Sample records for accidental radioactive releases

  1. SUMMARY OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF RADIOACTIVITY DETECTED OFF THE NEVADA TEST SITE, 1963-1986

    EPA Science Inventory

    Of the more than 450 underground nuclear explosives tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site from August 1963 (signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty) through the end of 1986, only 23 accidentally released radioactivity that was detectable beyond the boundary of the NTS. Of these ...

  2. Dose Calculation For Accidental Release Of Radioactive Cloud Passing Over Jeddah

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alharbi, N. D.; Mayhoub, A. B.

    2011-12-01

    For the evaluation of doses after the reactor accident, in particular for the inhalation dose, a thorough knowledge of the concentration of the various radionuclide in air during the passage of the plume is required. In this paper we present an application of the Gaussian Plume Model (GPM) to calculate the atmospheric dispersion and airborne radionuclide concentration resulting from radioactive cloud over the city of Jeddah (KSA). The radioactive cloud is assumed to be emitted from a reactor of 10 MW power in postulated accidental release. Committed effective doses (CEDs) to the public at different distance from the source to the receptor are calculated. The calculations were based on meteorological condition and data of the Jeddah site. These data are: pasquill atmospheric stability is the class B and the wind speed is 2.4m/s at 10m height in the N direction. The residence time of some radionuclides considered in this study were calculated. The results indicate that, the values of doses first increase with distance, reach a maximum value and then gradually decrease. The total dose received by human is estimated by using the estimated values of residence time of each radioactive pollutant at different distances.

  3. Individual dose due to radioactivity accidental release from fusion reactor.

    PubMed

    Nie, Baojie; Ni, Muyi; Wei, Shiping

    2017-04-05

    As an important index shaping the design of fusion safety system, evaluation of public radiation consequences have risen as a hot topic on the way to develop fusion energy. In this work, the comprehensive public early dose was evaluated due to unit gram tritium (HT/HTO), activated dust, activated corrosion products (ACPs) and activated gases accidental release from ITER like fusion reactor. Meanwhile, considering that we cannot completely eliminate the occurrence likelihood of multi-failure of vacuum vessel and tokamak building, we conservatively evaluated the public radiation consequences and environment restoration after the worst hypothetical accident preliminarily. The comparison results show early dose of different unit radioactivity release under different conditions. After further performing the radiation consequences, we find it possible that the hypothetical accident for ITER like fusion reactor would result in a level 6 accident according to INES, not appear level 7 like Chernobyl or Fukushima accidents. And from the point of environment restoration, we need at least 69 years for case 1 (1kg HTO and 1000kg dust release) and 34-52years for case 2 (1kg HTO and 10kg-100kg dust release) to wait the contaminated zone drop below the general public safety limit (1mSv per year) before it is suitable for human habitation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. 78 FR 6149 - Final Interim Staff Guidance Assessing the Radiological Consequences of Accidental Releases of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-29

    ... Accidental Releases of Radioactive Materials From Liquid Waste Tanks in Ground and Surface Waters for... Radioactive Materials from Liquid Waste Tanks in Ground and Surface Waters for Combined License Applications... Radioactive Materials from Liquid Waste Tanks in Ground and Surface Waters for Combined License Applications...

  5. Evidence Theory Based Uncertainty Quantification in Radiological Risk due to Accidental Release of Radioactivity from a Nuclear Power Plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingale, S. V.; Datta, D.

    2010-10-01

    Consequence of the accidental release of radioactivity from a nuclear power plant is assessed in terms of exposure or dose to the members of the public. Assessment of risk is routed through this dose computation. Dose computation basically depends on the basic dose assessment model and exposure pathways. One of the exposure pathways is the ingestion of contaminated food. The aim of the present paper is to compute the uncertainty associated with the risk to the members of the public due to the ingestion of contaminated food. The governing parameters of the ingestion dose assessment model being imprecise, we have approached evidence theory to compute the bound of the risk. The uncertainty is addressed by the belief and plausibility fuzzy measures.

  6. Maxine: A spreadsheet for estimating dose from chronic atmospheric radioactive releases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jannik, Tim; Bell, Evaleigh; Dixon, Kenneth

    MAXINE is an EXCEL© spreadsheet, which is used to estimate dose to individuals for routine and accidental atmospheric releases of radioactive materials. MAXINE does not contain an atmospheric dispersion model, but rather doses are estimated using air and ground concentrations as input. Minimal input is required to run the program and site specific parameters are used when possible. Complete code description, verification of models, and user’s manual have been included.

  7. PREVENTION REFERENCE MANUAL: CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES, VOL. 2. POST-RELEASE MITIGATION MEASURES FOR CONTROLLING ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF AIR TOXICS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The volume discusses prevention and protection measures for controlling accidental releases of air toxics. The probability of accidental releases depends on the extent to which deviations (in magnitude and duration) in the process can be tolerated before a loss of chemical contai...

  8. Method and apparatus for controlling accidental releases of tritium

    DOEpatents

    Galloway, T.R.

    1980-04-01

    An improvement is described in a tritium control system based on a catalytic oxidation reactor wherein accidental releases of tritium into room air are controlled by flooding the catalytic oxidation reactor with hydrogen when the tritium concentration in the room air exceeds a specified limit. The sudden flooding with hydrogen heats the catalyst to a high temperature within seconds, thereby greatly increasing the catalytic oxidation rate of tritium to tritiated water vapor. Thus, the catalyst is heated only when needed. In addition to the heating effect, the hydrogen flow also swamps the tritium and further reduces the tritium release. 1 fig.

  9. Method and apparatus for controlling accidental releases of tritium

    DOEpatents

    Galloway, Terry R. [Berkeley, CA

    1980-04-01

    An improvement in a tritium control system based on a catalytic oxidation reactor wherein accidental releases of tritium into room air are controlled by flooding the catalytic oxidation reactor with hydrogen when the tritium concentration in the room air exceeds a specified limit. The sudden flooding with hydrogen heats the catalyst to a high temperature within seconds, thereby greatly increasing the catalytic oxidation rate of tritium to tritiated water vapor. Thus, the catalyst is heated only when needed. In addition to the heating effect, the hydrogen flow also swamps the tritium and further reduces the tritium release.

  10. PREVENTION REFERENCE MANUAL: CHEMICAL SPECIFIC. VOLUME 2. CONTROL OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF CHLORINE (SCAQMD) (SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The manual discusses reducing the risk associated with an accidental release of chlorine. It identifies some of the potential causes of accidental releases that apply to the processes that use chlorine. It also identifies examples of potential causes, as well as measures that may...

  11. PREVENTION REFERENCE MANUAL: CHEMICAL SPECIFIC, VOLUME 14: CONTROL OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF PHOSGENE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report, discussing phosgene, is one of a series addressing the prevention of accidental releases of toxic chemicals. Phosgene, a highly reactive and corrosive liquid that boils at room temperature has an Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (lDLH) conctntration of 2 ppm, ...

  12. Severe Nuclear Accident Program (SNAP) - a real time model for accidental releases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saltbones, J.; Foss, A.; Bartnicki, J.

    1996-12-31

    The model: Several Nuclear Accident Program (SNAP) has been developed at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (DNMI) in Oslo to provide decision makers and Government officials with real-time tool for simulating large accidental releases of radioactivity from nuclear power plants or other sources. SNAP is developed in the Lagrangian framework in which atmospheric transport of radioactive pollutants is simulated by emitting a large number of particles from the source. The main advantage of the Lagrangian approach is a possibility of precise parameterization of advection processes, especially close to the source. SNAP can be used to predict the transport and deposition ofmore » a radioactive cloud in e future (up to 48 hours, in the present version) or to analyze the behavior of the cloud in the past. It is also possible to run the model in the mixed mode (partly analysis and partly forecast). In the routine run we assume unit (1 g s{sup -1}) emission in each of three classes. This assumption is very convenient for the main user of the model output in case of emergency: Norwegian Radiation Protection Agency. Due to linearity of the model equations, user can test different emission scenarios as a post processing task by assigning different weights to concentration and deposition fields corresponding to each of three emission classes. SNAP is fully operational and can be run by the meteorologist on duty at any time. The output from SNAP has two forms: First on the maps of Europe, or selected parts of Europe, individual particles are shown during the simulation period. Second, immediately after the simulation, concentration/deposition fields can be shown every three hours of the simulation period as isoline maps for each emission class. In addition, concentration and deposition maps, as well as some meteorological data, are stored on a public accessible disk for further processing by the model users.« less

  13. Control of accidental releases of hydrogen selenide in vented storage cabinets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fthenakis, V. M.; Moskowitz, P. D.; Sproull, R. D.

    1988-07-01

    Highly toxic hydrogen selenide and hydrogen sulfide gases are used in the production of copper-indium-diselenide photovoltaic cells by reactive sputtering. In the event of an accident, these gases may be released to the atmosphere and pose hazards to public and occupational safety and health. This paper outlines an approach for designing systems for the control of these releases given the uncertainty in release conditions and lack of data on the chemical systems involved. Accidental releases of these gases in storage cabinets can be controlled by either a venturi and packed-bed scrubber and carbon adsorption bed, or containment scrubbing equipment followed by carbon adsorption. These systems can effectively reduce toxic gas emissions to levels needed to protect public health. The costs of these controls (˜0.012/Wp) are samll in comparison with current (˜6/Wp) and projected (˜I/Wp) production costs.

  14. Fact Sheet: Clean Air Act Section 112(r): Accidental Release Prevention / Risk Management Plan Rule

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is required to publish regulations and guidance for chemical accident prevention at facilities that pose the greatest risk of harm from accidental releases of regulated flammable and toxic substances above threshold quantities.

  15. Scrap metals industry perspective on radioactive materials.

    PubMed

    Turner, Ray

    2006-11-01

    With more than 80 reported/confirmed accidental melts worldwide since 1983 and still counting, potential contamination by radioactive materials remains as a major concern among recycled scrap and steel companies. Some of these events were catastrophic and have cost the industry millions of dollars in business and, at the same time, resulted in declining consumer confidence. It is also known that more events with confirmed radioactive contamination have occurred that involve mining of old steel slag and skull dumps. Consequently, the steel industry has since undergone massive changes that incurred unprecedented expenses through the installation of radiation monitoring systems in hopes of preventing another accidental melt. Despite such extraordinary efforts, accidental melts continue to occur and plague the industry. One recent reported/confirmed event occurred in the Republic of China in 2004, causing the usual lengthy shutdown for expensive decontamination efforts before the steel mill could resume operations. With this perspective in mind, the metal industry has a long-standing opposition to the release of radioactive materials of any kind to commerce for fear of contamination and the potential consequences.

  16. PREVENTION REFERENCE MANUAL: CHEMICAL SPECIFIC, VOLUME 13: CONTROL OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF METHYL ISOCYANATE

    EPA Science Inventory

    This is one of a series of manuals addressing accidental releases of toxic chemicals. Methyl isocyanite (MIC) has an Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) concentration of 20 ppm, making it a substantially acute toxic hazard. Reducing the risk associated with an acciden...

  17. Radioactive release during nuclear accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nur Ain Sulaiman, Siti; Mohamed, Faizal; Rahim, Ahmad Nabil Ab

    2018-01-01

    Nuclear accidents that occurred in Chernobyl and Fukushima have initiated many research interests to understand the cause and mechanism of radioactive release within reactor compound and to the environment. Common types of radionuclide release are the fission products from the irradiated fuel rod itself. In case of nuclear accident, the focus of monitoring will be mostly on the release of noble gases, I-131 and Cs-137. As these are the only accidents have been rated within International Nuclear Events Scale (INES) Level 7, the radioactive release to the environment was one of the critical insights to be monitored. It was estimated that the release of radioactive material to the atmosphere due to Fukushima accident was approximately 10% of the Chernobyl accident. By referring to the previous reports using computational code systems to model the release rate, the release activity of I-131 and Cs-137 in Chernobyl was significantly higher compare to Fukushima. The simulation code also showed that Chernobyl had higher release rate of both radionuclides on the day of accident. Other factors affecting the radioactive release for Fukushima and Chernobyl accidents such as the current reactor technology and safety measures are also compared for discussion.

  18. PREVENTION REFERENCE MANUAL: CHEMICAL SPECIFIC. VOL. 15: CONTROL OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report, discussing sulfur trioxide (SO3), is one of a series addressing the prevention of accidental releases of toxic chemicals. SO3, a clear oily liquid or solid at typical ambient conditions, has an Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) concentration of 20 ppm, w...

  19. Ingestion Pathway Consequences of a Major Release from SRTC

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blanchard, A.

    1999-06-08

    The food ingestion consequences due to radioactive particulates of an accidental release, scenario 1-RD-3, are evaluated for Savannah River Technology Center. The sizes of land areas requiring the protective action of food interdiction are calculated. The consequences of the particulate portion of the release are evaluated with the HOTSPOT model and an EXCEL spreadsheet for particulates.

  20. Background for protective action recommendations: accidental radioactive contamination of food and animal feeds. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shleien, B.; Schmidt, G.D.; Chiacchierini, R.P.

    This report provides background material for the development of FDA's Protective Action Recommendations: Accidental Radioactive Contamination of Food and Animal Feeds. The rationale, dosimetric and agricultural transport models for the Protective Action Guides are presented, along with information on dietary intake. In addition, the document contains a discussion of field methods of analysis of radionuclides deposited on the ground or contained in milk and herbage. Various protective actions are described and evaluated, and a cost-effectiveness analysis for the recommendations performed.

