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An Evaluation of Neptunium Operations at Savannah

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An Evaluation of Neptunium Operations at Savannah Page 1 of 67 DOE Review Release 09/26/2016 ORAUT-RPRT-0065 Rev. 00 An Evaluation of Neptunium Operations at Effective Date: 09/19/2016 Savannah River Site Supersedes: None Subject Expert(s): James M. Mahathy Document Owner Signature on File Approval Date: 09/15/2016 Approval: James M. Mahathy, Document Owner Concurrence: Michael S. Kubiak Signature on File for Concurrence Date: 09/15/2016 Daniel H. Stempfley, Objective 4 Representative Concurrence: Vickie S. Short Signature on File for Concurrence Date: 09/15/2016 Kate Kimpan, Project Director Approval: Signature on File Approval Date: 09/19/2016 James W. Neton, Associate Director for Science FOR DOCUMENTS MARKED AS A TOTAL REWRITE, REVISION, OR PAGE CHANGE, REPLACE THE PRIOR REVISION AND DISCARD / DESTROY ALL COPIES OF THE PRIOR REVISION. w Ne Total Rewrite Revision Page Change Document No. ORAUT-RPRT-0065 Revision No. 00 Effective Date: 09/19/2016 Page 2 of 67 PUBLICATION RECORD EFFECTIVE REVISION DATE NUMBER DESCRIPTION 09/19/2016 00 New report for methods and models for reconstructing internal radiation doses to workers at the Savannah River Site who were potentially exposed to 237Np based on site records. Incorporates formal internal and NIOSH review comments. Training required: As determined by the Objective Manager. Initiated by James M. Mahathy and Billy P. Smith. Document No. ORAUT-RPRT-0065 Revision No. 00 Effective Date: 09/19/2016 Page 3 of 67 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION TITLE PAGE Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 5 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 7 2.0 History of Neptunium Recovery ................................................................................................ 7 2.1 Recovery from Irradiated Uranium ................................................................................ 9 2.2 Recovery from Irradiated Neptunium Targets ............................................................. 10 2.3 Conversion to Neptunium Oxide ................................................................................. 11 3.0 Fabrication of Neptunium Targets .......................................................................................... 13 4.0 Neptunium Operations After 1984 .......................................................................................... 18 5.0 Ancillary Work ........................................................................................................................ 19 6.0 Timeline ................................................................................................................................. 22 7.0 Inventory ................................................................................................................................ 22 8.0 Radiation Safety and Monitoring ............................................................................................ 24 8.1 Radiological Controls .................................................................................................. 24 8.2 Workplace controls ..................................................................................................... 27 8.3 Worker Monitoring ...................................................................................................... 31 8.4 Incidents ..................................................................................................................... 38 9.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 41 References ........................................................................................................................................ 43 ATTACHMENT A HEALTH PHYSICS MONITORING OF SPECIFIC EVENTS ........................... 60 LIST OF TABLES TABLE TITLE PAGE 3-1 Plutonium contamination from HB Line .................................................................................. 13 3-2 Alpha ratio .............................................................................................................................. 13 3-3 Comparison of tubes extruded in Building 321-M ................................................................... 17 5-1 Ancillary work ......................................................................................................................... 21 8-1 Health physics surveys in Building 773-A ............................................................................... 30 8-3 Neptunium urinalysis data ...................................................................................................... 33 8-4 Number of 237Np samples by area .......................................................................................... 33 8-2 Neptunium intakes ................................................................................................................. 34 8-5 Special hazard incidents by location ...................................................................................... 39 A-1 Health physics monitoring of specific events .......................................................................... 60 A-2 Special hazards incidents....................................................................................................... 65 Document No. ORAUT-RPRT-0065 Revision No. 00 Effective Date: 09/19/2016 Page 4 of 67 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE TITLE PAGE 2-1 Neptunium material flow ........................................................................................................... 8 2-2 Modified PUREX process for recovery of neptunium source .................................................... 9 2-3 Neptunium recovered from PUREX waste, January 1963 ...................................................... 10 2-4 Process for neptunium recovery from enriched uranium ........................................................ 11 2-5 Process for recovery of neptunium from irradiated targets ..................................................... 12 3-1 Building 235-F layout ............................................................................................................. 14 3-2 Workers on the neptunium billet line, Building 235-F .............................................................. 14 3-3 Maintenance side of the neptunium billet line, Building 235-F ................................................ 15 3-4 Hot-press-bond furnace for fabrication of neptunium target slugs ........................................... 15 3-5 Front entrance of extrusion press, Building 321-M ................................................................. 17 3-6 Front entrance and rear exit of extrusion press, Building 321-M ............................................. 18 6-1 Neptunium process flowchart ................................................................................................. 22 6-2 Neptunium process timeline ................................................................................................... 23 7-1 Neptunium by activity by major process ................................................................................. 23 8-1 Neptunium-plutonium frame without ion exchange columns ................................................... 25 8-2 Ion exchange column ............................................................................................................. 26 8-3 Routine air monitoring results, Building 235-F ........................................................................ 27 8-4 Special air monitoring results, Building 235-F ......................................................................... 28 8-5 Process air monitoring results, Building 235-F ....................................................................... 29 8-6 Daily control sheet, Building 235-F ......................................................................................... 29 8-7 Survey of neptunium billets to be shipped to Building 321-M .................................................. 30 8-8 Survey of neptunium billets when received at Building 321-M ................................................ 30 8-9 Survey of freshly extruded neptunium tubes at Building 321-M .............................................. 31 8-10 Survey of neptunium billets when received at Building 321-M ................................................ 31 8-11 Survey of plutonium billets to be shipped to Building 321-M ................................................... 32 8-12 Bioassay requirements, Construction Division ........................................................................ 32 8-13 Pu:Np mass ratios .................................................................................................................. 36 8-14 Pu:Np activity ratios ............................................................................................................... 36 8-15 Neptunium intake rates .......................................................................................................... 37 8-16 Neptunium excretion rates ..................................................................................................... 37 Document No. ORAUT-RPRT-0065 Revision No. 00 Effective Date: 09/19/2016 Page 5 of 67 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AEC U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Ci curie CFR Code of Federal Regulations cm centimeter CTW construction trade worker D&D decontamination
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