Radiation monitoring unit, radiological sciences department. Monthly report, May 1955

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This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsi bility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Refer ence herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recom mendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available

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Bloloyy yacllltlea, 100-y Area General Statistics . April 1955 to Date Special Work Permits 424 426 2121 Routine and Special Surveys 190 163 349 Air Sample Results The long range experiment to determine the uptake of ruthenium by rats from drinking water, containing 0.01 /uc Ru^^/ml, continued without incident. Some sacrificed rats were found to have'sufficient Ru^-®° in the G-I tract to cause a counting rate Preparation of solutions vus accomplished with a maximum hand dose rate of Solutions containing 50 /uc Ru^°^/ml were prepared and injected into the lungs of rata. \ maximum hand dose rate of 700 mrad/hour was observed while injecting • A hand dosage rate of 1.7 rad/hour, at U inches, was encountered during experiments to determine the migration of Sr^O through a plant. A dose rate of 4 rad/hour was produced on the surface of a leaf. Upjp harvesting, portions of the plant used as samples were found to contain Sr^O in sufficient quantities to give a An additional ? me of Sr9° were added to each of four plots in the outdoor graving area in the southwest corner of tho 100-F Area. A dose rate of 180 mrad/hour was encountered at 20 Inches during these operations. A maximum dose rate of 1 rad/hour, observed on the surface of the ground, was reduced to 25 mrad/hour in two of the plots after spading. Cheesecloth was placed over the two remaining plots at a dosage rate of 500 »irad/hcur at 18 inches. This was left in place until barley planted there had grown sufficiently to minimixe the possibility One hundred ml of tritium solutions, ranging to a maximum concentration of 150/uc/l, were disposed of in the Columbia River. The outside areas of the plutonium contaminated pig peu were black-topped, and the inner pen was completely painted after cleaning. The pen was released from a radiation tone status.

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General Statistics April Special Work Permits 84 Routine and Special Surveys 98 May 1955 to Date Minor Construction forces continued work on the new 105-107-1? effluent line. When an opening was irade in the blank, closing the stub to the old effluent line off at Junction box 19, the*old line was found to be filled*with water. When pumping failed to empty the line, the blank was pulled allowing the water to drain into the ditch. The remaining section of pipe was then installed and the ditch back filled. The inside of the old line was contaminated to the extent of 60,000 c/m. The water which drained into the ditch left surface contamination to a maximum Work continued on the 105-107-DR effluent line. Work on 1 ,e east line is complete with the exception of expansion box #2 on the north outfall line. Further work on this box must wait for an extended shutdown of the pile. Work on the west line is about 25 percent completed. The tops were taken off expansion boxes all but box #13. A maximum dose rate of 19 rad/hour including 4 r/hour was observed at 6 inches from the west wall of box $12. A maximum body dose rate of 2.8 rad/hour including 300 mr/hour was encountered while working In this box. The burial pit, containing old rods removed from the 100-DR reactor, was backfilled by Minor Construction forces. ’ A maximum body dose rate of 400 mr/hour wa„ encountered. On April 25th, the east line from the 1904-K outfall structure started to rash out and floated to the surface several times. Minor Construction forces dumped gravel on the shoreward end of the east and west lines forming an anchoring Jetty. Concrete blocks Joined by railroad rails were placed across the line for additional anchoring. An opening was cut in the east line and a diver entered to repair the line. Jacks were used to straighten the line where it had buckled while swinging'free Following repair of the line riprap was added to the Jetty for additional anchoring. Many items used on the Job became contaminated to a maximum extent of 20,000 c/m. Repairs were made on the 105-107-F effluent line on several occasions. A maximum dose rate of 500 mrad/hour was encountered. • Twenty-nine Minor Construction vehicles wer« found contaminated of 279 surveyed at Miscellaneous Facilities, 100 Areas • General Statistics April May 1955 to Date Special Work permits 24 • 20 155 Routine and Special Surveys 135 120 573

