b; AEC 1953).

An AEC New York Operations Office (NYOO) report of a visit to Simonds Saw and Steel Company in 

Lockport, New York, on October 27, 1948, describes occupational radioactive dust exposures 

between 8 and 190 times the MAC depending on the type of job performed (AEC 1948a). This report 

indicates a 10-hour workday. In addition, it states “...where the maximum amount of alpha was 

present, a concentration of more than 1000 times the preferred level, the beta activity of the same 

sample was less than 0.5 times the tolerance (40,000 beta disintegrations per cubic meter). For this 

reason it is felt that the exposure to beta emitting dust is of negligible consequence as compared to 

any concomitant alpha dust exposure” (AEC 1948a). This survey occurred during a production rolling. 

During experimental rollings, generally less than 50 billets were rolled. From the job analysis sheets, 

apparently180 billets were rolled that day. 

After the October 1948 visit to Simonds Saw and Steel, recommendations were made for the 

implementation of procedures to reduce the dust hazard. Surveys to determine the effectiveness of 

implemented control procedures were performed. A survey in December 1948 showed reduction of 

air concentration to levels between 4 and 28 MAC. A survey in January 1949 showed further 

reduction of air concentration to levels between 1.4 and 28 MAC (AEC 1949a).

One of the many purposes of Experimental Rolling 1 at BSC on April 26-27, 1951, was to explore the 

feasibility of using fused salt as a protective medium during rolling to prevent oxidation and minimize 

the health hazard (Summary 1951). An additional rolling occurred on April 17, 1951 at Simonds Saw 

and Steel using 18-in. bar mills. This rolling was part of Experimental Rolling 1 (Summary 1951). An 

NYOO report showed results from a survey performed during rolling operations on a 16-in. bar mill at 

Simonds on August 20, 1951. The survey indicated exposures between 0.81 MAC to 2.5 MAC 

depending on the type of job performed (AEC 1953). The same report contains results of a survey 

performed on December 9, 1952, at Simonds that indicated exposure levels between 0.93 and 4.2 
Effective Date: 06/29/2004 Revision No. 01 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0001 Page 5 of 13

MAC. The average exposures were 1.48 MAC for August 20, 1951, and 2.1 MAC for December 9, 

1952. In addition, this report also indicates that workdays were generally 8 hours.

Air dust data reports from rollings in 1951 and 1952 at BSC were found in documents submitted by a 

claimant. Alpha air concentration values ranged from 0 to 130 dpm/m3 (1.9 MAC) in 1951 and from 0 

to 4,900 dpm/m3 (70 MAC) in 1952 (NLO 1952c; AEC 1951-1952). The NYOO Medical Division 

collected all data with the exception of data obtained on September 14, 1952, which the National Lead 

Company of Ohio Health and Safety Division collected.

2.0 ESTIMATION OF INTERNAL EXPOSURE

Triangular distribution is used to represent subjective judgments about uncertainty when an upper and 

lower bound and a most likely value for a quantity can be estimated (Frey and Cullen 1995). Because 

there were few records of air monitoring at BSC, a triangular distribution is used to represent the 

distribution of possible air concentration values during operations.

Tables 2 and 3 list the internal exposure matrix for the Bethlehem Steel site. Table 2 is a lower bound 

for estimating internal exposure and Table 3 is an upper bound. For 1949 through 1952, the most 

likely value, or mode, was assumed to be 140 dpm/m3

, which corresponds to 2 MAC. The minimum 

value was assumed to be 0 dpm/m3

, which considers the possibility that there was no exposure. The 

maximum value for the lower bound matrix was assumed to be 4,900 dpm/m3 (70 MAC), which is the 

maximum reading found in Bethlehem Steel air monitoring data (AEC 1951-1952). The maximum 

value for the upper bound table was assumed to be 70,000 dpm/m3 (1,000 MAC) because of the 

reported maximum levels during rolling operations in 1948 at the Simonds facility (AEC 1948a). 

Although exposure levels in 1948 were reportedly higher than the mode value of 2 MAC used in the 

tables, it was assumed that several recommended improvements were made to the process in the 

interim (AEC 1948a), which is evident in 1951 and 1952 Bethlehem Steel data. Another factor in the 

difference in air concentration levels is the fact that the Simonds rollings were production runs rather 

than experimental runs, which involved much less material.

