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At least 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Comparison of the performance of TLD, OSL and RPL personal dosimetry systems to the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) test categories

The Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) tests the capability and performance of the United States Department of Energy's (USDOE) facilities to accurately measure and quantify the whole-body and extremity radiation equivalent doses to the occupational workers. The dosimetry methods used in personal dosimetry can be Thermoluminescence (TL), Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Radiophotoluminescence (RPL), among other techniques available. Currently, the TL (LiF:Mg,Ti) and OSL (Al 2 O 3 :C) dosimetry systems are DOELAP-accredited for occupational dose measurements and regulatory reporting. In this study, the performance of a beryllium oxide (BeO) OSL dosimetry system and of a silver-doped phosphate glass RPL dosimetry system is compared against the performance of an accredited LiF:Mg,Ti TL dosimetry system. The bias and standard deviation in each of the performance test categories are compared between these three systems for exposures to photons, beta, and mixed radiation fields with the criteria established by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and Health Physics Society (HPS) N13.11-2022 standard. The practical implementation of the dosimetry program and its equivalency to the occupational personal equivalent dose H p (0.07) and H p (10) measurements were evaluated. The TL, OSL and RPL dosimetry systems passed the ANSI performance test criteria for H p (0.07) and H p (10) occupational dose measurements and met the DOELAP accreditation requirements.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

A multi-collector ICP-MS method for quantification of plutonium, uranium, and americium in hair and nails of occupationally or medically exposed individuals

The 239 Pu, 238 U, and 241 Am concentrations and 239 Pu/ 240 Pu, 235 U/ 238 U, and 236 U/ 238 U atom ratios were measured in the hair and nail samples from individuals who donated their bodies to the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries. Further, the concentration of 239 Pu ranged from 0.22–15.8 ng/kg. The 240 Pu/ 239 Pu isotopic ratios ranged from 0.026 to 0.127 which is consistent with weapons-grade plutonium. Concentration of uranium fell between 1.84 µg/kg and 29.5 µg/kg and 235 U/ 238 U ratios ranged from 4.8×10 -3 to 7.6×10 -3 . Elevated 236 U/ 238 U atom ratios were measured in two cases and ranged from 5.0×10 -6 – 2.4×10 -5 indicating exposure to spent or reprocessed uranium material. The concentration of 241 Am was measured in four hair samples and ranged from 0.02–0.21 ng/kg.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Risk of hematological malignancies from CT radiation exposure in children, adolescents and young adults

Over one million European children undergo computed tomography (CT) scans annually. Although moderate- to high-dose ionizing radiation exposure is an established risk factor for hematological malignancies, risks at CT examination dose levels remain uncertain. Here we followed up a multinational cohort (EPI-CT) of 948,174 individuals who underwent CT examinations before age 22 years in nine European countries. Radiation doses to the active bone marrow were estimated on the basis of body part scanned, patient characteristics, time period and inferred CT technical parameters. We found an association between cumulative dose and risk of all hematological malignancies, with an excess relative risk of 1.96 (95% confidence interval 1.10 to 3.12) per 100 mGy (790 cases). Similar estimates were obtained for lymphoid and myeloid malignancies. Results suggest that for every 10,000 children examined today (mean dose 8 mGy), 1–2 persons are expected to develop a hematological malignancy attributable to radiation exposure in the subsequent 12 years. Our results strengthen the body of evidence of increased cancer risk at low radiation doses and highlight the need for continued justification of pediatric CT examinations and optimization of doses.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Long-term, non-invasive FTIR detection of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure

Non-invasive methods of detecting radiation exposure show promise to improve upon current approaches to biological dosimetry in ease, speed, and accuracy. Here we developed a pipeline that employs Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in the mid-infrared spectrum to identify a signature of low dose ionizing radiation exposure in mouse ear pinnae over time. Mice exposed to 0.1 to 2 Gy total body irradiation were repeatedly measured by FTIR at the stratum corneum of the ear pinnae. We found significant discriminative power for all doses and time-points out to 90 days after exposure. Classification accuracy was maximized when testing 14 days after exposure (specificity > 0.9 with a sensitivity threshold of 0.9) and dropped by roughly 30% sensitivity at 90 days. Infrared frequencies point towards biological changes in DNA conformation, lipid oxidation and accumulation and shifts in protein secondary structure. Since only hundreds of samples were used to learn the highly discriminative signature, developing human-relevant diagnostic capabilities is likely feasible and this non-invasive procedure points toward rapid, non-invasive, and reagent-free biodosimetry applications at population scales.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Plasma and trap-based techniques for science with antimatter