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The movement of the Pile Coolant StCidlea laboratory from the 108-B building to Samples were loaded into a new roller-top lead-brick cave and an iron-brick floor cave. Radiation intensities surrounding these caves were determined and radiation zone boundaries established. The new. laboratory features a belt for transporting samples down the work line within shielding so that the majority of the work is accomplished with lead or lead glass between the operator and the work. A maximum •dose rate of 8 rad/hour including U r/hour, both at 18 Inches, was encountered by the hands of one employee while placing a cover on a container of discarded An x-ray machine was tested by the Mechanical Equipment Development Uhit in and near the I89-D building. The machine was tested by x-raying cored aluminum dummy slugs. Dose rates encountered by tho personnel performing the tests ranged from 1 mr/hour at 150 feet to 100 mr/^iour at 25 feet. Arrangements were made to further study the unit operation. Radiation surveys of Ul5 lots of Kaizer Engineers excess materials, disclosed Construction, 200 East Area General Statistics • April May 1955 to *Date Special Work Permits Routine and Special Surveys Numoer adoyc Maximum uoncentration 75 Ton Crane Cab 16 * 0 3 < 1.0 x lO-12* 6.8 x lo*^

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Work In the 221-B canyon continued with emphasis on re-gasketing, salvaging, and replacing electrical and grease Jumpers. It was not uncommon to observe dosage rates to personnel of 3 rad/hour. The maximum dosage rate observed was 5 rad/hour including*800 mr/hour at 20 feet from a Jumper. Due to the frequency of skin contamination, q special survey of. the 221-B canyon was made on May 16, 1955. Dosage rates up to 20 rad/hour were obtained on the safety rails around cell 8-L and the swimming pool. Smearable contamination up to 1^ rad/hour including 300 mr/hour was observed at these locations. Normal maintenance operations were suspended and a general cleanup initiated*. Contamina tion at 8-L was reduced to 100 mrad/hour non-smearable but cleaning of the Work on the 10-2 centrifuge has been slow due to the high radiation •intensity. Dosage rates greater than 15 rad/hour have been observed. Lead shielding has reduced this to 3 rad/hour to personnel. Clean-up continued in B cell which had become highly contaminated from the removal of the B-4 dip tube. Contamination was reduced to 40,000 d/m with smearable contamination up to 10,000 d/m. Skin contamination up to 2000 d/m was detected on employees working in this cell and special bioassay sampling was initiated. The B-6 agitator was raised for inspection and all smears obtained were less than During the removal of the cover plates from the D-3 agitator, a maximum dosage . rate of 150 mrad/hour at surface was observed. Dosage rates to personnel did All work in A cell waa accomplished in dosage rates of less than 6 mrad/hour. The maximum radiation intensity observed in this cell was 1 rad/hour including 60 mr/hour at 2 inches on a vent pipe. • Construction, 200 West Area Special Work Permits Routine and Special Surveys April May 1955 to Date Air Sample Results Location Wo. of Samples

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All excavating, pipe laying, and tie-ins were completed with a maximum dosage rate to personnel of !•r/hour on the lt)3 tank riser. Dosage rates up to 500 mr/hour were observed during the asphalt treatment»of waste pipes. #No. skin contamination Monitoring was provided for layout men with a maximum dosage rate of 100 mr/hour being observed on an overground process line. Dose rates to personnel did not * exceed IT) mr/hour. During excavating for n£w process lines a maximum dosage rate of 25 mr/hour at 2 inches was obtained on an uncovered waste pipe stub. A contaminated ladder with a dosage rate of 350 mrad/hour at 1 inch including • 10 mr/hour at 3 inches was retained in the tank farm until properly released to Operations by RMSS personnel. No skin or personal clothing contamination During layout for construction, a portion of an overground waste line was observed with » maximum dosage rate of 11 rad/hour at 6 inches including 2 r/hour. This equipment was not roped off and had to be moved before Minor Construction could proceed with their work. This pipe was moved with dosage rates to personnel not A preliminary survey of the 224-U proposed acid storage facility revealed particulate ground contamination up to 100 mrad/hour at surface including 10 mr/hour at 2 inches. All dosage rates in the immediate work area were <6 mr/hour. No skin or clothing contamination has occurred to date at this site. • A maximum radiation intensity of 650 mrad/hour at 6 inches including 50 mr/hour was observed on an impact wrench near the northwest comer of the 2^1-3 #151 diversion box. All barricade repair work and ground leveling in this vicinity were done with dosage rates to personnel of less than 6 mr/hour. All personnel were restricted to a distance of S fast from the impact wrench. During insulating of process lines in the vicinity of the 204-S building, a dosage rate of 15 mr/nour was observed. All work was accomplished in radiation fields of less than 6 mr/hour. A routine survey of lump sum contractor personnel in the SX tank fans revealed personal clothing contamination .up to 1000 c/m. Gloves and coat were confiscated and cleaned to less than 500 c/m and returned to the original owner.

