ORAU Team

Dose Reconstruction Project for NIOSH

Technical Basis Document for the Mound Site – Introduction

Document Number:

ORAUT-TKBS-0016-1 

Effective Date: 09/09/2004

Revision No.: 00

Controlled Copy No.:_______

Page 1 of 6

Subject Expert: Jeffrey S. Vollmer

Document Owner

Approval: Signature on File Date: 09/08/2004

Stanley J. Waligora, TBD Team Leader

Approval: Signature on File Date: 09/07/2004

Judson L. Kenoyer, Task 3 Manager

Concurrence: Signature on File Date: 09/08/2004

Richard E. Toohey, Project Director

Approval: Signature on File Date: 09/09/2004

James W. Neton, Associate Director for Science

Supersedes:

None

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section

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

Page

2

Acronyms and Abbreviations ...............................................................................................................3

1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................. 4

1.1 Purpose ......................................................................................................................................4

1.2 Scope .........................................................................................................................................4
Effective Date: 09/09/2004 Revision No. 00 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0016-1 Page 2 of 6

RECORD OF ISSUE/REVISIONS

ISSUE 

AUTHORIZATION 

DATE

EFFECTIVE 

DATE

REV. 

NO. DESCRIPTION

Draft 07/21/2004 00-A New technical basis document for the Mound Site 

– Introduction. Initiated by Jeffrey S. Vollmer.

Draft 09/02/2004 00-B Incorporates NIOSH review comments. Initiated 

by Jeffrey S. Vollmer.

Draft 09/07/2004 00-C Incorporates additional NIOSH review comments. 

Initiated by Jeffrey S. Vollmer.

09/09/2004 09/09/2004 00 First approved issue. Initiated by Jeffrey S. 

Vollmer.
Effective Date: 09/09/2004 Revision No. 00 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0016-1 Page 3 of 6

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

AEC U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

EEOICPA Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act

IMBA Integrated Modules for Bioassay Analysis (program)

IREP Interactive RadioEpidemiological Program

LSA Low Specific Activity

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NDT nondestructive testing

NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ORAU Oak Ridge Associated Universities

R&D research and development

RTG radioisotopic thermoelectric generator

SRP Savannah River Plant

sOBT physiologically soluble organically-bound tritium

TBD technical basis document
Effective Date: 09/09/2004 Revision No. 00 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0016-1 Page 4 of 6

1.0

This technical basis document (TBD) represents support to the ORAU Team on documentation of 

historic practices at the Mound Laboratory site in Miamisburg, Ohio and the Dayton Project sites that 

preceded it. It is an evaluation of internal and external dosimetry data, site monitoring and other 

pertinent data for unmonitored and monitored workers for use as a supplement to individual 

monitoring data.

INTRODUCTION

Technical Basis Documents (TBDs) 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 the National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (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 Employees 

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

1.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to provide a Mound Laboratory Site Profile that contains technical 

basis information to be used to evaluate the total occupational dose for EEOICPA claimants. 

1.2 SCOPE

Mound Laboratory played and important role in the U.S. nuclear weapons program. Originally 

established in Dayton, Ohio, in the summer of 1943, the original location was selected to produce 

large quantities of polonium. This role grew to include nuclear weapons component development and 

production, and such secondary missions as radioactive waste management and recovery, the use of 

radioactive materials for nonweapons purposes and the purification of nonradioactive isotopes for 

scientific and commercial research. This TBD contains supporting documentation to assist in the 

evaluation of worker dose from these processes, using the methodology in NIOSH implementation 

guides (NIOSH 2002a,b). 

Methods and concepts of measuring radiation exposure to workers have evolved since the beginning 

of Mound operations in 1943. This TBD provides supporting technical data to evaluate the total 

Mound occupational dose that can reasonably be associated with the worker’s radiation exposure. 

This dose includes occupational internal and external exposures, occupationally required diagnostic 

X-ray examinations, and onsite exposure to site environmental releases. Consistent with NIOSH 

(2002a,b), this document identifies how to adjust the historic occupational dose to account for current 

scientific methods and protection factors.