  1. Historical Doses from Tritiated Water and Tritiated Hydrogen Gas Released to the Atmosphere from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Part 5. Accidental Releases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peterson, S

    2007-08-15

    Over the course of fifty-three years, LLNL had six acute releases of tritiated hydrogen gas (HT) and one acute release of tritiated water vapor (HTO) that were too large relative to the annual releases to be included as part of the annual releases from normal operations detailed in Parts 3 and 4 of the Tritium Dose Reconstruction (TDR). Sandia National Laboratories/California (SNL/CA) had one such release of HT and one of HTO. Doses to the maximally exposed individual (MEI) for these accidents have been modeled using an equation derived from the time-dependent tritium model, UFOTRI, and parameter values based onmore » expert judgment. All of these acute releases are described in this report. Doses that could not have been exceeded from the large HT releases of 1965 and 1970 were calculated to be 43 {micro}Sv (4.3 mrem) and 120 {micro}Sv (12 mrem) to an adult, respectively. Two published sets of dose predictions for the accidental HT release in 1970 are compared with the dose predictions of this TDR. The highest predicted dose was for an acute release of HTO in 1954. For this release, the dose that could not have been exceeded was estimated to have been 2 mSv (200 mrem), although, because of the high uncertainty about the predictions, the likely dose may have been as low as 360 {micro}Sv (36 mrem) or less. The estimated maximum exposures from the accidental releases were such that no adverse health effects would be expected. Appendix A lists all accidents and large routine puff releases that have occurred at LLNL and SNL/CA between 1953 and 2005. Appendix B describes the processes unique to tritium that must be modeled after an acute release, some of the time-dependent tritium models being used today, and the results of tests of these models.« less

  2. Acute effects of nitrogen dioxide after accidental release.

    PubMed

    Bauer, U; Berg, D; Kohn, M A; Meriwether, R A; Nickle, R A

    1998-01-01

    Following an accidental release of nitrogen dioxide from a railroad tank car containing nitrous tetroxide, the authors undertook a study of the health effects of the release, measuring the association between acute low level exposure and pulmonary symptoms. The authors reviewed the records of three emergency departments, surveyed 80 emergency department patients, 552 community residents, 21 chemical plant workers, and 29 emergency workers, and conducted a case-control study. Pulmonary case status was defined as having an objective pulmonary finding noted on the emergency department record, reporting that the onset of symptoms was subsequent to the release, and being within the city limits at the time of the release. Self-reported case status was defined as reporting one or more symptoms consistent with exposure to nitrogen dioxide in the week after the release and having been within the city limits at the time of the release. Control subjects were survey respondents who reported no symptoms in the week after the release and had been within the city limits at the time of the release. Chemical exposure was characterized by proximity to, direction from, and being outdoors within one hour after the release. Duration of potential exposure was not measured. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence interval for symptoms by exposure level, adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and preexisting pulmonary conditions. Local emergency department visits increased fivefold in the week after the release. The most common complaints recorded in a systematic sample of 528 visits in the first 30 hours after the release were headache (31%), burning eyes (30%), and sore throat (24%). Objective pulmonary findings were recorded for 41 (5%) patients in the week before and 165 (4%) in the week after the release. The odds of being a pulmonary case increased by 40% for each quarter-mile increment in proximity to the release (odds ratio [OR] 1.4; 95% confidence

  3. Dispersion modeling of accidental releases of toxic gases - Comparison of the models and their utility for the fire brigades.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stenzel, S.; Baumann-Stanzer, K.

    2009-04-01

    Dispersion modeling of accidental releases of toxic gases - Comparison of the models and their utility for the fire brigades. Sirma Stenzel, Kathrin Baumann-Stanzer In the case of accidental release of hazardous gases in the atmosphere, the emergency responders need a reliable and fast tool to assess the possible consequences and apply the optimal countermeasures. For hazard prediction and simulation of the hazard zones a number of air dispersion models are available. The most model packages (commercial or free of charge) include a chemical database, an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) and automated graphical output for display the results, they are easy to use and can operate fast and effective during stress situations. The models are designed especially for analyzing different accidental toxic release scenarios ("worst-case scenarios"), preparing emergency response plans and optimal countermeasures as well as for real-time risk assessment and management. There are also possibilities for model direct coupling to automatic meteorological stations, in order to avoid uncertainties in the model output due to insufficient or incorrect meteorological data. Another key problem in coping with accidental toxic release is the relative width spectrum of regulations and values, like IDLH, ERPG, AEGL, MAK etc. and the different criteria for their application. Since the particulate emergency responders and organizations require for their purposes unequal regulations and values, it is quite difficult to predict the individual hazard areas. There are a quite number of research studies and investigations coping with the problem, anyway the end decision is up to the authorities. The research project RETOMOD (reference scenarios calculations for toxic gas releases - model systems and their utility for the fire brigade) was conducted by the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in cooperation with the Vienna fire brigade, OMV Refining & Marketing GmbH and

  4. Dispersion modeling of accidental releases of toxic gases - utility for the fire brigades.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stenzel, S.; Baumann-Stanzer, K.

    2009-09-01

    Several air dispersion models are available for prediction and simulation of the hazard areas associated with accidental releases of toxic gases. The most model packages (commercial or free of charge) include a chemical database, an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) and automated graphical output for effective presentation of results. The models are designed especially for analyzing different accidental toxic release scenarios ("worst-case scenarios”), preparing emergency response plans and optimal countermeasures as well as for real-time risk assessment and management. The research project RETOMOD (reference scenarios calculations for toxic gas releases - model systems and their utility for the fire brigade) was conducted by the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in cooperation with the Viennese fire brigade, OMV Refining & Marketing GmbH and Synex Ries & Greßlehner GmbH. RETOMOD was funded by the KIRAS safety research program of the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (www.kiras.at). The main tasks of this project were 1. Sensitivity study and optimization of the meteorological input for modeling of the hazard areas (human exposure) during the accidental toxic releases. 2. Comparison of several model packages (based on reference scenarios) in order to estimate the utility for the fire brigades. For the purpose of our study the following models were tested and compared: ALOHA (Areal Location of Hazardous atmosphere, EPA), MEMPLEX (Keudel av-Technik GmbH), Trace (Safer System), Breeze (Trinity Consulting), SAM (Engineering office Lohmeyer). A set of reference scenarios for Chlorine, Ammoniac, Butane and Petrol were proceed, with the models above, in order to predict and estimate the human exposure during the event. Furthermore, the application of the observation-based analysis and forecasting system INCA, developed in the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in case of toxic release was

  5. Estimating accidental pollutant releases in the built environment from turbulent concentration signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben Salem, N.; Salizzoni, P.; Soulhac, L.

    2017-01-01

    We present an inverse atmospheric model to estimate the mass flow rate of an impulsive source of pollutant, whose position is known, from concentration signals registered at receptors placed downwind of the source. The originality of this study is twofold. Firstly, the inversion is performed using high-frequency fluctuating, i.e. turbulent, concentration signals. Secondly, the inverse algorithm is applied to a dispersion process within a dense urban canopy, at the district scale, and a street network model, SIRANERISK, is adopted. The model, which is tested against wind tunnel experiments, simulates the dispersion of short-duration releases of pollutant in different typologies of idealised urban geometries. Results allow us to discuss the reliability of the inverse model as an operational tool for crisis management and the risk assessments related to the accidental release of toxic and flammable substances.

  6. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1979 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1979 release data are compared with previous year's releases in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  7. Modeling of occupational exposure to accidentally released manufactured nanomaterials in a production facility and calculation of internal doses by inhalation

    PubMed Central

    Vaquero-Moralejo, Celina; Jaén, María; Lopez De Ipiña Peña, Jesús; Neofytou, Panagiotis

    2016-01-01

    Background Occupational exposure to manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) and its potential health impacts are of scientific and practical interest, as previous epidemiological studies associate exposure to nanoparticles with health effects, including increased morbidity of the respiratory and the circulatory system. Objectives To estimate the occupational exposure and effective internal doses in a real production facility of TiO2 MNMs during hypothetical scenarios of accidental release. Methods Commercial software for geometry and mesh generation, as well as fluid flow and particle dispersion calculation, were used to estimate occupational exposure to MNMs. The results were introduced to in-house software to calculate internal doses in the human respiratory tract by inhalation. Results Depending on the accidental scenario, different areas of the production facility were affected by the released MNMs, with a higher dose exposure among individuals closer to the particles source. Conclusions Granted that the study of the accidental release of particles can only be performed by chance, this numerical approach provides valuable information regarding occupational exposure and contributes to better protection of personnel. The methodology can be used to identify occupational settings where the exposure to MNMs would be high during accidents, providing insight to health and safety officials. PMID:27670588

  8. Inverse modelling for real-time estimation of radiological consequences in the early stage of an accidental radioactivity release.

    PubMed

    Pecha, Petr; Šmídl, Václav

    2016-11-01

    A stepwise sequential assimilation algorithm is proposed based on an optimisation approach for recursive parameter estimation and tracking of radioactive plume propagation in the early stage of a radiation accident. Predictions of the radiological situation in each time step of the plume propagation are driven by an existing short-term meteorological forecast and the assimilation procedure manipulates the model parameters to match the observations incoming concurrently from the terrain. Mathematically, the task is a typical ill-posed inverse problem of estimating the parameters of the release. The proposed method is designated as a stepwise re-estimation of the source term release dynamics and an improvement of several input model parameters. It results in a more precise determination of the adversely affected areas in the terrain. The nonlinear least-squares regression methodology is applied for estimation of the unknowns. The fast and adequately accurate segmented Gaussian plume model (SGPM) is used in the first stage of direct (forward) modelling. The subsequent inverse procedure infers (re-estimates) the values of important model parameters from the actual observations. Accuracy and sensitivity of the proposed method for real-time forecasting of the accident propagation is studied. First, a twin experiment generating noiseless simulated "artificial" observations is studied to verify the minimisation algorithm. Second, the impact of the measurement noise on the re-estimated source release rate is examined. In addition, the presented method can be used as a proposal for more advanced statistical techniques using, e.g., importance sampling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1987 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1987 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized. 16 tabs.

  10. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1988 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1988 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized. 16 tabs.

  11. Towards the operational estimation of a radiological plume using data assimilation after a radiological accidental atmospheric release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winiarek, Victor; Vira, Julius; Bocquet, Marc; Sofiev, Mikhail; Saunier, Olivier

    2011-06-01

    In the event of an accidental atmospheric release of radionuclides from a nuclear power plant, accurate real-time forecasting of the activity concentrations of radionuclides is required by the decision makers for the preparation of adequate countermeasures. The accuracy of the forecast plume is highly dependent on the source term estimation. On several academic test cases, including real data, inverse modelling and data assimilation techniques were proven to help in the assessment of the source term. In this paper, a semi-automatic method is proposed for the sequential reconstruction of the plume, by implementing a sequential data assimilation algorithm based on inverse modelling, with a care to develop realistic methods for operational risk agencies. The performance of the assimilation scheme has been assessed through the intercomparison between French and Finnish frameworks. Two dispersion models have been used: Polair3D and Silam developed in two different research centres. Different release locations, as well as different meteorological situations are tested. The existing and newly planned surveillance networks are used and realistically large multiplicative observational errors are assumed. The inverse modelling scheme accounts for strong error bias encountered with such errors. The efficiency of the data assimilation system is tested via statistical indicators. For France and Finland, the average performance of the data assimilation system is strong. However there are outlying situations where the inversion fails because of a too poor observability. In addition, in the case where the power plant responsible for the accidental release is not known, robust statistical tools are developed and tested to discriminate candidate release sites.

  12. Assessment of the Incentives Created by Public Disclosure of Off-Site Consequence Analysis Information for Reduction in the Risk of Accidental Releases

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The off-site consequence analysis (OCA) evaluates the potential for worst-case and alternative accidental release scenarios to harm the public and environment around the facility. Public disclosure would likely reduce the number/severity of incidents.

  13. Problems associated with the use of immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) values for estimating the hazard of accidental chemical releases.

    PubMed

    Alexeeff, G V; Lipsett, M J; Kizer, K W

    1989-11-01

    The possibility of accidental industrial chemical releases has generated considerable recent attention. One area requiring research for emergency planning is the development of safe exposure concentrations for the public in the event of an inadvertent release. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a list of extremely hazardous substances and suggested that the toxicity ranking for 92 hazardous materials could be based on the "immediately dangerous to life or health" (IDLH) values developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Eighty-four compounds with IDLH values for which published toxicologic data were available were reviewed to assess the appropriateness of applying such values to accidental release situations. When compared with 30-min animal median lethal concentrations (LC50s), 18 of the IDLHs reviewed were in the same range as lethal levels for animals. For 45 compounds the IDLH values were comparable to concentrations producing severe toxic effects (specifically, unconsciousness, incapacitation, or intolerable irritation). Where available, emergency planning guidelines for the military were compared to IDLHs, and in all 31 cases, the IDLHs exceeded the military exposure guidelines. Twenty compounds also were found to pose a potential cancer risk according to common regulatory guidelines, even under the assumption of a single, 30-min exposure at the IDLH concentration. In addition, the high degree of variability (four orders of magnitude) in the relationship of IDLH values to outcomes of lethality or severe toxicity suggests that the use of IDLH values as emergency planning guidelines for accidental releases is questionable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  14. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1978

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commerical light water reactors during 1978 have been compiled and reported. Data on soild waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1978 release data are compared with previous years releases in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  15. 75 FR 36445 - Draft Regulatory Guide, DG-4018, “Constraint on Releases of Airborne Radioactive Materials To the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-25

    ... Releases of Airborne Radioactive Materials To the Environment for Licensees Other Than Power Reactors... Regulatory Guide (DG)-4018, ``Constraint on Releases of Airborne Radioactive Materials to the Environment for..., ``Constraint on Releases of Airborne Radioactive Materials to the Environment for Licensees Other than Power...

