HANFORD: WORKPLACE BERYLLIUM EXPOSURE RISK ASSESSMENT

Wint Su Wai and Thanh-Hien Ngo

HANFORD

History

Hanford is the most contaminated nuclear site in the western hemisphere

Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear weapons for WWII

Home to the B reactor, the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world

Focus of the nation's largest environmental cleanup

Stakeholders Hanford Tri-Party Agreement - USDOE, USEPA, ECY-WA Hanford Advisory Board Indian Nations Program Hanford Natural Resource Trustee Council Local Advocacy Groups -Columbia Riverkeeper, Heart of America

Northwest, Hanford Watch, Hanford Challenge, Physicians for Social Responsibility

Nuclear Safety Division of the Oregon Office of Energy

Washington State Department of Health

Present Threats

Water Contamination 450 billion gallons of contaminated

waste have been dumped into unlined soil trenches

53 million gallons of waste in 177 underground storage tanks , 60 have leaked; contamination of groundwater near Columbia River

Atmospheric Contamination

Who is at risk? Workers 1 million people living in the 42 cities or

towns located below Hanford on the Columbia

Draw water from Columbia for municipal, commercial & industrial uses.

Tribal members (Yakima, Utmilla, Nez Perce)

hunting, fishing, social gathering

Radioactive and Chemical Contamination

Hazard Identification

Beryllium

Grayish, lightweight but strong alkaline earth metal

Mining, refining, and in the manufacture of ceramics, electronic, and aerospace equipment.

Used at Hanford from 1960 until 1986 in the production of nuclear fuel rods

“When certain sensitive individuals are exposed to even minute amounts of inhaled beryllium, they are at considerable risk of becoming beryllium sensitized and contracting a potentially fatal granulomatous lung disease called chronic

beryllium disease (CBD) and an increased risk of lung cancer...

...from a worker health and safety perspective based on the number of affected workers,

beryllium currently rates as a greater hazard than radiation.”

- The Hanford Advisory Board

Routes of Exposure

Inhalation (Direct) airborne particles of beryllium metal, alloys,

oxides, and ceramics

Ingestion (Indirect) Hand-to-mouth

Dermal (Indirect) ultrafine particles

Adverse Health Affects

Beryllium Sensitization (BeS) to clinically apparent pulmonary disease

Acute disease: inflammation of lungs and acute pneumonitis

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) or berylliosis

Dermal and carcinogenic effects Group B1: probable human carcinogen (EPA) Group 1: human carcinogen (IARC)

Takaro et al. study:Screening for Beryllium Sensitization among Former Hanford Workers

Beryllium workers respondent to date, May 1998:

AGE: 21-86 years old Average: 62 years old

SEX: 108 males (87.1%) 16 females (12.9%)

Precautionary Assessment

Parameter Score

Community/Social IssuesGoal 3

Need 3

Future Generations 2

Democratic community based process

2

Alternatives 3

Total 13/15

Unsupportive of health and community

Exposure Issues

Exposure 2

Multiple Exposures 3

Children Exposed 0

Consumer Products 0

Occupational Exposure 3

Food Exposure 0

Total 8/20

Relatively medium risk of exposure

Hazard/Toxicity

Hazard 10

Individual Sensitivity 2

Ecological hazard 2

Volume 5

Persistent 3

Bioaccumulate 3

Uncertainty 2

Total 27/30

Extremely hazardous

Standards and RegulationsAgency Focus Level Comments

American Conference of Government al Industrial Hygienists

ACGIH

Air: workplace 2 ug/m3

0.05 ug/m3

0.2 ug/m3

Advisory: TLV-TWA

Notice of intended change, 2007; TLV-TWA

Notice of Intended Change, 2007; STEL

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)

Air: workplace 0.5 ug/m3 Advisory, 10-hour TWA, REL

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Air: workplace 2 ug/m3

5 ug/m3

25 ug/m3

Regulation, PEL as TWA

Regulation, Ceiling

Regulation, STEL, 30 minute maximum peak

Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)

Air emissions to atmosphere (Clean Air Act)

10 g/24 hours Regulation

Uncertainty FactorsChildren N/A

Subchronic to chronic extrapolation

8

Human Variability 10

Database uncertainty 10

Uncertainty Factor: 8 x 10 x 10 = 800

RfC (Reference Concentration) (ug/m3) =

NOAEL (ug/m3) / Uncertainty Factors

RfC for EPA : 0.02 µg/m3

NOAEL from Eisenbud et al. 1949 : 0.01-0.1 ug/m3

NOAEL from EPA: 0.1 ug/m3

RfC for Eisenbud: 0.005 ug/m3 /800 = 0.00000625 ug/m3

RfC for EPA: 0.1 ug/m3 / 800 = 0.000125ug/m3

Conclusions

The maximum concentration of beryllium via inhalation should be 0.000125 ug/m3 to prevent adverse health affects from workplace exposure. (EPA=0.02 ug/m3)

The OSHA occupational exposure limit for 8-hr workshift 2 ug/m3 is not protective. Should use ACGIH: 0.5 ug/m3

More stringent regulations and guidelines at state, national, and international level.

Risk Management

More studies for workplace inhalation exposure

data for possible chemical transformation of Beryllium and its half-life in air

limited information on reproductive or developmental effects

More adequate exposure monitoring

Dose

Exposure concentrati

on, duration, frequency

Occupational health standard, PPE,

Engineering and Administration

control

Adverse Health Risk: CBD, Lung

Cancer

Genetic Susceptibility

Age, gender, nutrition, behavior

Screening Wellness Program

Surveillance

Hazard

Healthy Worker

Subclinical Disease (BeS)Repair

Progression

Pathways from exposure to disease showing modifying factors and opportunities for interventions.

Risk Communication

Monitoring ambient concentrations Promote awareness towards Beryllium

exposure Preventive Focused Education for workers :

safety, PPE, changing clothes AdvanceMed Hanford’s Beryllium Monitoring

Program BeLPT (Beryllium Lymphocyte proliferation test) Chest radiographs Pulmonary Function Tests Carbon monoxide diffusion Regular follow-up visits

Media Coverage

Do not always get it right

Loss of interest

Disaster or loss of funding newsworthy

Questions?