Positrons (i.e., antielectrons) find use in a wide variety of applications, and antiprotons are required for the formation and study of antihydrogen. Available sources of these antiparticles are relatively weak. To optimize their use, most applications require that the antiparticles be accumulated into carefully prepared plasmas. We present an overview of the techniques that have been developed to efficiently accumulate low energy antiparticles and create, in particular, tailored antiparticle plasmas. Techniques are also described to create tailored antiparticle beams. Many of these techniques are based on methods first developed by the nonneutral plasma community using electron plasmas for increased data rate. They have enabled the creation and trapping of antihydrogen, have been critical to studies of positron and positronium interactions with matter, including advanced techniques to characterize materials and material surfaces, and have led to the creation and study of the positronium molecule. Rather than attempting to be comprehensive, we focus on techniques that have proven most useful, applications where there has been significant, recent progress, and areas that hold promise for future advances. Examples of the latter include the ever more precise comparisons of the properties of antihydrogen and hydrogen, tests of gravity using antihydrogen and positronium atoms, and efforts to create and study phases of the many-electron, many-positron system.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

In-Canal Assay of High Specific Activity 60 Co at the Advanced Test Reactor

Production of high specific activity (HSA) 60 Co has recently resumed at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory. The technical steps of performing in-canal assay of HSA 60 Co targets at the ATR are described herein. The HSA targets are assayed on a regular basis, between cycles at the ATR, in order to assess the progress of activation. The targets are also assayed at the conclusion of the irradiation in order to provide activity estimates for the distributor and to be used for safety and shipping evaluations. These target assay activities must take place in the ATR canal to provide sufficient radiological shielding. Furthermore, a specialized assay fixture is used in conjunction with custom 60 Co radiation standards to assess the irradiated target. The specific activity of each irradiated target was determined by first measuring the 60 Co standards to determine a sensitivity factor. Then, each irradiated target was measured, and the integrated measurement was multiplied by the sensitivity factor to determine the total activity of the irradiated target. Finally, a correction factor was determined to adjust the reported activity, accounting for differences in the physical geometries of the standards and targets. These methods were used to accurately assay the gross activity of nine irradiated 60 Co targets, two of which were delivered to the distributor where confirmatory hot-cell assays were performed verifying the accuracy of the in-canal assay method.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mass Optimization of a Multilayered Shield for Transportable Microreactors

The ability to easily transport microreactors is a major selling point for deploying microreactors to remote areas. However, this creates a unique shielding challenge, especially when the microreactor is being shipped after irradiation. A traditional reactor configuration utilizes a separate biological shield and pressure vessel to meet radiological shielding and pressure needs. The limited space available for transportable microreactors for both shielding and pressure vessels requires a revised assessment of separating out the biological shield and pressure vessel. To address these concerns, we examine a nuclear-grade sandwich composite (NGSC) that combines the reactor pressure vessel and biological shielding functions into a single component. Through a series of optimization problems for both transportation and operational use cases, the NGSC is able to minimize dose, minimize the vessel cost, and ensure that weight requirements are met for transportation. Initial results show that using a tungsten-tetraboride cermet in the first two layers of a six-layer NGSC provides adequate shielding for both use cases. These results show promise that an NGSC has enough overlap between operational and transportation cases to help reduce the design space for future analysis and assessment.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effects of ionising radiation exposure in offspring and next generations: dosimetric aspects and uncertainties