  16. An integrated decision model for the application of airborne sensors for improved response to accidental and terrorist chemical vapor releases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kapitan, Loginn

    This research created a new model which provides an integrated approach to planning the effective selection and employment of airborne sensor systems in response to accidental or intentional chemical vapor releases. The approach taken was to use systems engineering and decision analysis methods to construct a model architecture which produced a modular structure for integrating both new and existing components into a logical procedure to assess the application of airborne sensor systems to address chemical vapor hazards. The resulting integrated process model includes an internal aggregation model which allowed differentiation among alternative airborne sensor systems. Both models were developed and validated by experts and demonstrated using appropriate hazardous chemical release scenarios. The resultant prototype integrated process model or system fills a current gap in capability allowing improved planning, training and exercise for HAZMAT teams and first responders when considering the selection and employment of airborne sensor systems. Through the research process, insights into the current response structure and how current airborne capability may be most effectively used were generated. Furthermore, the resultant prototype system is tailorable for local, state, and federal application, and can potentially be modified to help evaluate investments in new airborne sensor technology and systems. Better planning, training and preparedness exercising holds the prospect for the effective application of airborne assets for improved response to large scale chemical release incidents. Improved response will result in fewer casualties and lives lost, reduced economic impact, and increased protection of critical infrastructure when faced with accidental and intentional terrorist release of hazardous industrial chemicals. With the prospect of more airborne sensor systems becoming available, this prototype system integrates existing and new tools into an effective

  17. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report, 1980

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1980 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1980 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  18. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants: Annual report, 1984

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1984 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1984 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  19. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants: Annual report, 1985

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1985 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1985 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  20. A methodology to quantify the release of spent nuclear fuel from dry casks during security-related scenarios

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Durbin, Samuel G.; Luna, Robert Earl

    Assessing the risk to the public and the environment from a release of radioactive material produced by accidental or purposeful forces/environments is an important aspect of the regulatory process in many facets of the nuclear industry. In particular, the transport and storage of radioactive materials is of particular concern to the public, especially with regard to potential sabotage acts that might be undertaken by terror groups to cause injuries, panic, and/or economic consequences to a nation. For many such postulated attacks, no breach in the robust cask or storage module containment is expected to occur. However, there exists evidence thatmore » some hypothetical attack modes can penetrate and cause a release of radioactive material. This report is intended as an unclassified overview of the methodology for release estimation as well as a guide to useful resource data from unclassified sources and relevant analysis methods for the estimation process.« less

  1. 10 CFR 61.41 - Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity. 61.41 Section 61.41 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Performance Objectives § 61.41 Protection of the general population...

  2. 10 CFR 61.41 - Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity. 61.41 Section 61.41 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Performance Objectives § 61.41 Protection of the general population...

  3. 10 CFR 61.41 - Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity. 61.41 Section 61.41 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Performance Objectives § 61.41 Protection of the general population...

  4. 10 CFR 61.41 - Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity. 61.41 Section 61.41 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Performance Objectives § 61.41 Protection of the general population...

  5. 10 CFR 61.41 - Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity. 61.41 Section 61.41 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Performance Objectives § 61.41 Protection of the general population...

  6. Radioactive particles released to the environment from the Fukushima reactors-Confirmation is still needed.

    PubMed

    Salbu, Brit; Lind, Ole Christian

    2016-10-01

    After severe nuclear events, a major fraction of refractory radionuclides such as U and Pu are released to the environment in the form of radioactive particles. After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, Pu isotope ratio signals different from that of global fallout have been reported, indicating that spent fuel particles have been released from the reactors or reactor vessels. Radioactive particles containing (37) Cs and other volatile radionuclides, as well as a series of stable refractory metals (Cs, Fe, Zn, U, etc.), have been identified by several authors claiming that these particles originated from the FDNPP fuel. If so, long-lived radioactive isotopes of the refractory metals should have been identified in these particles. It is therefore most probable that volatile radionuclides released as gases during the accidents have deposited on available surfaces such as fly ash, forming condensation particles during release or transport. If spent fuel particles have been deposited in the FDNPP surroundings, information on particle characteristics influencing ecosystem transport, uptake, and effects is essential for assessing environmental impact and risk. More emphasis should therefore be put on the identification of hot spots in the FDNPP environment followed by the characterization of radioactive particles using nanoanalytical-microanalytical techniques to support environmental monitoring, as recommended in the present study. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:687-689. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

  7. Robust technique using an imaging plate to detect environmental radioactivity.

    PubMed

    Isobe, Tomonori; Mori, Yutaro; Takada, Kenta; Sato, Eisuke; Sakurai, Hideyuki; Sakae, Takeji

    2013-04-01

    The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011. Consequently, a large amount of radioactive material was accidentally released. Recently, the focus has been on quantification of environmental radioactive material. However, conventional techniques require complicated and expensive measurement equipment. In this research, the authors developed a simple method to detect environmental radioactive material with an imaging plate (IP). Two specific measurement subjects were targeted: measurements for the depth distribution of radioactive material in soil and surface contamination of a building roof. For the measurement of depth distribution of radioactive material in soil, the authors ascertained that the concentration of environmental radioactivity was highest at 5 cm below the surface, and it decreased with depth. For the measurement of surface contamination of the building roof, the authors created a contamination map of the building roof. The detector developed could contact the ground directly, and unlike other survey meters, it was not influenced by peripheral radioactivity. In this study, the authors verified the feasibility of measurement of environmental radioactivity with an IP. Although the measured values of the IP were relative, further work is planned to perform evaluations of absolute quantities of radioactive material.

  8. Accidental Release of Chlorine from a Storage Facility and an On-Site Emergency Mock Drill: A Case Study

    PubMed Central

    Soman, Ambalathumpara Raman; Sundararaj, Gopalswamy

    2015-01-01

    In the current industrial scenario there is a serious need for formulating strategies to handle hazardous substances in the safest way. Manufacture, storage, and use of hazardous substances pose a serious risk to industry, people, and the environment. Accidental release of toxic chemicals can lead to emergencies. An emergency response plan (ERP) is inevitable to minimize the adverse effects of such releases. The on-site emergency plan is an integral component of any process safety and risk management system. This paper deals with an on-site emergency response plan for a chlorine manufacturing industry. It was developed on the basis of a previous study on chlorine release and a full scale mock drill has been conducted for testing the plan. Results indicated that properly trained personnel can effectively handle each level of incidents occurring in the process plant. As an extensive guideline to the district level government authorities for off-site emergency planning, risk zone has also been estimated with reference to a chlorine exposure threshold of 3 ppm. PMID:26171416

  9. Underground Nuclear Explosions and Release of Radioactive Noble Gases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubasov, Yuri V.

    2010-05-01

    Over a period in 1961-1990 496 underground nuclear tests and explosions of different purpose and in different rocks were conducted in the Soviet Union at Semipalatinsk and anovaya Zemlya Test Sites. A total of 340 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the Semipalatinsk Test Site. One hundred seventy-nine explosions (52.6%) among them were classified as these of complete containment, 145 explosions (42.6%) as explosions with weak release of radioactive noble gases (RNG), 12 explosions (3.5%) as explosions with nonstandard radiation situation, and four excavation explosions with ground ejection (1.1%). Thirty-nine nuclear tests had been conducted at the Novaya Zemlya Test Site; six of them - in shafts. In 14 tests (36%) there were no RNG release. Twenty-three tests have been accompanied by RNG release into the atmosphere without sedimental contamination. Nonstandard radiation situation occurred in two tests. In incomplete containment explosions both early-time RNG release (up to ~1 h) and late-time release from 1 to 28 h after the explosion were observed. Sometimes gas release took place for several days, and it occurred either through tunnel portal or epicentral zone, depending on atmospheric air temperature.

  10. Air modelling as an alternative to sampling for low-level radioactive airborne releases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morgenstern, M.Y.; Hueske, K.

    1995-05-01

    This paper describes our efforts to assess the effect of airborne releases at one DOE laboratory using air modelling based on historical data. Among the facilities affected by these developments is Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico. RCRA, as amended by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) in 1984, requires all facilities which involve the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste obtain a RCRA/HSWA waste facility permit. LANL complied with CEARP by initiating a process of identifying potential release sites associated with LANL operations prior to filing a RCRA/HSWA permit application. In the process of preparingmore » the RCRA/HSWA waste facility permit application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a total of 603 Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) were identified as part of the requirements of the HSWA Module VIH permit requirements. The HSWA Module VIII permit requires LANL to determine whether there have been any releases of hazardous waste or hazardous constituents from SWMUs at the facility dating from the 1940`s by performing a RCRA Facility Investigation to address known or suspected releases from specified SWMUs to affected media (i.e. soil, groundwater, surface water, and air). Among the most troublesome of the potential releases sites are those associated with airborne radioactive releases. In order to assess health risks associated with radioactive contaminants in a manner consistent with exposure standards currently in place, the DOE and LANL have established Screening Action Levels (SALs) for radioactive soil contamination. The SALs for each radionuclide in soil are derived from calculations based on a residential scenario in which individuals are exposed to contaminated soil via inhalation and ingestion as well as external exposure to gamma emitters in the soil. The applicable SALs are shown.« less

  11. The effectiveness of stationary automobiles as shelters in accidental releases of toxic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Engelmann, Rudolf J.; Pendergrass, William R.; White, J. Randy; Hall, Mark E.

    The protection offered occupants of stationary automobiles against airborne gases and respirable particles, such as might result from an accidental release, was measured and found to be substantial. For the four autos tested with the air conditioning (AC) system on and in recirculate position, the equilibrium ratios of inside/outside concentrations ( I/ O) for 2-μm diameter particles were less than 0.2, and some ratios were as small as 0.014. With both the AC compressor and the system fan off, the I/ O for five autos ranged from 0.04 to 0.18. These low ratios are primarily a result of deposition within the autos. However, three of the five autos had substantially higher I/ O ratios when the AC fan was on than when off, indicating that for some autos the AC caused significant added intake of outside air. Air exchange rates for the five stationary autos were on the order of 0.5h -1 with AC off, and 2.5 h -1 with AC on.

  12. New high-throughput measurement systems for radioactive wastes segregation and free release.

    PubMed

    Suran, J; Kovar, P; Smoldasova, J; Solc, J; Skala, L; Arnold, D; Jerome, S; de Felice, P; Pedersen, B; Bogucarska, T; Tzika, F; van Ammel, R

    2017-12-01

    This paper addresses the measurement facilities for pre-selection of waste materials prior to measurement for repository acceptance or possible free release (segregation measurement system); and free release (free release measurement system), based on a single standardized concept characterized by unique, patented lead-free shielding. The key objective is to improve the throughput, accuracy, reliability, modularity and mobility of segregation and free-release measurement. This will result in a more reliable decision-making with regard to the safe release and disposal of radioactive wastes into the environment and, resulting in positive economic outcomes. The research was carried out within "Metrology for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities" (MetroDecom) project. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A high-performance liquid chromatography method for the serotonin release assay is equivalent to the radioactive method.

    PubMed

    Sono-Koree, N K; Crist, R A; Frank, E L; Rodgers, G M; Smock, K J

    2016-02-01

    The serotonin release assay (SRA) is considered the gold standard laboratory test for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). The historic SRA method uses platelets loaded with radiolabeled serotonin to evaluate platelet activation by HIT immune complexes. However, a nonradioactive method is desirable. We report the performance characteristics of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) SRA method. We validated the performance characteristics of an HPLC-SRA method, including correlation with a reference laboratory using the radioactive method. Serotonin released from reagent platelets was quantified by HPLC using fluorescent detection. Results were expressed as % release and classified as positive, negative, or indeterminate based on previously published cutoffs. Serum samples from 250 subjects with suspected HIT were tested in the HPLC-SRA and with the radioactive method. Concordant classifications were observed in 230 samples (92%). Sera from 41 healthy individuals tested negative. Between-run imprecision studies showed standard deviation of <6 (% release) for positive, weak positive, and negative serum pools. Stability studies demonstrated stability after two freeze-thaw cycles or up to a week of refrigeration. The HPLC-SRA has robust performance characteristics, equivalent to the historic radioactive method, but avoids the complexities of working with radioactivity. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1991, Volume 12

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Congemi, J.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1991 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1991 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data Covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  15. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report, 1982. Volume 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Norden, K.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1982 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1982 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  16. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Volume 11: Annual report, 1990

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Congemi, J.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1990 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1990 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  17. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1981. Vol. 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1981 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1981 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  18. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report, 1983. Volume 4

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Norden, K.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1983 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1983 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  19. A screening tool to prioritize public health risk associated with accidental or deliberate release of chemicals into the atmosphere

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    The Chemical Events Working Group of the Global Health Security Initiative has developed a flexible screening tool for chemicals that present a risk when accidentally or deliberately released into the atmosphere. The tool is generic, semi-quantitative, independent of site, situation and scenario, encompasses all chemical hazards (toxicity, flammability and reactivity), and can be easily and quickly implemented by non-subject matter experts using freely available, authoritative information. Public health practitioners and planners can use the screening tool to assist them in directing their activities in each of the five stages of the disaster management cycle. PMID:23517410

  20. Control of synthesis and release of radioactive acetylcholine in brain slices from the rat. Effects of neurotropic drugs

    PubMed Central

    Grewaal, D. S.; Quastel, J. H.

    1973-01-01

    1. Studies of the synthesis and release of radioactive acetylcholine in rat brain-cortex slices incubated in Locke–bicarbonate–[U-14C]glucose media, containing paraoxon as cholinesterase inhibitor, revealed the following phenomena: (a) dependence of K+-or protoveratrine-stimulated acetylcholine synthesis and release on the presence of Na+ and Ca2+ in the incubation medium, (b) enhanced release of radioactive acetylcholine by substances that promote depolarization at the nerve cell membrane (e.g. high K+, ouabain, protoveratrine, sodium l-glutamate, high concentration of acetylcholine), (c) failure of acetylcholine synthesis to keep pace with acetylcholine release under certain conditions (e.g. the presence of ouabain or lack of Na+). 2. Stimulation by K+ of radioactive acetylcholine synthesis was directly proportional to the external concentration of Na+, but some synthesis and release of radioactive acetylcholine occurred in the absence of Na+ as well as in the absence of Ca2+. 3. The Na+ dependence of K+-stimulated acetylcholine synthesis was partly due to suppression of choline transport, as addition of small concentrations of choline partly neutralized the effect of Na+ lack, and partly due to the suppression of the activity of the Na+ pump. 4. Protoveratrine caused a greatly increased release of radioactive acetylcholine without stimulating total radioactive acetylcholine synthesis. Protoveratrine was ineffective in the absence of Ca2+ from the incubation medium. It completely blocked K+ stimulation of acetylcholine synthesis and release. 5. Tetrodotoxin abolished the effects of protoveratrine on acetylcholine release. It had blocking effects (partial or complete) on the action of high K+, sodium l-glutamate and lack of Ca2+ on acetylcholine synthesis and release. 6. Unlabelled exogenous acetylcholine did not diminish the content of labelled tissue acetylcholine, derived from labelled glucose, suggesting that no exchange with vesicular acetylcholine took

  1. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Volume 13, Annual report 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Lucadamo, K.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1992 have been compiled and reported. The summary data for the years 1973 through 1991 are included for comparison. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1992 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  2. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1989: Volume 10

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1989 have been compiled and reported. The summary data for the years 1970 through 1988 are included for comparison. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1989 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  3. Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants: Annual report, 1993. Volume 14

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Lucadamo, K.

    Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1993 have been compiled and reported. The summary data for the years 1974 through 1992 are included for comparison. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1993 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

  4. Use of natural radionuclides to determine the time range of the accidental melting of an orphan radioactive source in a steel recycling plant.

    PubMed

    Cantaluppi, Chiara; Ceccotto, Federica; Cianchi, Aldo

    2012-02-01

    In the rare event that an orphan radioactive source is melted in an Electric Arc Furnace steel recycling plant, the radionuclides present are partitioned in the different products, by-products and waste. As a consequence of an unforeseen melting of a radiocesium source, cesium radioisotopes can be found in the dust, together with many natural radionuclides from the decay of radon and thoron, which are present in the atmosphere, picked up from the off-gas evacuation system and associated with the dust of the air filtration system ("baghouse"). In this work we verified that the activity concentration of ²¹²Pb in this dust is essentially constant in a specific factory so that it is possible to use it to date back to the time of the accidental melting of the orphan radioactive source. The main features of this method are described below, together with the application to a particular case in which this method was used for dating the moment in which the dust was contaminated with ¹³⁷Cs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. 10 CFR 72.74 - Reports of accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... nuclear material. 72.74 Section 72.74 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR... accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material. (a) Each licensee shall notify the NRC Operations...

  6. 10 CFR 72.74 - Reports of accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... nuclear material. 72.74 Section 72.74 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR... accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material. (a) Each licensee shall notify the NRC Operations...

  7. 10 CFR 72.74 - Reports of accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... nuclear material. 72.74 Section 72.74 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR... accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material. (a) Each licensee shall notify the NRC Operations...

  8. 10 CFR 72.74 - Reports of accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... nuclear material. 72.74 Section 72.74 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR... accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material. (a) Each licensee shall notify the NRC Operations...

  9. 10 CFR 72.74 - Reports of accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... nuclear material. 72.74 Section 72.74 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR... accidental criticality or loss of special nuclear material. (a) Each licensee shall notify the NRC Operations...

  10. A case of an accidental exposure to a veterinary insecticide product formulation.

    PubMed

    Sidhu, K S; Collisi, M B

    1989-02-01

    A veterinary technician while opening a package was accidentally exposed to a commercial canned product formulation containing insecticides and solvents. The patient was twice briefly treated and released as an outpatient from 2 different hospitals on the first and second day after the exposure. However, on the fourth day, as some of the symptoms (headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, difficult breathing) persisted, the patient was admitted to another hospital. The patient was treated for exposure to organophosphates and solvents and was released after 13 days. The patient developed diabetes insipidus, a condition which lasted for approximately 1 year. The cause of the temporary development of diabetes insipidus is not understood. There is a need to prevent and minimize such accidental exposures in future.

  11. Development of RadRob15, A Robot for Detecting Radioactive Contamination in Nuclear Medicine Departments.

    PubMed

    Shafe, A; Mortazavi, S M J; Joharnia, A; Safaeyan, Gh H

    2016-09-01

    Accidental or intentional release of radioactive materials into the living or working environment may cause radioactive contamination. In nuclear medicine departments, radioactive contamination is usually due to radionuclides which emit high energy gamma photons and particles. These radionuclides have a broad range of energies and penetration capabilities. Rapid detection of radioactive contamination is very important for efficient removing of the contamination without spreading the radionuclides. A quick scan of the contaminated area helps health physicists locate the contaminated area and assess the level of activity. Studies performed in IR Iran shows that in some nuclear medicine departments, areas with relatively high levels of activity can be found. The highest contamination level was detected in corridors which are usually used by patients. To monitor radioactive contamination in nuclear medicine departments, RadRob15, a contamination detecting robot was developed in the Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation Protection Research Center (INIRPRC). The motor vehicle scanner and the gas radiation detector are the main components of this robot. The detection limit of this robot has enabled it to detect low levels of radioactive contamination. Our preliminary tests show that RadRob15 can be easily used in nuclear medicine departments as a device for quick surveys which identifies the presence or absence of radioactive contamination.

  12. An update on radioactive release and exposures after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster.

    PubMed

    McLaughlin, P D; Jones, B; Maher, M M

    2012-09-01

    On 11 March 2011, the Richter scale 0.9-magnitude Tokohu earthquake and tsunami struck the northeast coast of Japan, resulting in widespread injury and loss of life. Compounding this tragic loss of life, a series of equipment and structural failures at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FDNP) resulted in the release of many volatile radioisotopes into the atmosphere. In this update, we detail currently available evidence about the nature of immediate radioactive exposure to FDNP workers and the general population. We contrast the nature of the radioactive exposure at FDNP with that which occurred at the Chernobyl power plant 25 years previously. Prediction of the exact health effects related to the FDNP release is difficult at present and this disaster provides the scientific community with a challenge to help those involved and to continue research that will improve our understanding of the potential complications of radionuclide fallout.

  13. Game theory of pre-emptive vaccination before bioterrorism or accidental release of smallpox.

    PubMed

    Molina, Chai; Earn, David J D

    2015-06-06

    Smallpox was eradicated in the 1970s, but new outbreaks could be seeded by bioterrorism or accidental release. Substantial vaccine-induced morbidity and mortality make pre-emptive mass vaccination controversial, and if vaccination is voluntary, then there is a conflict between self- and group interests. This conflict can be framed as a tragedy of the commons, in which herd immunity plays the role of the commons, and free-riding (i.e. not vaccinating pre-emptively) is analogous to exploiting the commons. This game has been analysed previously for a particular post-outbreak vaccination scenario. We consider several post-outbreak vaccination scenarios and compare the expected increase in mortality that results from voluntary versus imposed vaccination. Below a threshold level of post-outbreak vaccination effort, expected mortality is independent of the level of response effort. A lag between an outbreak starting and a response being initiated increases the post-outbreak vaccination effort necessary to reduce mortality. For some post-outbreak vaccination scenarios, even modest response lags make it impractical to reduce mortality by increasing post-outbreak vaccination effort. In such situations, if decreasing the response lag is impossible, the only practical way to reduce mortality is to make the vaccine safer (greater post-outbreak vaccination effort leads only to fewer people vaccinating pre-emptively). © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  14. Arduino based radioactive tracking system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Nur Aira Abd; Rashid, Mohd Fazlie Bin Abdul; Rahman, Anwar Bin Abdul; Ramlan, Atikah

    2017-01-01

    There is a clear need to strengthen security measures to prevent any malevolent use or accidental misuse of radioactive sources. Some of these radioactive sources are regularly transported outside of office or laboratory premises for work and consultation purposes. This paper present the initial development of radioactive source tracking system, which combined Arduino microcontroller, Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) technologies. The tracking system will help the owner to monitor the movement of the radioactive sources. Currently, the system is capable of tracking the movement of radioactive source through the GPS satellite signals. The GPS co-ordinate could either be transmitted to headquarters at fixed interval via Short Messaging Service (SMS) to enable real time monitoring, or stored in a memory card for offline monitoring and data logging.

  15. Comparison of the accident process, radioactivity release and ground contamination between Chernobyl and Fukushima-1

    PubMed Central

    Imanaka, Tetsuji; Hayashi, Gohei; Endo, Satoru

    2015-01-01

    In this report, we have reviewed the basic features of the accident processes and radioactivity releases that occurred in the Chernobyl accident (1986) and in the Fukushima-1 accident (2011). The Chernobyl accident was a power-surge accident that was caused by a failure of control of a fission chain reaction, which instantaneously destroyed the reactor and building, whereas the Fukushima-1 accident was a loss-of-coolant accident in which the reactor cores of three units were melted by decay heat after losing the electricity supply. Although the quantity of radioactive noble gases released from Fukushima-1 exceeded the amount released from Chernobyl, the size of land area severely contaminated by 137Cesium (137Cs) was 10 times smaller around Fukushima-1 compared with around Chernobyl. The differences in the accident process are reflected in the composition of the discharged radioactivity as well as in the composition of the ground contamination. Volatile radionuclides (such as 132Te-132I, 131I, 134Cs and 137Cs) contributed to the gamma-ray exposure from the ground contamination around Fukishima-1, whereas a greater variety of radionuclides contributed significantly around Chernobyl. When radioactivity deposition occurred, the radiation exposure rate near Chernobyl is estimated to have been 770 μGy h−1 per initial 137Cs deposition of 1000 kBq m−2, whereas it was 100 μGy h−1 around Fukushima-1. Estimates of the cumulative exposure for 30 years are 970 and 570 mGy per initial deposition of 1000 kBq m−2 for Chernobyl and Fukusima-1, respectively. Of these exposures, 49 and 98% were contributed by radiocesiums (134Cs + 137Cs) around Chernobyl and Fukushima-1, respectively. PMID:26568603

  16. Comparison of the accident process, radioactivity release and ground contamination between Chernobyl and Fukushima-1.

    PubMed

    Imanaka, Tetsuji; Hayashi, Gohei; Endo, Satoru

    2015-12-01

    In this report, we have reviewed the basic features of the accident processes and radioactivity releases that occurred in the Chernobyl accident (1986) and in the Fukushima-1 accident (2011). The Chernobyl accident was a power-surge accident that was caused by a failure of control of a fission chain reaction, which instantaneously destroyed the reactor and building, whereas the Fukushima-1 accident was a loss-of-coolant accident in which the reactor cores of three units were melted by decay heat after losing the electricity supply. Although the quantity of radioactive noble gases released from Fukushima-1 exceeded the amount released from Chernobyl, the size of land area severely contaminated by (137)Cesium ((137)Cs) was 10 times smaller around Fukushima-1 compared with around Chernobyl. The differences in the accident process are reflected in the composition of the discharged radioactivity as well as in the composition of the ground contamination. Volatile radionuclides (such as (132)Te-(132)I, (131)I, (134)Cs and (137)Cs) contributed to the gamma-ray exposure from the ground contamination around Fukishima-1, whereas a greater variety of radionuclides contributed significantly around Chernobyl. When radioactivity deposition occurred, the radiation exposure rate near Chernobyl is estimated to have been 770 μGy h(-1) per initial (137)Cs deposition of 1000 kBq m(-2), whereas it was 100 μGy h(-1) around Fukushima-1. Estimates of the cumulative exposure for 30 years are 970 and 570 mGy per initial deposition of 1000 kBq m(-2) for Chernobyl and Fukusima-1, respectively. Of these exposures, 49 and 98% were contributed by radiocesiums ((134)Cs + (137)Cs) around Chernobyl and Fukushima-1, respectively. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  17. Radioactive decay data tables: A handbook of decay data for application to radiation dosimetry and radiological assessments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kocher, D. C.; Smith, J. S.

    Decay data are presented for approximately 500 radionuclides including those occurring naturally in the environment, those of potential importance in routine or accidental releases from the nuclear fuel cycle, those of current interest in nuclear medicine and fusion reactor technology, and some of those of interest to Committee 2 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection for the estimation of annual limits on intake via inhalation and ingestion for occupationally exposed individuals. Physical processes involved in radioactive decay which produce the different types of radiation observed, methods used to prepare the decay data sets for each radionuclide in the format of the computerized evaluated nuclear structure data file, the tables of radioactive decay data, and the computer code MEDLIST used to produce the tables are described. Applications of the data to problems of interest in radiation dosimetry and radiological assessments are considered as well as the calculations of the activity of a daughter radionuclide relative to the activity of its parent in a radioactive decay chain.

  18. An update on radioactive release and exposures after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster

    PubMed Central

    Mclaughlin, P D; Jones, B; Maher, M M

    2012-01-01

    On 11 March 2011, the Richter scale 0.9-magnitude Tokohu earthquake and tsunami struck the northeast coast of Japan, resulting in widespread injury and loss of life. Compounding this tragic loss of life, a series of equipment and structural failures at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FDNP) resulted in the release of many volatile radioisotopes into the atmosphere. In this update, we detail currently available evidence about the nature of immediate radioactive exposure to FDNP workers and the general population. We contrast the nature of the radioactive exposure at FDNP with that which occurred at the Chernobyl power plant 25 years previously. Prediction of the exact health effects related to the FDNP release is difficult at present and this disaster provides the scientific community with a challenge to help those involved and to continue research that will improve our understanding of the potential complications of radionuclide fallout. PMID:22919005

  19. Accumulation of Radioactive Cesium Released from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Terrestrial Cyanobacteria Nostoc commune

    PubMed Central

    Sasaki, Hideaki; Shirato, Susumu; Tahara, Tomoya; Sato, Kenji; Takenaka, Hiroyuki

    2013-01-01

    The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident released large amounts of radioactive substances into the environment and contaminated the soil of Tohoku and Kanto districts in Japan. Removal of radioactive material from the environment is an urgent problem, and soil purification using plants is being considered. In this study, we investigated the ability of 12 seed plant species and a cyanobacterium to accumulate radioactive material. The plants did not accumulate radioactive material at high levels, but high accumulation was observed in the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. In Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, N. commune accumulated 415,000 Bq/kg dry weight 134Cs and 607,000 Bq kg−1 dry weight 137Cs. The concentration of cesium in N. commune tended to be high in areas where soil radioactivity was high. A cultivation experiment confirmed that N. commune absorbed radioactive cesium from polluted soil. These data demonstrated that radiological absorption using N. commune might be suitable for decontaminating polluted soil. PMID:24256969

  20. 10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

  1. 10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

  2. 10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

  3. 10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

  4. 10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

  5. Risk assessment, risk management and risk-based monitoring following a reported accidental release of poliovirus in Belgium, September to November 2014.

    PubMed

    Duizer, Erwin; Rutjes, Saskia; de Roda Husman, Ana Maria; Schijven, Jack

    2016-01-01

    On 6 September 2014, the accidental release of 10(13) infectious wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) particles by a vaccine production plant in Belgium was reported. WPV3 was released into the sewage system and discharged directly to a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and subsequently into rivers that flowed to the Western Scheldt and the North Sea. No poliovirus was detected in samples from the WWTP, surface waters, mussels or sewage from the Netherlands. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) showed that the infection risks resulting from swimming in Belgium waters were above 50% for several days and that the infection risk by consuming shellfish harvested in the eastern part of the Western Scheldt warranted a shellfish cooking advice. We conclude that the reported release of WPV3 has neither resulted in detectable levels of poliovirus in any of the samples nor in poliovirus circulation in the Netherlands. This QMRA showed that relevant data on water flows were not readily available and that prior assumptions on dilution factors were overestimated. A QMRA should have been performed by all vaccine production facilities before starting up large-scale culture of WPV to be able to implement effective interventions when an accident happens.