Table 2. Internal exposure matrix – lower bound. 

Work 

period

Air concentration (dpm/m3) Breathing rate (m3/h)a Hours 

(h)

Annual inhalation intake (pCi)

Min. Mode Max Light/heavy Min. Mode Max.

1949 0 140 4,900 1.2/1.7 120 0.00E+00 9.16E+03 4.54E+05

1950 0 140 4,900 1.2/1.7 120 0.00E+00 9.16E+03 4.54E+05

1951 0 140 4,900 1.2/1.7 130 0.00E+00 9.93E+03 4.92E+05

1952 0 140 4,900 1.2/1.7 110 0.00E+00 8.40E+03 4.17E+05

a. The breathing rate of 1.2 m3/h was used to calculate the minimum and mode intake. The rate of 1.7 m3/h was used to calculate the 

maximum intake.

Table 3. Internal exposure matrix – upper bound. 

Work 

period

Air concentration (dpm/m3) Breathing rate (m3/h)a Hours 

(h)

Annual inhalation intake (pCi)

Min. Mode Max Light/heavy Min. Mode Max.

1949 0 140 70,000 1.2/1.7 120 0.00E+00 9.16E+03 6.49E+06

1950 0 140 70,000 1.2/1.7 120 0.00E+00 9.16E+03 6.49E+06

1951 0 140 70,000 1.2/1.7 130 0.00E+00 9.93E+03 7.03E+06

1952 0 140 70,000 1.2/1.7 110 0.00E+00 8.40E+03 5.95E+06

a. The breathing rate of 1.2 m3/h was used to calculate the minimum and mode intake. The breathing rate of 1.7 m3/h was used to 

calculate the maximum intake.

The number of exposure hours per year was determined by assuming 12 10-hour workdays per year 

for 1949 and 1950. This assumption is conservative considering no documentation indicates any 

rollings took place during those years. If there were rollings, it is assumed they took place only on 

weekends. Reports from 1951 and 1952 indicate that, with the exception of the April 1951 (Summary 
Effective Date: 06/29/2004 Revision No. 01 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0001 Page 6 of 13

1951), August 1952 (Bowman et al. 1952), and September 1952 (Schneider and Yocce no date) 

rollings, rollings occurred on only one weekend day per month. For 1951, an additional 10 hours was 

added to account for the additional weekday in April, resulting in 13 10-hour workdays. For 1952, in 

addition to the eight documented rollings, it was assumed that one rolling each took place in February, 

May, and June, resulting in 11 10-hour workdays. 

The breathing rate was calculated from the volume of air breathed for an adult light worker listed in 

International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 66 (ICRP 1994, Table 6, p. 

23). This category assumes an activity distribution of one-third sitting and two-thirds light exercise. 

The minimum and mode intakes, in pCi, were calculated by multiplying the appropriate air 

concentration by the breathing rate and the hours worked, and dividing by 2.2 dpm/pCi. Maximum 

intakes calculations used the same method but substituted the breathing rate for an adult heavy 

worker, which assumes an activity distribution of seven-eighths light exercise and one-eighth heavy 

exercise.

To make use of the information in Tables 2 and 3 for estimation of internal dose, annual doses for the 

organ of interest should be calculated by applying current ICRP models for the minimum, mode, and 

maximum intake of natural uranium assuming a chronic inhalation exposure. Assume that the 

exposure began on January 1, 1949, or the worker’s first day of work, whichever is later, and ended 

on December 31, 1952, or the worker’s last day of work, whichever is earlier. The three sets of 

annual organ doses can then be entered into the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) Interactive RadioEpidemiological Program (IREP) as the annual dose due to alpha radiation 

using a triangular distribution and the minimum, mode, and maximum doses as parameters 1, 2, and 

3, respectively. 

If the claimant has a PC likely to be > 50%, the exposure should be calculated using the lower bound 

(Table 2). If the claimant has a PC likely to be < 50 % , the exposure should be calculated using the 

upper bound (Table 3). If Table 2 was used to calculate exposure, and the probability of causation is 

less than 50%, the exposure should be recalculated using Table 3. 