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Routine and Special* Surveys Air Sasple Results Number Above Maximum Concentration Minor Construction forcea scrapped and painted the floor in A and B cells. A maximum doae rate of 1.1 rad/hour Including 200 mr/hour was obtained on the floor. A dose rate of 15o rad/hour including 1.5 r/hour.was observed 3 inches from the .T-6 line when the flange on-'tank 6 waa re-gasketed. The maximum hand dose rate encountered waa 4 rad/hour including 1 r/tiour. The first irradiated slugs were delivered to the 201-C building charger on May 4th. The first .Purex run began on the 12-8 shift on May 8tji and was completed on day shift on May 10th. At the beginning of the run, the dose rate at the rail in the hot shop opposite the B cell door waa 15 mr/hour. The maximum dose rates in the sample galleries were as follows; * 4 . • A Sample Gallery - 1.1 rad/hour including 350 mr/hour on the tank 6 riser. C Sample Gallery - 50 mr/hour on the tank 57 riser. Between runs, a probe was changed on the in-line sampler at a maximum body dose An additional radiation monitor was added to each of the four shifts on May 10th to provide the necessary monitoring for hot run operations.

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The second run waa begun on May 9th and? continued through May Ijth. The body dose rate while taleing saaplea at the Gllmont sampler was 20 mr/hour. Radioactive materia* continued to build up inside the spall‘stainless steel lines of the in-line sampler cells until the dose ra£e through the HAP gamma tonitor line was 1 r/hour at 3 inches. The radiation Intensity in the Hot Shop built up to 90 mr/hour at bte rail opposite the*B cell door. The dose rate waa reduced by a factor of two through the installa- ^ tion of one inch steel plates on the door.#*The maximum dose rate at the base of During the purging of a polarograph. on the HAW stream, a few milliliters of process solution bached.up into the flush bottle. ' A maximum dose rate of 60 rad/hour was measured at the bottle. The average dose rate, during the removal dT the bottle, During dissolving for thte third*run, the vacuum was temporarily lost on tank #1. •Masks were donned by all personnel in the operating gallery until air samples indicate no air contamination present. • In attempting to fix a cap on the Gllmont sampling equipment, an operator received inner•coverall contamination of 280 mrad/hour including 10 mr/hour uncorrected for source size. A small*spot on the inner thumb of the glove, which was also worn, read one rad/hour at one inch. The incident was formally investigated. (Radiation Special monitoring was provided on six oAasions for the U. S. Geological Survey well-drilling crew at various well sites in the vicinity of the 200 Areas. Three military installations were surveyed and found to have radioactive particle depositions ranging from one particle in 25,000 square feet to one in 1000 square radioactive particle contaminatior1. Ho contamination was detected. • General Statistics « • April May 1955 to Date Special Work Permits 105 92 * 50U Routine and Special Surveys. a 3*5 309 153*

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Special Work Permits Soutine and Special Surveys. 135 96 78 . 309 A personal surrey by an employee upon completion of work In room U-N revealed contamin* tion on .nla sleeve. The employee not iflet? monitoring personnel and when surveyed, it was found that his watch band and personal shirt cuff were contaminated to 2000 c/a and UOOO c/m respectively .* The employee disposed …