  6. Fallout: The experiences of a medical team in the care of a Marshallese population accidentally exposed to fallout radiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Conard, R.A.

    1991-12-31

    This report presents an historical account of the experiences of the Brookhaven Medical team in the examination and treatment of the Marshallese people following their accidental exposure to radioactive fallout in 1954. This is the first time that a population has been heavily exposed to radioactive fallout, and even though this was a tragic mishap, the medical findings have provided valuable information for other accidents involving fallout such as the recent reactor accident at Chernobyl. Particularly important has been the unexpected importance of radioactive iodine in the fallout in producing thyroid abnormalities.

  7. Fallout: The experiences of a medical team in the care of a Marshallese population accidentally exposed to fallout radiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Conard, R.A.

    1991-01-01

    This report presents an historical account of the experiences of the Brookhaven Medical team in the examination and treatment of the Marshallese people following their accidental exposure to radioactive fallout in 1954. This is the first time that a population has been heavily exposed to radioactive fallout, and even though this was a tragic mishap, the medical findings have provided valuable information for other accidents involving fallout such as the recent reactor accident at Chernobyl. Particularly important has been the unexpected importance of radioactive iodine in the fallout in producing thyroid abnormalities.

  8. The role of hazardousness and regulatory practice in the accidental release of chemicals at U.S. industrial facilities.

    PubMed

    Elliott, Michael R; Keindorfer, Paul R; Lowe, Robert A

    2003-10-01

    This article presents the results of an analysis of the accident history data reported under section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act Amendments. These data provide a fairly complete record of the consequences of reportable accidental releases occurring during the time frame 1995-1999 in the U.S. chemical industry and covering 77 toxic and 63 flammable substances subject to the provisions of section 112(r). As such, these results are of fundamental interest to the affected communities, regulators, and insurers, as well as to owners and managers in the chemical industry. The results show the statistical associations between accident frequency and severity and a number of characteristics of reporting facilities, including their size, the hazardousness of the processes and chemicals inventoried, and the regulatory programs (in addition to section 112(r)) to which these facilities are subject. The results are interpreted in light of economic drivers of protective activity and regulatory priorities for monitoring and enforcement.

  9. Social evaluation of intentional, truly accidental, and negligently accidental helpers and harmers by 10-month-old infants.

    PubMed

    Woo, Brandon M; Steckler, Conor M; Le, Doan T; Hamlin, J Kiley

    2017-11-01

    Whereas adults largely base their evaluations of others' actions on others' intentions, a host of research in developmental psychology suggests that younger children privilege outcome over intention, leading them to condemn accidental harm. To date, this question has been examined only with children capable of language production. In the current studies, we utilized a non-linguistic puppet show paradigm to examine the evaluation of intentional and accidental acts of helping or harming in 10-month-old infants. In Experiment 1 (n=64), infants preferred intentional over accidental helpers but accidental over intentional harmers, suggestive that by this age infants incorporate information about others' intentions into their social evaluations. In Experiment 2 (n=64), infants did not distinguish "negligently" accidental from intentional helpers or harmers, suggestive that infants may find negligent accidents somewhat intentional. In Experiment 3 (n=64), we found that infants preferred truly accidental over negligently accidental harmers, but did not reliably distinguish negligently accidental from truly accidental helpers, consistent with past work with adults and children suggestive that humans are particularly sensitive to negligently accidental harm. Together, these results imply that infants engage in intention-based social evaluation of those who help and harm accidentally, so long as those accidents do not stem from negligence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Atmospheric plume progression as a function of time and distance from the release point for radioactive isotopes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eslinger, Paul W.; Bowyer, Ted W.; Cameron, Ian M.

    2015-10-01

    The International Monitoring System contains up to 80 stations around the world that have aerosol and xenon monitoring systems designed to detect releases of radioactive materials to the atmosphere from nuclear tests. A rule of thumb description of plume concentration and duration versus time and distance from the release point is useful when designing and deploying new sample collection systems. This paper uses plume development from atmospheric transport modeling to provide a power-law rule describing atmospheric dilution factors as a function of distance from the release point.

  11. Development of emergency response tools for accidental radiological contamination of French coastal areas.

    PubMed

    Duffa, Céline; Bailly du Bois, Pascal; Caillaud, Matthieu; Charmasson, Sabine; Couvez, Céline; Didier, Damien; Dumas, Franck; Fievet, Bruno; Morillon, Mehdi; Renaud, Philippe; Thébault, Hervé

    2016-01-01

    The Fukushima nuclear accident resulted in the largest ever accidental release of artificial radionuclides in coastal waters. This accident has shown the importance of marine assessment capabilities for emergency response and the need to develop tools for adequately predicting the evolution and potential impact of radioactive releases to the marine environment. The French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) equips its emergency response centre with operational tools to assist experts and decision makers in the event of accidental atmospheric releases and contamination of the terrestrial environment. The on-going project aims to develop tools for the management of marine contamination events in French coastal areas. This should allow us to evaluate and anticipate post-accident conditions, including potential contamination sites, contamination levels and potential consequences. In order to achieve this goal, two complementary tools are developed: site-specific marine data sheets and a dedicated simulation tool (STERNE, Simulation du Transport et du transfert d'Eléments Radioactifs dans l'environNEment marin). Marine data sheets are used to summarize the marine environment characteristics of the various sites considered, and to identify vulnerable areas requiring implementation of population protection measures, such as aquaculture areas, beaches or industrial water intakes, as well as areas of major ecological interest. Local climatological data (dominant sea currents as a function of meteorological or tidal conditions) serving as the basis for an initial environmental sampling strategy is provided whenever possible, along with a list of possible local contacts for operational management purposes. The STERNE simulation tool is designed to predict radionuclide dispersion and contamination in seawater and marine species by incorporating spatio-temporal data. 3D hydrodynamic forecasts are used as input data. Direct discharge points or

  12. Simulating the venting of radioactivity from a soviet nuclear test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez, Daniel J.; Peterson, Kendall R.

    Fresh fission products were found in several routine air samples in Europe during the second and third weeks of March 1987. Initially, it was suspected that the radionuclides, principally 133Xe and 131I, had been accidentally released from a European facility handling nuclear materials. However, the announcement of an underground nuclear test at Semipalatinsk, U.S.S.R. on 26 February 1987 suggested that the elevated amounts of radioactivity may, instead, have been caused by a venting episode. Upon learning of these events, we simulated the transport and diffusion of 133Xe with our Hemispheric MEDIC and ADPIC models, assuming Semipalatinsk to be the source of the radioactive emissions. The correspondence between the calculated concentrations and the daily average 133Xe measurements made by the Federal Office for Civil Protection in F.R.G. was excellent. While this agreement does not, in itself, prove that an atmospheric venting of radioactive material occurred at Semipalatinsk, a body of circumstantial evidence exists which, when added together, strongly supports this conclusion. Our calculations suggested a total fission yield of about 40 kt, which is within the 20-150 kt range of tests acknowledged by the U.S.S.R. Finally, dose calculations indicated that no health or environmental impact occurred outside of the U.S.S.R. due to the suspected venting of 133Xe. However, the inhalation dose resulting from 133I, an unmodeled component of the radioactive cloud, represented a greater potential risk to public health.

  13. Source of released carbon fibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bell, V. L.

    1979-01-01

    The potential for the release of carbon fibers from aircraft crashes/fires is addressed. Simulation of the conditions of aircraft crash fires in order to predict the quantities and forms of fibrous materials which might be released from civilian aircraft crashes/fires is considered. Figures are presented which describe some typical fiber release test activities together with some very preliminary results of those activities. The state of the art of carbon fiber release is summarized as well as some of the uncertainties concerning accidental fiber release.

  14. Atmospheric plume progression as a function of time and distance from the release point for radioactive isotopes.

    PubMed

    Eslinger, Paul W; Bowyer, Ted W; Cameron, Ian M; Hayes, James C; Miley, Harry S

    2015-10-01

    The radionuclide network of the International Monitoring System comprises up to 80 stations around the world that have aerosol and xenon monitoring systems designed to detect releases of radioactive materials to the atmosphere from nuclear explosions. A rule of thumb description of plume concentration and duration versus time and distance from the release point is useful when designing and deploying new sample collection systems. This paper uses plume development from atmospheric transport modeling to provide a power-law rule describing atmospheric dilution factors as a function of distance from the release point. Consider the plume center-line concentration seen by a ground-level sampler as a function of time based on a short-duration ground-level release of a nondepositing radioactive tracer. The concentration C (Bq m(-3)) near the ground varies with distance from the source with the relationship C=R×A(D,C) ×e (-λ(-1.552+0.0405×D)) × 5.37×10(-8) × D(-2.35) where R is the release magnitude (Bq), D is the separation distance (km) from the ground level release to the measurement location, λ is the decay constant (h(-1)) for the radionuclide of interest and AD,C is an attenuation factor that depends on the length of the sample collection period. This relationship is based on the median concentration for 10 release locations with different geographic characteristics and 365 days of releases at each location, and it has an R(2) of 0.99 for 32 distances from 100 to 3000 km. In addition, 90 percent of the modeled plumes fall within approximately one order of magnitude of this curve for all distances. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Improvements and limitations on understanding of atmospheric processes of Fukushima Daiichi NPS radioactivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamazawa, Hiromi; Terasaka, Yuta; Mizutani, Kenta; Sugiura, Hiroki; Hirao, Shigekazu

    2017-04-01

    Understanding on the release of radioactivity into the atmosphere from the accidental units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been improved owing to recent analyses of atmospheric concentrations of radionuclide. Our analysis of gamma-ray spectra from monitoring posts located about 100 km to the south of the site revealed temporal changes of atmospheric concentrations of several key nuclides including noble gas Xe-133 in addition to radio-iodine and cesium nuclides, including I-131 and Cs-137, at a 10 minute interval. By using the atmospheric concentration data, in combination with an inverse atmospheric transport modelling with a Bayesian statistical method, a modification was proposed for the widely used Katata's source term. A source term for Xe-133 was also proposed. Although the atmospheric concentration data and the source terms help us understand the atmospheric transport processes of radionuclides, they still have significant uncertainty due to limitations in availability of the concentration data. There still remain limitations in the atmospheric transport modeling. The largest uncertainty in the model is in the deposition processes. It had been pointed out that, in the 100 km range from the accidental site, there were locations at which the ambient dose rate significantly increased a few hours before precipitation detectors recorded the start of rain. According to our analysis, the dose rate increase was not directly caused by the air-borne radioactivity but by deposition. This phenomenon can be attributed to a deposition process in which evaporating precipitation enhances efficiency of deposition even in a case where no precipitation is observed at ground level.

  16. Storage containers for radioactive material

    DOEpatents

    Groh, E.F.; Cassidy, D.A.; Dates, L.R.

    1980-07-31

    A radioactive material storage system is claimed for use in the laboratory having a flat base plate with a groove in one surface thereof and a hollow pedestal extending perpendicularly away from the other surface thereof, a sealing gasket in the groove, a cover having a filter therein and an outwardly extending flange which fits over the plate, the groove and the gasket, and a clamp for maintaining the cover and the plate sealed together. The plate and the cover and the clamp cooperate to provide a storage area for radioactive material readily accessible for use or inventory. Wall mounts are provided to prevent accidental formation of critical masses during storage.

  17. Self-locking double retention redundant pull pin release

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Killgrove, Thomas O. (Inventor)

    1987-01-01

    A double-retention redundant pull pin release system is disclosed. The system responds to a single pull during an intentional release operation. A spiral-threaded main pin is seated in a mating bore in a housing, which main pin has a flange fastened thereon at the part of the main pin which is exterior to the housing. Accidental release tends to rotate the main pin. A secondary pin passes through a slightly oversized opening in the flange and is seated in a second bore in the housing. The pins counteract against one another to prevent accidental release. A frictional lock is shared between the main and secondary pins to enhance further locking of the system. The secondary pin, in response to a first pull, is fully retracted from its bore and flange hole. Thereafter the pull causes the main pin to rotate free of the housing to release, for example, a parachute mechanism.

  18. Source, dispersion and combustion modelling of an accidental release of hydrogen in an urban environment.

    PubMed

    Venetsanos, A G; Huld, T; Adams, P; Bartzis, J G

    2003-12-12

    Hydrogen is likely to be the most important future energy carrier, for many stationary and mobile applications, with the potential to make significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions especially if renewable primary energy sources are used to produce the hydrogen. A safe transition to the use of hydrogen by members of the general public requires that the safety issues associated with hydrogen applications have to be investigated and fully understood. In order to assess the risks associated with hydrogen applications, its behaviour in realistic accident scenarios has to be predicted, allowing mitigating measures to be developed where necessary. A key factor in this process is predicting the release, dispersion and combustion of hydrogen in appropriate scenarios. This paper illustrates an application of CFD methods to the simulation of an actual hydrogen explosion. The explosion occurred on 3 March 1983 in a built up area of central Stockholm, Sweden, after the accidental release of approximately 13.5 kg of hydrogen from a rack of 18 interconnected 50 l industrial pressure vessels (200 bar working pressure) being transported by a delivery truck. Modelling of the source term, dispersion and combustion were undertaken separately using three different numerical tools, due to the differences in physics and scales between the different phenomena. Results from the dispersion calculations together with the official accident report were used to identify a possible ignition source and estimate the time at which ignition could have occurred. Ignition was estimated to occur 10s after the start of the release, coinciding with the time at which the maximum flammable hydrogen mass and cloud volume were found to occur (4.5 kg and 600 m(3), respectively). The subsequent simulation of the combustion adopts initial conditions for mean flow and turbulence from the dispersion simulations, and calculates the development of a fireball. This provides physical values, e.g. maximum

  19. Illustrative assessment of human health issues arising from the potential release of chemotoxic substances from a generic geological disposal facility for radioactive waste.