Human and animal studies have indicated that oxides of uranium can be very insoluble (ICRP 1995). 

However, to be claimant-favorable, the selection of absorption type should depend on the organ of 

interest. For example, Absorption Type S should be selected for respiratory tract dose calculations 

and Absorption Type M for all other organ dose calculations. ICRP (1994) default parameters should 

be used for particle deposition parameters.

Contamination of uranium metal by fission products and transuranics is not an issue at Bethlehem 

Steel Corporation because recycling of uranium in the weapons complex did not begin until after 

March 1952 (DOE 2001b). 

Ingestion intakes were estimated using NIOSH (2004) guidance. The amount of uranium ingested 

daily is based on the concentration of activity in the air. To be claimant-favorable, the air 

concentrations in the upper bound inhalation exposure matrix (Table 2) were used to estimate 

ingestion intakes. Table 4 lists estimated ingestion intakes for 1949 to 1952.

Table 4. Estimated ingestion exposures. 

Work 

period

Daily ingestion intake (dpm/m3) Days 

(h)

Annual ingestion intake (pCi)

Min. Mode Max Min. Mode Max.

1949 0 28 14,000 12 0.0E+00 3.4E+02 1.7E+05

1950 0 28 14,000 12 0.0E+00 3.4E+02 1.7E+05

1951 0 28 14,000 13 0.0E+00 3.6E+02 1.8E+05
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1952 0 28 14,000 11 0.0E+00 3.0E+02 1.5E+05

The annual ingestion intakes in Table 4 are used to calculate annual organ doses due to a chronic 

ingestion of natural uranium. The f1 value is assumed to be 0.02 (ICRP 1995). These values are 

entered into the NIOSH IREP program assuming a chronic exposure to alpha radiation using a 

triangular distribution.

3.0 ESTIMATION OF EXTERNAL EXPOSURE

For estimating maximum external exposure due to submersion in air contaminated with uranium dust, 

the maximum air concentration value and work times per year in Table 3 (upper bound) were 

combined with Dose Conversion Factors for 238U and the daughter radionuclides 234Th and 234mPa 

from Federal Guidance Report No. 12 (EPA 1993). Table 5 lists external dose estimates for 1949 to 

1952. With the exception of dose to the skin, the cumulative 4-year dose for each organ is less than 

1 mrem and is, therefore, not included in the dose estimation. The maximum annual dose to the skin 

listed in Table 5 is applied to both the electron (E > 15 keV) and photon (E = 30 - 250 keV) annual 

dose in IREP using a constant distribution and assuming a chronic exposure.

Table 5. Estimated maximum annual external dose due to submersion in 

air contaminated with natural uranium dust. 

Organ

Maximum annual organ dose (rem)

1949 1950 1951 1952

Adrenals 3.98E-05 3.98E-05 4.31E-05 3.65E-05

U bladder 4.09E-05 4.09E-05 4.43E-05 3.75E-05

Bone surface 1.19E-04 1.19E-04 1.29E-04 1.09E-04

Brain 5.18E-05 5.18E-05 5.61E-05 4.75E-05

Breast 6.13E-05 6.13E-05 6.64E-05 5.62E-05

Esophagus 3.89E-05 3.89E-05 4.22E-05 3.57E-05

Stomach wall 4.39E-05 4.39E-05 4.75E-05 4.02E-05

Small intestine wall 3.83E-05 3.83E-05 4.15E-05 3.51E-05

Upper large intestine wall 4.01E-05 4.01E-05 4.34E-05 3.68E-05

Lower large intestine wall 3.90E-05 3.90E-05 4.22E-05 3.57E-05

Kidney 4.48E-05 4.48E-05 4.85E-05 4.11E-05

Liver 4.46E-05 4.46E-05 4.83E-05 4.09E-05

Lung 5.02E-05 5.02E-05 5.44E-05 4.60E-05

Muscle 4.97E-05 4.97E-05 5.39E-05 4.56E-05

Ovaries 3.81E-05 3.81E-05 4.12E-05 3.49E-05

Pancreas 3.76E-05 3.76E-05 4.07E-05 3.44E-05

Red bone marrow 4.64E-05 4.64E-05 5.02E-05 4.25E-05

Skin 2.80E-03 2.80E-03 3.03E-03 2.57E-03

Spleen 4.47E-05 4.47E-05 4.84E-05 4.10E-05

Testes 5.28E-05 5.28E-05 5.72E-05 4.84E-05

Thymus 4.73E-05 4.73E-05 5.13E-05 4.34E-05

Thyroid 5.27E-05 5.27E-05 5.71E-05 4.83E-05

Uterus 3.72E-05 3.72E-05 4.03E-05 3.41E-05

For estimating external exposure to a uranium source, the source was assumed to be an extended 