In addition, this TBD presents technical basis methods used to prepare the Mound worker dose 

records for input to the NIOSH Interactive RadioEpidemiological Program (IREP) and the Integrated 

Modules for Bioassay Analysis (IMBA) computer codes used to evaluate worker dose. Because 

information on measurement uncertainties is an integral component of the NIOSH approach, this 

document describes how the uncertainty is evaluated for the Mound exposure and dose records. 
Effective Date: 09/09/2004 Revision No. 00 Document No. ORAUT-TKBS-0016-1 Page 5 of 6

This TBD describes Mound facilities and processes and historic information related to worker internal 

and external exposures. Attachments contain critical data and tables required by dose reconstructors 

to suffice as a standalone document. 

This document also supplies supporting technical data used in the evaluation of the occupational dose 

that may be reasonably associated with a Mound Laboratory workers claim. The source of exposure 

may have resulted from external and internal radiation sources, required medical x-rays and to onsite 

releases and ambient exposure. Doses that may have occurred to unmonitored workers or that may 

have been missed by monitoring are included in this evaluation. Over time, improvements to 

monitoring devices and techniques as well as new protection standards have been developed. This 

document also captures these historical changes.

The doses are evaluated using the NIOSH Integrated Modules for Bioassay Analysis (IMBA) and the 

Interactive Radioepidemiological Program (IREP) computer codes. As part of these evaluations 

uncertainties associated with the assessment are an integral part of the NIOSH process. Therefore 

uncertainty analysis of Mound Laboratory exposure is also an essential part of these documents. This 

site profile is divided into five major sections, Facilities and Processes, Occupational Medical Dose, 

Occupational Environmental Dose, Occupational Internal Dose and Occupational External Dose. 

Each section has associated Appendices with relevant data that can be used by the dose 

reconstructor to evaluate claims.

The Facilities and Processes and potential radiation sources utilized during the history of the Dayton 

Project and Mound Laboratory are presented in section 2. The tables showing radionuclides of 

concern and operational histories of the different facilities and sites are presented in this section. 

This document provides processes, radioisotope forms and other information that may be useful in the 

completion of dose reconstructions. The dose reconstructor would use this data when monitoring 

data or other methods of evaluating dose are inadequate. 

Section 3 presents information crucial in evaluating Occupational Medical Doses. This includes 

radiation doses due to medical x-rays that were required for pre-employment, for annual 

examinations, and for other prescribed examinations. Any changes to techniques or equipment 

employed at Mound Laboratory are also presented in this section. This section presents the pertinent 

details to help assist dose reconstructors in determining doses resulting from Occupational Medical 

sources at Mound Laboratory.

Section 4 is the Occupation Environmental Dose section. This information can be used to reconstruct 

radiation doses to unmonitored workers. The releases of radionuclides from buildings at Mound 

Laboratory are related to the methods used to calculate doses to unmonitored workers. Potential 

internal exposures are presented that might have resulted from air dispersion of radionuclides from 

the buildings, ground level releases during construction or deconstruction activities and resuspension 

of radioactive contaminated soil. External radiation sources, from various site facilities, are evaluated 

for their contribution to this environmental dose. Methodology and equipment for estimating these 

doses over the years have changed and these changes are taken into account in evaluating doses to 

unmonitored workers. Section 4 presents the details needed in calculating doses to unmonitored 

workers at Mound Laboratory.

Occupational Internal Doses are presented in Section 5. The most significant radionuclides are 

presented in this section. This section also describes historical changes in monitoring methods and 

equipment. These changes are presented to aid the dose reconstructors in evaluating internal 

dosimetry records. Tables showing MDA and other pertinent monitoring details are presented for both 

in vitro and any in vivo bioassay techniques that may have been utilized. This section presents 
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information that is needed in assisting the dose reconstructor in calculating doses to monitored 

workers. 

Section 6 outlines the details of the Occupation External Dose that will aid the dose reconstructor in 

evaluating external exposure to monitored workers at Mound Laboratory. Historical techniques and 

practices are presented and discussed in this section as well as radiation protection standards and 

practices that may have affected the dosimetry program. Tables are included that give historical 

exchange frequencies, techniques, exposure levels and other details that will aid the dose 

reconstructor in evaluating external exposure. The pertinent information that can be utilized by dose 

reconstructors in evaluating External Dose is in this section.