    PubMed

    Wilson, James C; Thorne, Michael C; Towler, George; Norris, Simon

    2011-12-01

    Many countries have a programme for developing an underground geological disposal facility for radioactive waste. A case study is provided herein on the illustrative assessment of human health issues arising from the potential release of chemotoxic and radioactive substances from a generic geological disposal facility (GDF) for radioactive waste. The illustrative assessment uses a source-pathway-receptor methodology and considers a number of human exposure pathways. Estimated exposures are compared with authoritative toxicological assessment criteria. The possibility of additive and synergistic effects resulting from exposures to mixtures of chemical contaminants or a combination of radiotoxic and chemotoxic substances is considered. The case study provides an illustration of how to assess human health issues arising from chemotoxic species released from a GDF for radioactive waste and highlights potential difficulties associated with a lack of data being available with which to assess synergistic effects. It also highlights how such difficulties can be addressed.

  20. Restoration of water environment contaminated by radioactive cesium released from Fukushima Daiichi NPP

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Takeshita, K.; Takahashi, H.; Jinbo, Y.

    2013-07-01

    In the Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident, large amounts of volatile radioactive nuclides, such as {sup 131}I, {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs, were released to the atmosphere and huge areas surrounding the nuclear site were contaminated by the radioactive fallout. In this study, a combined process with a hydrothermal process and a coagulation settling process was proposed for the separation of radioactive Cs from contaminated soil and sewage sludge. The coagulation settling operation uses Prussian Blue (Ferric ferrocyanide) and an inorganic coagulant. The recovery of Cs from sewage sludge sampled at Fukushima city (100.000 Bq/kg) and soil at a nearby villagemore » (55.000 Bq/kg), was tested. About 96% of Cs in the sewage sludge was removed successfully by combining simple hydrothermal decomposition and coagulation settling. However, Cs in the soil was not removed sufficiently by the combined process (Cs removal is only 56%). The hydrothermal decomposition with blasting was carried out. The Cs removal from the soil was increased to 85%. When these operations were repeated twice, the Cs recovery was over 90%. The combined process with hydrothermal blasting and coagulation settling is applicable to the removal of Cs from highly contaminated soil.« less

  1. 10 CFR 100.10 - Factors to be considered when evaluating sites.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... reactor incorporates unique or unusual features having a significant bearing on the probability or consequences of accidental release of radioactive materials; (4) The safety features that are to be engineered... radioactive fission products. In addition, the site location and the engineered features included as...

  2. 10 CFR 100.10 - Factors to be considered when evaluating sites.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... reactor incorporates unique or unusual features having a significant bearing on the probability or consequences of accidental release of radioactive materials; (4) The safety features that are to be engineered... radioactive fission products. In addition, the site location and the engineered features included as...

  3. 10 CFR 100.10 - Factors to be considered when evaluating sites.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... reactor incorporates unique or unusual features having a significant bearing on the probability or consequences of accidental release of radioactive materials; (4) The safety features that are to be engineered... radioactive fission products. In addition, the site location and the engineered features included as...

  4. Risk analysis approach. [of carbon fiber release

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huston, R. J.

    1979-01-01

    The assessment of the carbon fiber hazard is outlined. Program objectives, requirements of the risk analysis, and elements associated with the physical phenomena of the accidental release are described.

  5. Composite accidental axions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Redi, Michele; Sato, Ryosuke

    2016-05-01

    We present several models where the QCD axion arises accidentally. Confining gauge theories can generate axion candidates whose properties are uniquely determined by the quantum numbers of the new fermions under the Standard Model. The Peccei-Quinn symmetry can emerge accidentally if the gauge theory is chiral. We generalise previous constructions in a unified framework. In some cases these models can be understood as the deconstruction of 5-dimensional gauge theories where the Peccei-Quinn symmetry is protected by locality but more general constructions are possible.

  6. Epidemiology of accidental radiation exposures.

    PubMed Central

    Cardis, E

    1996-01-01

    Much of the information on the health effects of radiation exposure available to date comes from long-term studies of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Accidental exposures, such as those resulting from the Chernobyl and Kyshtym accidents, have as yet provided little information concerning health effects of ionizing radiation. This paper will present the current state of our knowledge concerning radiation effects, review major large-scale accidental radiation exposures, and discuss information that could be obtained from studies of accidental exposures and the types of studies that are needed. PMID:8781398

  7. 5 CFR 870.206 - Accidental death and dismemberment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accidental death and dismemberment. 870....206 Accidental death and dismemberment. (a) (1) Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is an automatic part of Basic and Option A insurance for employees. (2) There is no accidental death and...

  8. 5 CFR 870.206 - Accidental death and dismemberment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Accidental death and dismemberment. 870....206 Accidental death and dismemberment. (a)(1) Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is an automatic part of Basic and Option A insurance for employees. (2) There is no accidental death and...

  9. 5 CFR 870.206 - Accidental death and dismemberment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Accidental death and dismemberment. 870....206 Accidental death and dismemberment. (a)(1) Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is an automatic part of Basic and Option A insurance for employees. (2) There is no accidental death and...

  10. 5 CFR 870.206 - Accidental death and dismemberment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Accidental death and dismemberment. 870....206 Accidental death and dismemberment. (a)(1) Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is an automatic part of Basic and Option A insurance for employees. (2) There is no accidental death and...

  11. 5 CFR 870.206 - Accidental death and dismemberment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Accidental death and dismemberment. 870....206 Accidental death and dismemberment. (a)(1) Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is an automatic part of Basic and Option A insurance for employees. (2) There is no accidental death and...

  12. Using Atmospheric Dispersion Theory to Inform the Design of a Short-lived Radioactive Particle Release Experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rishel, Jeremy P.; Keillor, Martin E.; Arrigo, Leah M.

    2016-01-01

    Atmospheric dispersion theory can be used to predict ground deposition of particulates downwind of a radionuclide release. This paper utilizes standard formulations found in Gaussian plume models to inform the design of an experimental release of short-lived radioactive particles into the atmosphere. Specifically, a source depletion algorithm is used to determine the optimum particle size and release height that maximizes the near-field deposition while minimizing the both the required source activity and the fraction of activity lost to long-distance transport. The purpose of the release is to provide a realistic deposition pattern that might be observed downwind of a small-scalemore » vent from an underground nuclear explosion. The deposition field will be used, in part, to investigate several techniques of gamma radiation survey and spectrometry that could be utilized by an On-Site Inspection team under the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.« less

  13. Modelling and assessment of accidental oil release from damaged subsea pipelines.

    PubMed

    Li, Xinhong; Chen, Guoming; Zhu, Hongwei

    2017-10-15

    This paper develops a 3D, transient, mathematical model to estimate the oil release rate and simulate the oil dispersion behavior. The Euler-Euler method is used to estimate the subsea oil release rate, while the Eulerian-Lagrangian method is employed to track the migration trajectory of oil droplets. This model accounts for the quantitative effect of backpressure and hole size on oil release rate, and the influence of oil release rate, oil density, current speed, water depth and leakage position on oil migration is also investigated in this paper. Eventually, the results, e.g. transient release rate of oil, the rise time of oil and dispersion distance are determined by above-mentioned model, and the oil release and dispersion behavior under different scenarios is revealed. Essentially, the assessment results could provide a useful guidance for detection of leakage positon and placement of oil containment boom. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Source term estimation and the isotopic ratio of radioactive material released from the WIPP repository in New Mexico, USA.

    PubMed

    Thakur, P

    2016-01-01

    After almost 15 years of operations, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) had one of its waste drums breach underground as a result of a runaway chemical reaction in the waste it contained. This incident occurred on February 14, 2014. Moderate levels of radioactivity were released into the underground air. A small portion of the contaminated underground air also escaped to the surface through the ventilation system and was detected approximately 1 km away from the facility. According to the source term estimation, the actual amount of radioactivity released from the WIPP site was less than 1.5 mCi. The highest activity detected on the surface was 115.2 μBq/m(3) for (241)Am and 10.2 μBq/m(3) for (239+240)Pu at a sampling station located 91 m away from the underground air exhaust point and 81.4 μBq/m(3) of (241)Am and 5.8 μBq/m(3) of (239+240)Pu at a monitoring station located approximately 1 km northwest of the WIPP facility. The dominant radionuclides released were americium and plutonium, in a ratio that matches the content of the breached drum. Air monitoring across the WIPP site intensified following the first reports of radiation detection underground to determine the extent of impact to WIPP personnel, the public, and the environment. In this paper, the early stage monitoring data collected by an independent monitoring program conducted by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center (CEMRC) and an oversight monitoring program conducted by the WIPP's management and operating contractor, the Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) LLC were utilized to estimate the actual amount of radioactivity released from the WIPP underground. The Am and Pu isotope ratios were measured and used to support the hypothesis that the release came from one drum identified as having breached that represents a specific waste stream with this radionuclide ratio in its inventory. This failed drum underwent a heat and gas producing reaction that overpowered its vent and

  15. Development of an air flow calorimeter prototype for the measurement of thermal power released by large radioactive waste packages.

    PubMed

    Razouk, R; Beaumont, O; Failleau, G; Hay, B; Plumeri, S

    2018-03-01

    The estimation and control of the thermal power released by the radioactive waste packages are a key parameter in the management of radioactive waste geological repository sites. In the framework of the European project "Metrology for decommissioning nuclear facilities," the French National Agency of Radioactive Waste Management (ANDRA) collaborates with Laboratoire National de Métrologie et D'essais in order to measure the thermal power up to 500 W of typical real size radioactive waste packages (of at least 0.175 m 3 ) with an uncertainty better than 5% by using a measurement method traceable to the international system of units. One of the selected metrological approaches is based on the principles of air flow calorimetry. This paper describes in detail the development of the air flow calorimeter prototype as well as the design of a radioactive waste package simulator used for its calibration. Results obtained from the calibration of the calorimeter and from the determination of thermal powers are presented here with an investigation of the measurement uncertainties.

  16. Development of an air flow calorimeter prototype for the measurement of thermal power released by large radioactive waste packages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razouk, R.; Beaumont, O.; Failleau, G.; Hay, B.; Plumeri, S.

    2018-03-01

    The estimation and control of the thermal power released by the radioactive waste packages are a key parameter in the management of radioactive waste geological repository sites. In the framework of the European project "Metrology for decommissioning nuclear facilities," the French National Agency of Radioactive Waste Management (ANDRA) collaborates with Laboratoire National de Métrologie et D'essais in order to measure the thermal power up to 500 W of typical real size radioactive waste packages (of at least 0.175 m3) with an uncertainty better than 5% by using a measurement method traceable to the international system of units. One of the selected metrological approaches is based on the principles of air flow calorimetry. This paper describes in detail the development of the air flow calorimeter prototype as well as the design of a radioactive waste package simulator used for its calibration. Results obtained from the calibration of the calorimeter and from the determination of thermal powers are presented here with an investigation of the measurement uncertainties.

  17. Analytics of Radioactive Materials Released in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Egarievwe, Stephen U.; Nuclear Engineering Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Coble, Jamie B.

    The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan resulted in the release of radioactive materials into the atmosphere, the nearby sea, and the surrounding land. Following the accident, several meteorological models were used to predict the transport of the radioactive materials to other continents such as North America and Europe. Also of high importance is the dispersion of radioactive materials locally and within Japan. Based on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Convention on Early Notification of a nuclear accident, several radiological data sets were collected on the accident by the Japanese authorities. Among the radioactive materials monitored, are I-131more » and Cs-137 which form the major contributions to the contamination of drinking water. The radiation dose in the atmosphere was also measured. It is impractical to measure contamination and radiation dose in every place of interest. Therefore, modeling helps to predict contamination and radiation dose. Some modeling studies that have been reported in the literature include the simulation of transport and deposition of I-131 and Cs-137 from the accident, Cs-137 deposition and contamination of Japanese soils, and preliminary estimates of I-131 and Cs-137 discharged from the plant into the atmosphere. In this paper, we present statistical analytics of I-131 and Cs-137 with the goal of predicting gamma dose from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The data sets used in our study were collected from the IAEA Fukushima Monitoring Database. As part of this study, we investigated several regression models to find the best algorithm for modeling the gamma dose. The modeling techniques used in our study include linear regression, principal component regression (PCR), partial least square (PLS) regression, and ridge regression. Our preliminary results on the first set of data showed that the linear regression model with one variable was the best with a root mean square error of 0.0133

  18. [Accidental hanging during auto-erotic practices].

    PubMed

    Vieira, D N; da Silva, A G

    1989-01-01

    An unusual case of accidental hanging during autoerotic practices in a 25-year-old male student is described and the autoerotic asphyxia syndrome briefly discussed. The authors stressed the importance of a correct diagnostic of accidental death in these cases.

  19. RELEASE OF DRIED RADIOACTIVE WASTE MATERIALS TECHNICAL BASIS DOCUMENT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    KOZLOWSKI, S.D.

    2007-05-30

    This technical basis document was developed to support RPP-23429, Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis for the Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (PDSA) and RPP-23479, Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis for the Contact-Handled Transuranic Mixed (CH-TRUM) Waste Facility. The main document describes the risk binning process and the technical basis for assigning risk bins to the representative accidents involving the release of dried radioactive waste materials from the Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (DBVS) and to the associated represented hazardous conditions. Appendices D through F provide the technical basis for assigning risk bins to the representative dried waste release accident and associated represented hazardous conditionsmore » for the Contact-Handled Transuranic Mixed (CH-TRUM) Waste Packaging Unit (WPU). The risk binning process uses an evaluation of the frequency and consequence of a given representative accident or represented hazardous condition to determine the need for safety structures, systems, and components (SSC) and technical safety requirement (TSR)-level controls. A representative accident or a represented hazardous condition is assigned to a risk bin based on the potential radiological and toxicological consequences to the public and the collocated worker. Note that the risk binning process is not applied to facility workers because credible hazardous conditions with the potential for significant facility worker consequences are considered for safety-significant SSCs and/or TSR-level controls regardless of their estimated frequency. The controls for protection of the facility workers are described in RPP-23429 and RPP-23479. Determination of the need for safety-class SSCs was performed in accordance with DOE-STD-3009-94, Preparation Guide for US. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear Facility Documented Safety Analyses, as described below.« less

  20. US Food and Drug Administration draft recommendations on radioactive contamination of food

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thompson, D.L.