The impact of the exposure to ionizing radiation in the offspring and next generation has been investigated in the last decades and currently is the subject of study of the ICRP Task Group 121. Studying the effects of radiation exposure in pre-conceptional and post-conceptional phases can be a challenge since potential effects to the fetus vary depending on the stage of fetal development. Epidemiology and radiobiology studies are the two sources of information one can use to correlate the radiation dose to the human body and tissues and the resulting effects. For a proper evaluation of the outcomes of such studies, and a correct appraisal of the exposure/dose-effect relationship, (i) reliable dosimetry, (ii) accurate reporting, and (iii) reproducibility of results are required. Although variables related to dose, including for instance source of radiation, geometry of irradiation, dose rate etc., are usually known, especially in radiobiology studies, often important details of the irradiation are not reported. In conclusion, based on standards developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a review of the scientific studies used by the UNSCEAR to estimate the risk of hereditary effects, and by the ICRP in its current recommendations, was conducted to evaluate the way dosimetry was reported. Dosimetry and the related uncertainties were not adequately described in the vast majority of those studies. This does not necessarily mean that they do not provide relevant information, however it prevents from a thorough verification and reproduction of their findings. In order to guarantee the reliability and robustness of the process of revision of the estimates of risk and detriment it is therefore considered mandatory to include a careful check of the new relevant literature with regard to the criteria on the completeness and reproducibility of the dosimetric information.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2023

Reconstructed lung doses for the million person study cohort of 26,650 Tennessee Eastman corporation workers employed between 1942 and 1947

Abstract Tennessee Eastman Corporation workers were exposed to uranium dust resulting in high-linear energy transfer (LET) irradiation to lung tissue. In this work, radiation lung doses were reconstructed for 26 650 men and women working at the plant between 1942 and 1947. Site air monitoring data of uranium concentrations and payroll records were used to determine the daily inhaled activities and annualized lung doses. Variations in the activity median aerodynamic diameter of the uranium dust, the solubility of particulate matter in the lungs and the sex-specific breathing rate were investigated as part of a sensitivity analysis. Male and female mean lung doses of 18.9 and 32.7 mGy, respectively, from high-LET alpha irradiation, and there was general agreement with evaluations from previously published epidemiological studies. Annual lung dose estimates and sensitivity analysis for the 26 650 workers in the TEC cohort have been archived on the United States Department of Energy Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Distribution of plutonium and radium in the human heart

Since 1968, the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR) has studied the biokinetics and tissue dosimetry of uranium and transuranium elements in nuclear workers. As part of the USTUR collaboration with the Million Person Study of Low-Dose Health Effects, radiation dose to different parts of the human heart is being estimated for workers with documented intakes of 239 Pu or 226 Ra. The study may be expanded for workers with intakes of 238 U and other radionuclides. The distribution of radionuclides, expressed in terms of concentration (Bq per kg of tissue) serves as an important parameter for estimating radiation dose. Based on available organs from workers who donated their bodies or tissues for research, nine undissected hearts were selected: seven from USTUR registrants with plutonium exposure (males) and two individuals with radium intakes (female and male). For the plutonium workers, estimated 239 Pu systemic deposition ranged from <74 Bq to 1765 Bq. Estimated 226 Ra ‘initial systemic intakes’ were 10.1 MBq and 14.8 kBq for the female patient and male worker, respectively. Organ dissection was based on a heart model published by Borrego et al (2019 J. Radiol. Prot. 39 950–65). This model includes nine cardiac substructures: aorta, left main coronary artery, left atrium, left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery, left ventricle, right atrium, right coronary artery, and right ventricle. In addition, heart valves, fat attached to epicardium, fluids, and a coronary bypass graft were collected resulting in 111 samples that are currently undergoing radiochemical analyses and mass-spectrometric measurements. The 239 Pu and 226 Ra evaluations are not completed. The results of this study are intended to support radiation worker health studies by improving associated dosimetric and epidemiological models.

USTUR↗
DOE OSTI2021

Specific absorbed fractions for a revised series of the UF/NCI pediatric reference phantoms: internal photon sources