(semi-infinite plane) natural uranium source. Estimated surface dose rates of 230 mrad/hr at a depth 

of 7 mg/cm2 and 2 mrad/hr at a depth of 1000 mg/cm2 were obtained from a search of the literature 

(Coleman, Hudson, and Plato 1983; U.S. Army 1989). Claimant-friendly values for the time workers 

were located relative to the source were based on descriptions of processes and different job types 

(AEC 1948b).
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A triangular distribution for electron exposure from uranium was determined in the following manner:

• The minimum was estimated by assuming the worker was 1 meter from an extended uranium 

source for 1 hour (per 10-hour shift). The estimated dose rate for this scenario was 90 

mrad/hr (US Army 1989).

• Survey data of the Simonds facility were used to estimate the mode. The highest value 

measured during those surveys was 15 mrad/hr (AEC 1949b). To be claimant-favorable, this 

dose rate was assumed for an entire 10-hour shift.

• A maximum value was estimated by assuming the worker was 0.3 meter (1 foot) from an 

extended uranium source for 6 hours (150 mrad/hr) and 1 meter away for 4 hours 

(90 mrad/hr).

Table 6 summarizes annual values for estimated external shallow dose due to electron exposure from 

uranium. The target organs for this type of exposure are the skin, male genitals, and breast. In the 

case of cancer of the male genitals or female breast cancer, additional evaluation might be needed to 

consider shielding and attenuation provided by clothing.

Table 6. Estimated external shallow dose 

due to electron exposure from natural 

uranium source. 

Work period

Organ annual dose (rem)

Min. Mode Max.

1949 1.08 1.80 15.12

1950 1.08 1.80 15.12

1951 1.17 1.95 16.38

1952 0.99 1.65 13.86

For cases where the target organ is the skin, male genitals, or breast, the values in Table 6 are 

entered in IREP as the annual dose due to electrons (E > 15 keV) using a triangular distribution and 

assuming a chronic exposure.

The assumption was made that workers received an annual occupationally related diagnostic chest Xray (Simonds 1948). The exposure geometry was assumed to be posterior-anterior (PA) (NIOSH 

2002). Table 7 lists annual organ doses due to the assumed annual diagnostic chest X-ray (Kathren 

et al. 2003). The values in Table 7 are entered into IREP as an acute annual dose due to photons 

with energies between 30 and 250 keV. A normal distribution should be assumed with a standard 

deviation of ±30%.

The deep dose rate due to photon exposure (dose rate at 1,000 mg/cm2

) from natural uranium was 

estimated to be 2 mrad/hr (U.S. Army 1989). Table 8 lists annual organ doses due to photons from 

the natural uranium source. A triangular distribution for these doses was determined by applying the 

minimum and maximum dose conversion factors (DCFmin and DCFmax) for 30 - 250 keV photons 

(NIOSH 2002) to the estimated 2-mrad/hr deep dose rate multiplied by the estimated work times listed 

in Tables 2 and 3. To calculate the mode value, the dose conversion factor for AP geometry (DCFAP) 

was used.

For claims likely to yield a PC < 50%, the values in Table 8 are entered in IREP as the annual organ 

dose due to photons with energy between 30 and 250 keV using a triangular distribution and 

assuming a chronic exposure.
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Table 7. Annual organ doses due to assumed annual 

diagnostic chest X-ray. 