    Recommendations on accidental radioactive contamination of human food were issued in 1982 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recommendations provided guidance to State and local government officials in the exercise of their respective authorities, and were applicable to emergency response planning and to the conduct of radiation protection activities associated with the production, processing, distribution, and use of human food accidentally contaminated with radioactive material. Review of the 1982 FDA recommendations, stimulated by the events following the 1986 accident at Chernobyl, indicated that it would be appropriate to update the recommendations to incorporate newer scientific information and radiationmore » protection philosophy, to include experience gained since 1982, and to take into account international advances. This paper presents a brief outline of the FDA`s approach to its draft revision. the most recent draft was circulated for interagency review in November 1994. Modification made in response to the comments received are included in this paper. 20 refs., 6 tabs.« less

  1. Probabilistic safety analysis for urgent situations following the accidental release of a pollutant in the atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Armand, P.; Brocheton, F.; Poulet, D.; Vendel, F.; Dubourg, V.; Yalamas, T.

    2014-10-01

    This paper is an original contribution to uncertainty quantification in atmospheric transport & dispersion (AT&D) at the local scale (1-10 km). It is proposed to account for the imprecise knowledge of the meteorological and release conditions in the case of an accidental hazardous atmospheric emission. The aim is to produce probabilistic risk maps instead of a deterministic toxic load map in order to help the stakeholders making their decisions. Due to the urge attached to such situations, the proposed methodology is able to produce such maps in a limited amount of time. It resorts to a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LPDM) using wind fields interpolated from a pre-established database that collects the results from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. This enables a decoupling of the CFD simulations from the dispersion analysis, thus a considerable saving of computational time. In order to make the Monte-Carlo-sampling-based estimation of the probability field even faster, it is also proposed to recourse to the use of a vector Gaussian process surrogate model together with high performance computing (HPC) resources. The Gaussian process (GP) surrogate modelling technique is coupled with a probabilistic principal component analysis (PCA) for reducing the number of GP predictors to fit, store and predict. The design of experiments (DOE) from which the surrogate model is built, is run over a cluster of PCs for making the total production time as short as possible. The use of GP predictors is validated by comparing the results produced by this technique with those obtained by crude Monte Carlo sampling.

  2. [THREE CASES OF ACCIDENTAL AUTO-INJECTION OF ADRENALINE].

    PubMed

    Yanagida, Noriyuki; Iikura, Katsuhito; Ogura, Kiyotake; Wang, Ling-jen; Asaumi, Tomoyuki; Sato, Sakura; Ebisawa, Motohiro

    2015-12-01

    Reports on accidental auto-injection of adrenaline are few. We encountered three cases of accidental injection of adrenaline. In this study, we have examined and reported the clinical courses and symptoms of our cases. CASE 1 involved a female physician in her 50s who had attended an explanatory meeting on auto-injection of adrenaline. She mistook EpiPen® to be the EpiPen trainer and accidentally injected herself with 0.3 mg EpiPen®. Her systolic/diastolic pressure peaked at 7 min to reach 144/78 mmHg and decreased to 120/77 mmHg at 14 min. Except for palpitation after 7 min, the only subjective symptom was local pain at the injection site. CASE 2 was noted in a 6-year-old boy. He accidentally pierced his right forefinger with 0.15 mg EpiPen®, and after 20 min, his right forefinger was swollen. The swelling improved 80 min after the accidental injection. CASE 3 was noted in a 4-year-old girl. She accidentally injected herself with 0.15 mg EpiPen®. Her systolic/diastolic pressure peaked at 23 min to reach 123/70 mmHg and decreased to 96/86 mmHg at 28 min. Severe adverse effects of accidental auto-injection of adrenaline were not observed in these three cases. Our findings suggest that while handling adrenaline auto-injectors, we should keep in mind the possibility of accidental injection.

  3. Accidental contamination of a German town's drinking water with sodium hydroxide.

    PubMed

    Lendowski, Luba; Färber, Harald; Holy, Andreas; Darius, Anke; Ehrich, Bernd; Wippermann, Christine; Küfner, Bernd; Exner, Martin

    2015-05-01

    Case report of a very serious drinking water incident putting up to 50,000 inhabitants of a town near Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at risk. A concentrated solution of highly alkaline water by sodium hydroxide was accidentally washed into the town's drinking water at a pumping station and increased the pH-value of the water to 12. Residents who came into contact with the contaminated water immediately had a toxic reaction. The incident was detected by complaints from customers and after that was stopped within several hours. The pipes were flushed and the customers were warned not to use the water till the all clear. After this immediate management there was an investigation and the cause of the incident was detected as an accidental release of accumulated sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. The lack of a network alarm system and the automatic cut-off mechanisms as deficiencies in the design of the station were rectified by the water company immediately after the incident. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  4. The characterization and evaluation of accidental explosions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strehlow, R. A.; Baker, W. E.

    1975-01-01

    Accidental explosions are discussed from a number of viewpoints. First, all accidental explosions, intentional explosions and natural explosions are characterized by type. Second, the nature of the blast wave produced by an ideal (point source or HE) explosion is discussed to form a basis for describing how other explosion processes yield deviations from ideal blast wave behavior. The current status blast damage mechanism evaluation is also discussed. Third, the current status of our understanding of each different category of accidental explosions is discussed in some detail.

  5. 21 CFR 1002.20 - Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences... SERVICES (CONTINUED) RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH RECORDS AND REPORTS Manufacturers' Reports on Accidental Radiation Occurrences § 1002.20 Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences. (a) Manufacturers of electronic products...

  6. 21 CFR 1002.20 - Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences... SERVICES (CONTINUED) RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH RECORDS AND REPORTS Manufacturers' Reports on Accidental Radiation Occurrences § 1002.20 Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences. (a) Manufacturers of electronic products...

  7. 21 CFR 1002.20 - Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences... SERVICES (CONTINUED) RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH RECORDS AND REPORTS Manufacturers' Reports on Accidental Radiation Occurrences § 1002.20 Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences. (a) Manufacturers of electronic products...

  8. 49 CFR 175.705 - Radioactive contamination.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Radioactive contamination. 175.705 Section 175.705... Regulations Applicable According to Classification of Material § 175.705 Radioactive contamination. (a) A... (radioactive) materials that may have been released from their packagings. (b) When contamination is present or...

  9. Proposal of the confinement strategy of radioactive and hazardous materials for the European DEMO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, X. Z.; Carloni, D.; Stieglitz, R.; Ciattaglia, S.; Johnston, J.; Taylor, N.

    2017-04-01

    Confinement of radioactive and hazardous materials is one of the fundamental safety functions in a nuclear fusion facility, which has to limit the mobilisation and dispersion of sources and hazards during normal, abnormal and accidental situations. In a first step energy sources and radioactive source have been assessed for a conceptual DEMO configuration. The confinement study for the European DEMO has been investigated for the main systems at the plant breakdown structure (PBS) level 1 taking a bottom-up approach. Based on the identification of the systems possessing a confinement function, a confinement strategy has been proposed, in which DEMO confinement systems and barriers have been defined. In addition, confinement for the maintenance has been issued as well. The assignment of confinement barriers to the identified sources under abnormal and accidental conditions has been performed, and the DEMO main safety systems have been proposed as well. Finally, confinement related open issues have been pointed out, which need to be resolved in parallel with DEMO development.

  10. Simulation of radioactive tracer transport using IsoRSM and uncertainty analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    SAYA, A.; Chang, E.; Yoshimura, K.; Oki, T.

    2013-12-01

    Due to the massive earthquakes and tsunami on March 11 2011 in Eastern Japan, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged and some reactors were exploded. To know how the radioactive materials were spread and how much they were deposited into the land, it is important to enhance the accuracy of radioactive transport simulation model. However, there are uncertainties in the models including dry and wet deposition process in the models, meteorological field and release amount of radioactive materials. In this study we analyzed these uncertainties aiming for higher accuracy in the simulation. We modified the stable isotope mode of Regional Spectral Model (IsoRSM, Yoshimura et al., 2009) to enable to simulate the transport of the radioactive tracers, namely iodine 131 and cesium 137, by including the dry and wet deposition processes. With this model, we conducted a set of sensitivity experiments using different parameters in the deposition processes, different diffusivity in advection processes, and different domain sizes. The control experiment with 10km resolution covering most of Japan and surrounding oceans (132.7oE-151.5oE &28.3oN-46.7oN) and the emission estimated by Chino et al. (2011) showed reasonable temporal results for Toukatsu area (eastern part of Tokyo metropolis and western part of Chiba prefecture where low-level contamination was occurred), i.e., on 22 March, the tracers from Fukushima were reached and precipitated in a significant amount as wet deposition. Thus we conducted 4 experimental simulations to analyze the simulation uncertainty due to 1) different meteorological pattern, different parameters for 2) wet and 3) dry deposition and 4) diffusion. Though the temporal patterns of deposition of radioactive particles were somewhat similar each other in all experiments, we revealed that the impacts to the area mean deposition were large. Results of the simulations with different diffusivity and different domain size showed that the

  11. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ACCIDENTAL POISONING

    PubMed Central

    Bissell, D. M.; McInnes, Robert S.

    1960-01-01

    In San Jose, California, studies of cases of accidental poisoning showed that the greatest hazard was to children 1 through 3 years of age. Drugs accounted for half the cases, household products for another third, and insecticides and rodenticides and others for the remainder. Most often poison material was within easy reach of the children. An analysis of families in which an accident occurred indicated that accidental poisoning might happen to any family. Since there was little after-effect of poisoning in cases in which treatment was obtained promptly, education directed toward getting prompt treatment seems most advisable. Community agencies interested in poison control need to focus their attention on parents of pre-school children. PMID:13801023

  12. Accidental death in autoerotic maneuvers.

    PubMed

    Focardi, Martina; Gualco, Barbara; Norelli, GianAristide

    2008-03-01

    The authors from the Florence Forensic Department present a case that demonstrates the paradigms attached to accidental deaths while performing autoerotic maneuvers. The incidents of such practices are underestimated and are only the tip of the iceberg since they do not represent the cases that are never reported due to successful practice. After analyzing the statistic data, the authors describe the case and discuss about the element that prove the accidental nature of the death and the importance of the correct application of forensic methodology at the scene and in the mortuary.

  13. Rapid screening of radioactivity in food for emergency response.

    PubMed

    Bari, A; Khan, A J; Semkow, T M; Syed, U-F; Roselan, A; Haines, D K; Roth, G; West, L; Arndt, M

    2011-06-01

    This paper describes the development of methods for the rapid screening of gross alpha (GA) and gross beta (GB) radioactivity in liquid foods, specifically, Tang drink mix, apple juice, and milk, as well as screening of GA, GB, and gamma radioactivity from surface deposition on apples. Detailed procedures were developed for spiking of matrices with (241)Am (alpha radioactivity), (90)Sr/(90)Y (beta radioactivity), and (60)Co, (137)Cs, and (241)Am (gamma radioactivity). Matrix stability studies were performed for 43 days after spiking. The method for liquid foods is based upon rapid digestion, evaporation, and flaming, followed by gas proportional (GP) counting. For the apple matrix, surface radioactivity was acid-leached, followed by GP counting and/or gamma spectrometry. The average leaching recoveries from four different apple brands were between 63% and 96%, and have been interpreted on the basis of ion transport through the apple cuticle. The minimum detectable concentrations (MDCs) were calculated from either the background or method-blank (MB) measurements. They were found to satisfy the required U.S. FDA's Derived Intervention Levels (DILs) in all but one case. The newly developed methods can perform radioactivity screening in foods within a few hours and have the potential to capacity with further automation. They are especially applicable to emergency response following accidental or intentional contamination of food with radioactivity. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. About Assessment Criteria of Driver's Accidental Abilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lobanova, Yuliya I.; Glushko, Kirill V.

    2016-01-01

    The article points at the importance of studying the human factor as a cause of accidents of drivers, especially in loosely structured traffic situations. The description of the experiment on the measurement of driver's accidental abilities is given. Under accidental ability is meant the capability to ensure the security of driving as a behavior…

  15. Accidental awareness during general anaesthesia - a narrative review.

    PubMed

    Tasbihgou, S R; Vogels, M F; Absalom, A R

    2018-01-01

    Unintended accidental awareness during general anaesthesia represents failure of successful anaesthesia, and so has been the subject of numerous studies during the past decades. As return to consciousness is both difficult to describe and identify, the reported incidence rates vary widely. Similarly, a wide range of techniques have been employed to identify cases of accidental awareness. Studies which have used the isolated forearm technique to identify responsiveness to command during intended anaesthesia have shown remarkably high incidences of awareness. For example, the ConsCIOUS-1 study showed an incidence of responsiveness around the time of laryngoscopy of 1:25. On the other hand, the 5th Royal College of Anaesthetists National Audit Project, which reported the largest ever cohort of patients who had experienced accidental awareness, used a system to identify patients who spontaneously self-reported accidental awareness. In this latter study, the incidence of accidental awareness was 1:19,600. In the recently published SNAP-1 observational study, in which structured postoperative interviews were performed, the incidence was 1:800. In almost all reported cases of intra-operative responsiveness, there was no subsequent explicit recall of intra-operative events. To date, there is no evidence that this occurrence has any psychological consequences. Among patients who experience accidental awareness and can later remember details of their experience, the consequences are better known. In particular, when awareness occurs in a patient who has been given neuromuscular blocking agents, it may result in serious sequelae such as symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and a permanent aversion to surgery and anaesthesia, and is feared by patients and anaesthetists. In this article, the published literature on the incidence, consequences and management of accidental awareness under general anaesthesia with subsequent recall will be reviewed. © 2017 The Association

  16. Optimization of exposure and countryside waste management for different accidental radioactive release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guétat, Philippe

    2017-09-01

    Since the Fukushima accident, Japanese scientists have been intensively monitoring ambient radiations in the highly contaminated territories situated within 80 km of the nuclear site. The surveys that were conducted through mainly carborne, airborne and in situ gamma-ray measurement devices, enabled to efficiently characterize the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of air dose rates induced by Caesium-134 and Caesium-137 in the terrestrial systems. These measurements revealed that radiation levels decreased at rates greater than expected from physical decay in 2011-2012 (up to a factor of 2), and dependent on the type of environment (i.e. urban, agricultural or forest). Unlike carborne measurements that may have been strongly influenced by the depuration of road surfaces, no obvious reason can be invoked for airborne measurements, especially above forests that are known to efficiently retain and recycle radiocaesium. The purpose of our research project is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the data acquired by Japanese, and identify the environmental mechanisms or factors that may explain such decays. The methodology relies on the use of a process-based and spatially-distributed dynamic model that predicts radiocaesium transfer and associated air dose rates inside/above a terrestrial environment (e.g., forests, croplands, meadows, bare soils and urban areas). Despite the lack of site-specific data, our numerical study predicts decrease rates that are globally consistent with both aerial and in situ observations. The simulation at a flying altitude of 200 m indicated that ambient radiation levels decreased over the first 12 months by about 45% over dense urban areas, 15% above evergreen coniferous forests and between 2 and 12% above agricultural lands, owing to environmental processes that are identified and discussed. In particular, we demonstrate that the decrease over evergreen coniferous regions might be due the combined effects of canopy depuration (through biological and physical mechanisms) and the shielding of gamma rays emitted from the forest floor by vegetation. Our study finally suggests that airborne surveys might have not reflected dose rates at ground level in forest systems, which were predicted to slightly increase by 5 to 10% during the same period of time.