Assessment of radiation absorbed dose to internal organs of the body from the intake of radionuclides, or in the medical setting through the injection of radiopharmaceuticals, is generally performed based upon reference biokinetic models or patient imaging data, respectively. Biokinetic models estimate the time course of activity localized to source organs. The time-integration of these organ activity profiles are then scaled by the radionuclide S-value, which defines the absorbed dose to a target tissue per nuclear transformation in various source tissues. S-values are computed using established nuclear decay information (particle energies and yields), and a parameter termed the specific absorbed fraction (SAF). The SAF is the ratio of the absorbed fraction—fraction of particle energy emitted in the source tissue that is deposited in the target tissue—and the target organ mass. While values of the SAF may be computed using patient-specific or individual-specific anatomic models, they have been more widely available through the use of computational reference phantoms. In this study, we report on an extensive series of photon SAFs computed in a revised series of the University of Florida and the National Cancer Institute pediatric reference phantoms which have been modified to conform to the specifications embodied in the ICRP reference adult phantoms of Publication 110 (e.g. organs modeled, organ ID numbers, blood contribution to elemental compositions). Following phantom anatomical revisions, photon radiation transport simulations were performed using MCNPX v2.7 in each of the ten phantoms of the series—male and female newborn, 1 year old, 5 year old, 10 year old, and 15 year old—for 60 different tissues serving as source and/or target regions. A total of 25 photon energies were considered from 10 keV to 10 MeV along a logarithm energy grid. Detailed analyses were conducted of the relative statistical errors in the Monte Carlo target tissue energy deposition tallies at low photon energies and over all energies for source–target combinations at large intra-organ separation distances. Based on these analyses, various data smoothing algorithms were employed, including multi-point weighted data smoothing, and log–log interpolation at low energies (1 keV and 5 keV) using limiting SAF values based upon target organ mass to bound the interpolation interval. The final dataset is provided in a series of ten electronic supplemental files in MS Excel format. Finally, the results of this study were further used as the basis for assessing the radiative component of internal electron source SAFs as described in our companion paper (Schwarz et al 2021) for this same pediatric phantom series.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved age- and gender-specific radiation risk models applied on cohorts of Swedish patients

The aim of this study is to implement lifetime attributable risk (LAR) predictions for radiation induced cancers for Swedish cohorts of patients of various age and sex, undergoing diagnostic investigations by nuclear medicine methods. Methods: Calculations are performed on Swedish groups of patients with Paget's disease and with bone metastases from prostatic cancer and diagnosed with bone scintigraphy with an administration of 500 MBq 99m Tc-phosphonate. Results: The inclusion of patient survival rates into the calculations lowers the induced radiation cancer risk, as it takes into account that cohorts of patients have shorter predicted survival times than the general population. Conclusion: LAR estimations could be valuable for referring physicians, nuclear medicine physicians, nurses, medical physicists, radiologists, and oncologists and as well as ethical committees for risk estimates for specific subgroups of patients. Caution is however advised with respect to application of LAR predictions to individuals (because of individual sensitivities, circumstances, etc.).

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurable radiation levels around individuals externally contaminated by nuclear fallout

During the early response to large-scale radioactive contamination events, people who are potentially affected need to be screened for radioactive contamination and public health staff need to triage individuals who may need immediate decontamination. This is typically done by screening individuals for external contamination using ionising radiation detection equipment. In this study, spatially and temporally dependent isotopic compositions from a simulated nuclear detonation and Monte Carlo methods were used to relate contamination activity levels to the measurable radiation levels at select distances away from an individual with whole-body contamination. Radionuclide-specific air kerma rate coefficients and Geiger–Mueller instrument response coefficients at five select distances from contaminated individuals are presented for 662 radionuclides. Temporally and spatially dependent incident-specific coefficients are presented for a hypothetical surface detonation of a 235 U-fueled device.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Development of a New Chelation Model: Bioassay Data Interpretation and Dose Assessment after Plutonium Intake via Wound and Treatment with DTPA

The administration of chelation therapy to treat significant intakes of actinides, such as plutonium, affects the actinide’s normal biokinetics. In particular, it enhances the actinide’s rate of excretion, such that the standard biokinetic models cannot be applied directly to the chelation-affected bioassay data in order to estimate the intake and assess the radiation dose. Here we propose a new chelation model that can be applied to the chelation-affected bioassay data after plutonium intake via wound and treatment with DTPA. In the proposed model, chelation is assumed to occur in the blood, liver, and parts of the skeleton. Ten datasets, consisting of measurements of 14 C-DTPA, 238 Pu, and 239 Pu involving humans given radiolabeled DTPA and humans occupationally exposed to plutonium via wound and treated with chelation therapy, were used for model development. The combined dataset consisted of daily and cumulative excretion (urine and feces), wound counts, measurements of excised tissue, blood, and post-mortem tissue analyses of liver and skeleton. The combined data were simultaneously fit using the chelation model linked with a plutonium systemic model, which was linked to an ad hoc wound model. The proposed chelation model was used for dose assessment of the wound cases used in this study.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Analysis of Long-Term Quality Control Data for a 137 Cs Dosimetry Calibration Source