Organ Annual organ dose (rem)

Thyroid 3.48E-02

Eye/brain 6.40E-03

Ovaries 2.5E-02

Liver/gall bladder/spleen 9.02E-02

Urinary bladder 2.5E-02

Colon/rectum 2.5E-02

Testes 5.0E-03

Lungs (male) 8.38E-02

Lungs (female) 9.02E-02

Thymus 9.02E-02

Esophagus 9.02E-02

Stomach 9.02E-02

Bone surfaces 9.02E-02

Remainder 9.02E-02

Breast 9.80E-03

Uterus (embryo) 2.5E-02

Bone marrow (male) 1.84E-02

Bone marrow (female) 1.72E-02

Skin 2.70E-01

Table 8. Annual organ doses due to photons from a natural uranium source. 

Organ

Annual organ dose (rem)

1949 1950 1951 1952

Min Mode Max Min Mode Max Min Mode Max Min Mode Max

Bladder 0.01 0.23 0.24 0.01 0.23 0.24 0.01 0.24 0.26 0.01 0.21 0.22

Red bone marrow 0.02 0.11 0.20 0.02 0.11 0.20 0.02 0.12 0.22 0.01 0.11 0.19

Bone surface 0.09 0.22 0.36 0.09 0.22 0.36 0.10 0.24 0.39 0.08 0.20 0.33

Breast 0.01 0.23 0.23 0.01 0.23 0.23 0.01 0.25 0.25 0.01 0.21 0.21

Colon 0.01 0.19 0.21 0.01 0.19 0.21 0.01 0.21 0.22 0.01 0.18 0.19

Esophagus 0.01 0.13 0.17 0.01 0.13 0.17 0.01 0.14 0.19 0.01 0.12 0.16

Eye 0.00 0.23 0.26 0.00 0.23 0.26 0.00 0.25 0.28 0.00 0.21 0.24

Ovaries 0.01 0.17 0.19 0.01 0.17 0.19 0.01 0.19 0.21 0.01 0.16 0.17

Testes 0.01 0.26 0.27 0.01 0.26 0.27 0.01 0.28 0.30 0.01 0.24 0.25

Liver 0.02 0.19 0.20 0.02 0.19 0.20 0.03 0.21 0.22 0.02 0.18 0.19

Lung 0.03 0.18 0.21 0.03 0.18 0.21 0.03 0.19 0.22 0.03 0.16 0.19

Remainder organs 0.02 0.16 0.17 0.02 0.16 0.17 0.02 0.17 0.19 0.02 0.15 0.16

Skin 0.11 0.16 0.18 0.11 0.16 0.18 0.12 0.18 0.19 0.10 0.15 0.16

Stomach 0.01 0.23 0.24 0.01 0.23 0.24 0.01 0.25 0.26 0.01 0.21 0.22

Thymus 0.00 0.26 0.27 0.00 0.26 0.27 0.00 0.28 0.29 0.00 0.23 0.25

Thyroid 0.00 0.26 0.27 0.00 0.26 0.27 0.00 0.28 0.30 0.00 0.24 0.25

Uterus 0.01 0.18 0.20 0.01 0.18 0.20 0.01 0.20 0.22 0.01 0.17 0.18

For cases likely to yield a PC> 50 %, the estimated 2-mrad/hr deep dose rate from the uranium 

source is evenly divided between photons with energies E = 30-250 keV and E > 250 keV. Dose 

conversion factors DCFmin, DCFmax, and DCFAP, for 30-250 keV photons were used to calculate the 

doses listed in Table 9. Dose conversion factors DCFmin, DCFmax, and DCFAP, for E > 250 keV 

photons were used to calculate the doses in Table 10. The values in Tables 9 and 10 are entered into 

IREP as organ doses due to the appropriate energy photons, using a triangular distribution and 

assuming a chronic exposure.
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Table 9. Annual organ doses due to photons (30-250 keV) from natural uranium source. 

