Action levels for airborne uranium in the workplace: Chemical and radiological assessments

R. W. Leggett; R. A. Meck

doi:10.1088/1361-6498/aaae1f

Action levels for airborne uranium in the workplace: Chemical and radiological assessments

R. W. Leggett, R. A. Meck

Environmental Risk and Energy Analysis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

A method is described for deriving two levels of action - an investigation level (IL) and an immediate action level (IAL) - for different forms and mixtures of the natural uranium (U) isotopes ²³⁴U, ²³⁵U, and ²³⁸U in air in the workplace. An IL indicates the need to confirm the validity of moderately elevated measurements of airborne U and adequacy of confinement controls and determine whether work limitations are appropriate. An IAL indicates that safeguards should be put into place immediately, including removal of workers from further exposure until conditions are acceptable. Derivations of ILs and IALs are based on latest radiation protection guidance, information on chemical toxicity of U, and biokinetic models for U. An action level (IL or IAL) is the more restrictive of two derived values, the action level based on U as a chemical hazard and the action level based on U as a radiation hazard.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	632-649
Number of pages	18
Journal	Journal of Radiological Protection
Volume	38
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6498/aaae1f
State	Published - Jun 2018

Funding

The work described in this manuscript was sponsored by the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Interagency Agreement DOE No. 1824 S581-A1, under contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health, National Center for Environmental Health, under Interagency Agreement DOE No. 2220-Z051-16.

Funders	Funder number
Injury and Environmental Health
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725, 1824 S581-A1, 2220-Z051-16
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Health
Environmental Protection Agency

Keywords

chemical, risk
inhalation
occupational
radiological
uranium

Access to Document

10.1088/1361-6498/aaae1f

Cite this

@article{bbb20539a4314dbba5ed7a551d011a9c,

title = "Action levels for airborne uranium in the workplace: Chemical and radiological assessments",

abstract = "A method is described for deriving two levels of action - an investigation level (IL) and an immediate action level (IAL) - for different forms and mixtures of the natural uranium (U) isotopes 234U, 235U, and 238U in air in the workplace. An IL indicates the need to confirm the validity of moderately elevated measurements of airborne U and adequacy of confinement controls and determine whether work limitations are appropriate. An IAL indicates that safeguards should be put into place immediately, including removal of workers from further exposure until conditions are acceptable. Derivations of ILs and IALs are based on latest radiation protection guidance, information on chemical toxicity of U, and biokinetic models for U. An action level (IL or IAL) is the more restrictive of two derived values, the action level based on U as a chemical hazard and the action level based on U as a radiation hazard.",

keywords = "chemical, risk, inhalation, occupational, radiological, uranium",

author = "Leggett, {R. W.} and Meck, {R. A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.",

year = "2018",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1088/1361-6498/aaae1f",

language = "English",

volume = "38",

pages = "632--649",

journal = "Journal of Radiological Protection",

issn = "0952-4746",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Action levels for airborne uranium in the workplace

T2 - Chemical and radiological assessments

AU - Leggett, R. W.

AU - Meck, R. A.

PY - 2018/6

Y1 - 2018/6

N2 - A method is described for deriving two levels of action - an investigation level (IL) and an immediate action level (IAL) - for different forms and mixtures of the natural uranium (U) isotopes 234U, 235U, and 238U in air in the workplace. An IL indicates the need to confirm the validity of moderately elevated measurements of airborne U and adequacy of confinement controls and determine whether work limitations are appropriate. An IAL indicates that safeguards should be put into place immediately, including removal of workers from further exposure until conditions are acceptable. Derivations of ILs and IALs are based on latest radiation protection guidance, information on chemical toxicity of U, and biokinetic models for U. An action level (IL or IAL) is the more restrictive of two derived values, the action level based on U as a chemical hazard and the action level based on U as a radiation hazard.

AB - A method is described for deriving two levels of action - an investigation level (IL) and an immediate action level (IAL) - for different forms and mixtures of the natural uranium (U) isotopes 234U, 235U, and 238U in air in the workplace. An IL indicates the need to confirm the validity of moderately elevated measurements of airborne U and adequacy of confinement controls and determine whether work limitations are appropriate. An IAL indicates that safeguards should be put into place immediately, including removal of workers from further exposure until conditions are acceptable. Derivations of ILs and IALs are based on latest radiation protection guidance, information on chemical toxicity of U, and biokinetic models for U. An action level (IL or IAL) is the more restrictive of two derived values, the action level based on U as a chemical hazard and the action level based on U as a radiation hazard.

KW - chemical, risk

KW - inhalation

KW - occupational

KW - radiological

KW - uranium

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048810356&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/1361-6498/aaae1f

DO - 10.1088/1361-6498/aaae1f

M3 - Article

C2 - 29424357

AN - SCOPUS:85048810356

SN - 0952-4746

VL - 38

SP - 632

EP - 649

JO - Journal of Radiological Protection

JF - Journal of Radiological Protection

IS - 2

ER -

Action levels for airborne uranium in the workplace: Chemical and radiological assessments

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this