Strict quality assurance programs are required for many radiological applications, but these seldom exist for verifying dosimetry calibration sources. After initial characterization of a dosimetry calibration facility, quality control procedures are recommended to ensure the early detection of any changes or malfunctions. These also result in refined knowledge about average dose rate and experimental variations in dose delivery. This paper describes the implementation of a phase I quality control protocol for a 137 Cs dosimetry calibration source and includes an analysis of the resulting data collected over a 24-mo period. During this time, substantial data was collected to establish trial control limits. Air kerma rate measurements were obtained using an ion chamber and were adjusted for decay, corrected for ambient temperature, pressure and humidity, and then analyzed using quality control charts. Three variations of rational subgrouping methods were used in order to find assignable causes of error, and Nelson's Rules were followed to detect any non-random statistical variations. Measurements were subgrouped according to same-day measurements in order to detect positional errors as well as atmospheric correction errors. Additionally, measurements were subgrouped according to analogous experimental setups in order to detect failure in equipment or incorrect settings. Both were analyzed using the X-bar and R chart method. Similarly, individuals and moving ranges charts were used to carefully examine each position in order to observe any situational errors that may occur which include timing, positional, or interference errors. Each method was successful in identifying unique out-of-control data points that occurred during the phase I application of forming control limits. Furthermore, over the 24-mo period, enough data points were deemed in-control to establish reliable trial limits. Future experiments will include the phase II application of gaining more reliable measurements in order to fine-tune the limits, as well as performing a designed experiment, where variables are purposefully changed in order to test the variation of the data.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluation of Triage Methods for Criticality Accidents

Studies indicate that early identification of persons involved in and receiving high doses of radiation in accidents is key to providing life-saving medical treatment. Although the risk of criticality accidents is low the potential impact to workers is significant. For facilities that employ large numbers of workers a key element in the response to a radiological emergency is identifying personnel that received significant, and potentially harmful, doses. Also important is having the ability to screen large numbers of workers to identify persons that did not receive significant exposure so as to reduce the impact on emergency response efforts. At the Y-12 National Security Complex the focus on criticality accident response is the rapid triage of personnel in order to identify persons exposed to large radiation doses and to prioritize those persons receiving the highest exposures. Once identified personnel are transported to local medical facilities including the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) for medical evaluation and treatment. The Y-12 external dosimetry program utilizes a number of techniques to identify and prioritize workers and these methods were evaluated at a criticality dosimetry intercomparison exercise. Finally, the methods used were shown to perform as intended and other sites may consider incorporating these methods into their accident dosimetry response procedures.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Radiological HEPA Filter 10-year Lifetime Evaluation in Research Facilities

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are widely employed by nuclear facilities to remove radiological particulate matter from their effluent exhaust streams. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationships between the 10-year HEPA filter lifetime deployment and its other performance indicators. This 10-year-long endeavor to collect and analyze data regarding the service life of HEPA filters at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory began in 2010. A set of HEPA filters were selected and have been surveyed and analyzed at least annually to verify compliance with permit conditions. The study suggests the frequency of filter replacement should be based on the actual operational requirements, such as fume hood face velocity and/or efficiency test results, instead of on the prescribed filter “age limit” of 10 years from the date of manufacture (e.g., birth date) when operating under dry conditions. The study has now been completed, and over the past decade all the HEPA filters have been replaced, due to either technical issues as listed in this report or the previously recommended filter “age limit” of 10 years as prescribed by the oversight bodies. Experimentally determined failure rates are also determined from the data set and can be used to estimate the chances of HEPA filters surviving 15, 20, or even 30 years.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Alternate Analysis of an In Vitro Solubility Study on the Lung Dissolution Rate of 238PuO2 Material Involved in the 2020 Incident at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Here this work presents an alternate analysis of an in vitro solubility study on the lung dissolution rate of 238 PuO 2 material involved in a recent inhalation incident at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The original dataset used in this work was retrieved from a recently published report. The present work shows an analysis of the same dataset by modeling the dissolution in separate time intervals rather than modeling the cumulative dissolution.

238Pu↗