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Experience with a routine fecal sampling program for plutonium workers

D E Bihl¹, R L Buschbom, M J Sula

¹Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352.

|November 1, 1993

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Fecal sampling detected plutonium in nearly all Hanford workers due to frequent, low-level intakes. While sensitive, routine fecal sampling faces challenges, suggesting improved urinalysis may be a better alternative for plutonium monitoring.

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Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films

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Area of Science:

Occupational health and safety
Radiological protection
Environmental monitoring

Background:

Workers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford site are at risk of plutonium intake.
Routine workplace monitoring may not detect low-level plutonium exposures.
Fecal sampling offers high sensitivity for detecting plutonium excretion.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness and challenges of a quarterly fecal sampling program for plutonium monitoring.
To assess the source and implications of plutonium detection in worker excreta.
To provide recommendations for optimizing bioassay strategies for plutonium exposure.

Main Methods:

Conducted quarterly fecal sampling for approximately 100 workers at the Hanford site.
Investigated the source of plutonium detected in fecal samples.
Analyzed the sensitivity and practical limitations of fecal sampling compared to other bioassay methods.

Main Results:

Detectable levels of plutonium were found in the feces of essentially all sampled workers.
The source was identified as frequent, intermittent intakes below the detection limits of standard workplace monitoring.
Fecal sampling demonstrated high sensitivity but presented challenges including worker cooperation and data interpretation.

Conclusions:

Routine fecal sampling is highly sensitive for detecting plutonium but is offset by practical difficulties.
Improving the sensitivity of urinalysis may be a more practical approach than routine fecal sampling for plutonium monitoring.
Recommendations include enhanced worker communication, annual sampling for Class Y plutonium, and specific sampling protocols.