Organ

Annual organ dose (rem)

1949 1950 1951 1952

Min Mode Max Min Mode Max Min Mode Max Min Mode Max

Bladder 0.00 0.11 0.12 0.00 0.11 0.12 0.00 0.12 0.13 0.00 0.10 0.11

Red bone marrow 0.01 0.06 0.10 0.01 0.06 0.10 0.01 0.06 0.11 0.01 0.05 0.09

Bone surface 0.05 0.11 0.18 0.05 0.11 0.18 0.05 0.12 0.20 0.04 0.10 0.17

Breast 0.01 0.12 0.12 0.01 0.12 0.12 0.01 0.12 0.13 0.00 0.11 0.11

Colon 0.01 0.10 0.10 0.01 0.10 0.10 0.01 0.10 0.11 0.01 0.09 0.09

Esophagus 0.00 0.06 0.09 0.00 0.06 0.09 0.00 0.07 0.09 0.00 0.06 0.08

Eye 0.00 0.11 0.13 0.00 0.11 0.13 0.00 0.12 0.14 0.00 0.10 0.12

Ovaries 0.00 0.09 0.10 0.00 0.09 0.10 0.00 0.09 0.10 0.00 0.08 0.09

Testes 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.00 0.14 0.15 0.00 0.12 0.12

Liver 0.01 0.10 0.10 0.01 0.10 0.10 0.01 0.10 0.11 0.01 0.09 0.09

Lung 0.02 0.09 0.10 0.02 0.09 0.10 0.02 0.10 0.11 0.01 0.08 0.09

Remainder organs 0.01 0.08 0.09 0.01 0.08 0.09 0.01 0.09 0.09 0.01 0.07 0.08

Skin 0.05 0.08 0.09 0.05 0.08 0.09 0.06 0.09 0.10 0.05 0.07 0.08

Stomach 0.01 0.11 0.12 0.01 0.11 0.12 0.01 0.12 0.13 0.00 0.10 0.11

Thymus 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.00 0.14 0.15 0.00 0.12 0.12

Thyroid 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.00 0.14 0.15 0.00 0.12 0.12

Uterus 0.01 0.09 0.10 0.01 0.09 0.10 0.01 0.10 0.11 0.00 0.08 0.09

Table 10. Annual organ doses due to photons (>250 keV) from natural uranium source. 

Organ

Annual organ dose (rem)

1949 1950 1951 1952

Min Mode Max Min Mode Max Min Mode Max Min Mode Max

Bladder 0.05 0.11 0.11 0.05 0.11 0.11 0.06 0.12 0.12 0.05 0.10 0.10

Red bone marrow 0.06 0.09 0.11 0.06 0.09 0.11 0.07 0.10 0.12 0.06 0.08 0.10

Bone surface 0.07 0.09 0.11 0.07 0.09 0.11 0.07 0.10 0.12 0.06 0.09 0.10

Breast 0.06 0.12 0.12 0.06 0.12 0.12 0.06 0.13 0.13 0.05 0.11 0.11

Colon 0.05 0.10 0.11 0.05 0.10 0.11 0.06 0.11 0.12 0.05 0.10 0.10

Esophagus 0.05 0.09 0.10 0.05 0.09 0.10 0.06 0.10 0.11 0.05 0.08 0.10

Eye 0.02 0.11 0.12 0.02 0.11 0.12 0.03 0.12 0.13 0.02 0.10 0.11

Ovaries 0.05 0.10 0.12 0.05 0.10 0.12 0.06 0.11 0.12 0.05 0.09 0.11

Testes 0.06 0.12 0.13 0.06 0.12 0.13 0.06 0.13 0.14 0.05 0.11 0.12

Liver 0.06 0.11 0.11 0.06 0.11 0.11 0.06 0.11 0.12 0.05 0.10 0.10

Lung 0.06 0.10 0.11 0.06 0.10 0.11 0.07 0.11 0.12 0.06 0.10 0.10

Remainder organs 0.06 0.10 0.10 0.06 0.10 0.10 0.06 0.11 0.11 0.05 0.09 0.09

Skin 0.07 0.10 0.11 0.07 0.10 0.11 0.08 0.11 0.12 0.07 0.09 0.10

Stomach 0.06 0.11 0.11 0.06 0.11 0.11 0.06 0.12 0.12 0.05 0.10 0.11

Thymus 0.04 0.11 0.13 0.04 0.11 0.13 0.05 0.12 0.14 0.04 0.10 0.12

Thyroid 0.05 0.12 0.13 0.05 0.12 0.13 0.05 0.13 0.14 0.04 0.11 0.12

Uterus 0.05 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.10 0.10 0.06 0.11 0.11 0.05 0.09 0.09
Effective Date: 06/29/2004 Revision No. 01 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0001 Page 11 of 13

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