  17. Levels of radioactivity in Qatar

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Al-Thani, A.A.; Abdul-Majid, S.; Mohammed, K.

    The levels of natural and man-made radioactivity in soil and seabed were measured in Qatar to assess radiation exposure levels and to evaluate any radioactive contamination that may have reached the country from fallout or due to the Chernobyl accident radioactivity release. Qatar peninsula is located on the Arabian Gulf, 4500 km from Chernobyl, and has an area of {approximately}11,600 km{sup 2} and a population of {approximately}600,000.

  18. Radiological effluents released and public doses from nuclear power plants in Korea.

    PubMed

    Son, Jung Kwon; Kim, Hee Geun; Kong, Tae Young; Ko, Jong Hyun; Lee, Goung Jin

    2013-08-01

    As of the end of 2010, there were 20 commercially operating nuclear reactors in Korea. Releases of radioactive effluents from nuclear power plants (NPPs) have increased continuously; the total radioactivity of effluent amount released in 2010 was 547.12 TBq. From 2001 to 2010, the annual average radioactivity of gaseous and liquid effluents per reactor was 11.61 TBq for pressurised water reactors and 118.12 TBq for pressurised heavy water reactors. Most of the radioactivity from gaseous and liquid effluents came from tritium. Based on the results of release trends and analyses, the characteristics of effluents have been investigated to improve the management of radioactive effluents from NPPs.

  19. Scaling and Multifractality in Road Accidental Distances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiu, Tian; Wan, Chi; Zou, Xiang-Xiang; Wang, Xiao-Fan

    Accidental distance dynamics is investigated, based on the road accidental data of the Great Britain. The distance distribution of all the districts as an ensemble presents a power law tail, which is different from that of the individual district. A universal distribution is found for different districts, by rescaling the distribution functions of individual districts, which can be well fitted by the Weibull distribution. The male and female drivers behave similarly in the distance distribution. The multifractal characteristic is further studied for the individual district and all the districts as an ensemble, and different behaviors are also revealed between them. The accidental distances of the individual district show a weak multifractality, whereas of all the districts present a strong multifractality when taking them as an ensemble.

  20. Course Management Systems for Learning: Beyond Accidental Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGee, Patricia; Carmean, Colleen; Jafari, Ali

    2005-01-01

    "Course Management Systems for Learning: Beyond Accidental Pedagogy" is a comprehensive overview of standards, practices and possibilities of course management systems in higher education. "Course Management Systems for Learning: Beyond Accidental Pedagogy" focuses on what the current knowledge is (in best practices, research, standards and…

  1. Accidental Turbulent Discharge Rate Estimation from Videos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibarra, Eric; Shaffer, Franklin; Savaş, Ömer

    2015-11-01

    A technique to estimate the volumetric discharge rate in accidental oil releases using high speed video streams is described. The essence of the method is similar to PIV processing, however the cross correlation is carried out on the visible features of the efflux, which are usually turbulent, opaque and immiscible. The key step in the process is to perform a pixelwise time filtering on the video stream, in which the parameters are commensurate with the scales of the large eddies. The velocity field extracted from the shell of visible features is then used to construct an approximate velocity profile within the discharge. The technique has been tested on laboratory experiments using both water and oil jets at Re ~105 . The technique is accurate to 20%, which is sufficient for initial responders to deploy adequate resources for containment. The software package requires minimal user input and is intended for deployment on an ROV in the field. Supported by DOI via NETL.

  2. Radioactive Waste.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blaylock, B. G.

    1978-01-01

    Presents a literature review of radioactive waste disposal, covering publications of 1976-77. Some of the studies included are: (1) high-level and long-lived wastes, and (2) release and burial of low-level wastes. A list of 42 references is also presented. (HM)

  3. The Accidental Transgressor: Morally Relevant Theory of Mind

    PubMed Central

    Killen, Melanie; Mulvey, Kelly Lynn; Richardson, Cameron; Jampol, Noah

    2014-01-01

    To test young children’s false belief theory of mind in a morally relevant context, two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, children (N = 162) at 3.5, 5.5, and 7.5 years of age were administered 3 tasks: prototypic moral transgression task, false belief theory of mind task (ToM), and an “accidental transgressor” task, which measured a morally relevant false belief theory of mind (MoToM). Children who did not pass false belief ToM were more likely to attribute negative intentions to an accidental transgressor than children who passed false belief ToM, and to use moral reasons when blaming the accidental transgressor. In Experiment 2, children (N = 46) who did not pass false belief ToM viewed it as more acceptable to punish the accidental transgressor than did participants who passed false belief ToM. Findings are discussed in light of research on the emergence of moral judgment and theory of mind. PMID:21377148

  4. A CASE STUDY OF CHLORINE TRANSPORT AND FATE FOLLOWING A LARGE ACCIDENTAL RELEASE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buckley, R.; Hunter, C.; Werth, D.

    2012-08-01

    A train derailment that occurred in Graniteville, South Carolina during the early morning hours of 06 January, 2005 resulted in the prompt release of approximately 60 tons of chlorine to the environment. Comprehensive modeling of the transport and fate of this release was performed including the characterization of the initial three-phased chlorine release, a detailed determination of the local atmospheric conditions acting to generate, disperse, and deplete the chlorine vapor cloud, the establishment of physical exchange mechanisms between the airborne vapor and local surface waters, and local aquatic dilution and mixing.

  5. Effect of the alkaloid (-)cathinone on the release of radioactivity from rabbit atria prelabelled with /sup 3/H-norepinephrine

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kalix, P.

    1983-02-14

    In certain countries of East Africa and the Arab Peninsula, fresh leaves of the khat shrub are used as a stimulant. The effect of the plant material can be explained by the presence of the phenylalklamine alkaloid (-)cathinone in the leaves, since this substance has been shown to have an amphetamine-like releasing effect on CNS tissue prelabelled with /sup 3/H-dopamine. Characteristically, the chewing of khat is accompanied by sympathomimetic effects, especially at the cardiovascular level. To test whether these might be due to release of neurotransmitter from adrenergic nerve endings, the effect of (-)cathinone on the efflux of radioactivity frommore » isolated rabbit atrium tissue prelabelled with /sup 3/H-norepinephrine was investigated. It was found that, at concentrations below 1 ..mu..M, (-)cathinone caused an immediate increase of efflux. The effect was dose-dependent and was potentiated by pretreatment of the rabbits with reserpine. Preincubation of the tissue with desipramine and cocaine prevented the induction of release by (-)cathinone. The results indicate that the alkaloid (-)cathinone has an amphetamine-like releasing effect on noradrenergic nerve endings and they suggest that the cardiovascular symptoms observed during khat consumption are due to release of neurotransmitter from physiologicl storage sites.« less

  6. 10 CFR 76.76 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Corporation in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure of facility... downtime; (6) The potential safety impact of changes in plant or operational complexity, including the...

  7. 10 CFR 76.76 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Corporation in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure of facility... downtime; (6) The potential safety impact of changes in plant or operational complexity, including the...

  8. 10 CFR 76.76 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Corporation in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure of facility... downtime; (6) The potential safety impact of changes in plant or operational complexity, including the...

  9. 10 CFR 76.76 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Corporation in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure of facility... downtime; (6) The potential safety impact of changes in plant or operational complexity, including the...

  10. 10 CFR 76.76 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Corporation in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure of facility... downtime; (6) The potential safety impact of changes in plant or operational complexity, including the...

  11. Synchrotron radiation beamline to study radioactive materials at the Photon Factory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konishi, Hiroyuki; Yokoya, Akinari; Shiwaku, Hideaki; Motohashi, Haruhiko; Makita, Tomoko; Kashihara, Yasuharu; Hashimoto, Shinya; Harami, Taikan; Sasaki, Teikichi A.; Maeta, Hiroshi; Ohno, Hideo; Maezawa, Hideki; Asaoka, Seiji; Kanaya, Noriichi; Ito, Kenji; Usami, Noriko; Kobayashi, Katsumi

    1996-02-01

    Design and construction of a new beamline have been described. The beamline is housed in a specially designed area controlled for radioactive materials at the Photon Factory (PF) in the National Laboratory for High Energy Physics (KEK). The beamline system consists of a front-end and two branchlines. One of the branchlines is used for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and radiation biology in the energy range of 1.8-6 keV and the other for X-ray diffractometry and XAFS studies as well as radiation biology in the range of 4-20 keV. The former was particularly equipped for the protection against accidental scattering of radioactive materials both inside and outside of the vacuum system.

  12. Challenges associated with the behaviour of radioactive particles in the environment.

    PubMed

    Salbu, Brit; Kashparov, Valery; Lind, Ole Christian; Garcia-Tenorio, Rafael; Johansen, Mathew P; Child, David P; Roos, Per; Sancho, Carlos

    2018-06-01

    A series of different nuclear sources associated with the nuclear weapon and fuel cycles have contributed to the release of radioactive particles to the environment. Following nuclear weapon tests, safety tests, conventional destruction of weapons, reactor explosions and fires, a major fraction of released refractory radionuclides such as uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) were present as entities ranging from sub microns to fragments. Furthermore, radioactive particles and colloids have been released from reprocessing facilities and civil reactors, from radioactive waste dumped at sea, and from NORM sites. Thus, whenever refractory radionuclides are released to the environment following nuclear events, radioactive particles should be expected. Results from many years of research have shown that particle characteristics such as elemental composition depend on the source, while characteristics such as particle size distribution, structure, and oxidation state influencing ecosystem transfer depend also on the release scenarios. When radioactive particles are deposited in the environment, weathering processes occur and associated radionuclides are subsequently mobilized, changing the apparent K d . Thus, particles retained in soils or sediments are unevenly distributed, and dissolution of radionuclides from particles may be partial. For areas affected by particle contamination, the inventories can therefore be underestimated, and impact and risk assessments may suffer from unacceptable large uncertainties if radioactive particles are ignored. To integrate radioactive particles into environmental impact assessments, key challenges include the linking of particle characteristics to specific sources, to ecosystem transfer, and to uptake and retention in biological systems. To elucidate these issues, the EC-funded COMET and RATE projects and the IAEA Coordinated Research Program on particles have revisited selected contaminated sites and archive samples. This COMET position

  13. Accidental poisoning with "Chinese chalk".

    PubMed

    Martínez-Navarrete, Juan; Loria-Castellanos, Jorge; Nava-Ocampo, Alejandro A

    2008-04-01

    We present a 1.5-year old, 11 kg, female infant with a history of bronchial hyper-responsiveness who accidentally ingested half of a "Chinese chalk". A day later, the infant showed vomiting, cough, fever, drowsiness, and irritability and her clinical conditions progressively worsened. She was admitted to the emergency department with cough, respiratory distress, and hepatomegaly. It has been reported that the chalk may contain deltamethrin and cypermethrin. The patient was successfully treated with supportive therapy. This report identifies "Chinese chalk" as a potential source of accidental poisoning in children and should be considered as part of the differential diagnoses in the emergency rooms since poisoning with these compounds may be misdiagnosed as organophosphate poisoning due to the presentation of similar symptoms.

  14. Accidental Nuclear War: The Growing Peril. Part I [and] Part II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newcombe, Alan, Ed.

    1984-01-01

    Two volumes designed to increase awareness of accidental nuclear war dangers are presented. The first of 5 sections in volume I proposes that although accidental war is preventable, the current arms race and secrecy about accidents and false alarms increase the possibility of an accidental war. Section 2 posits that decreased decision-making time…

  15. Advancement Is Seldom Accidental.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frantzreb, Arthur C.

    1981-01-01

    Success in college goals and programs for institutional advancement is seldom accidental: success in philanthropic support is seen as 90 percent planning and 10 percent implementation. Trustee membership, long-range plans, the motivational case, experienced staff, adequate budgets, prospect research, supportive communication all meld into a plan…

  16. An overview of radioactive waste disposal procedures of a nuclear medicine department.

    PubMed

    Ravichandran, R; Binukumar, J P; Sreeram, Rajan; Arunkumar, L S

    2011-04-01

    Radioactive wastes from hospitals form one of the various types of urban wastes, which are managed in developed countries in a safe and organized way. In countries where growth of nuclear medicine services are envisaged, implementations of existing regulatory policies and guidelines in hospitals in terms of handling of radioactive materials used in the treatment of patients need a good model. To address this issue, a brief description of the methods is presented. A designed prototype waste storage trolley is found to be of great help in decaying the I-131 solid wastes from wards before releasing to waste treatment plant of the city. Two delay tanks with collection time of about 2 months and delay time of 2 months alternately result in 6 releases of urine toilet effluents to the sewage treatment plant (STP) of the hospital annually. Samples of effluents collected at releasing time documented radioactive releases of I-131 much below recommended levels of bi-monthly release. External counting of samples showed good statistical correlation with calculated values. An overview of safe procedures for radioactive waste disposal is presented.

  17. P2Pro(RSM) : a computerized management tool for implementing DOE's authorized release process for radioactive scrap metals.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Arnish, J.; Chen, S. Y.; Kamboj, S.

    1999-07-22

    Within the next few decades, several hundred thousand tons of metal and several million cubic meters of concrete are expected to be removed from nuclear facilities across the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex as a result of decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities. These materials, together with large quantities of tools, equipment, and other items that are commonly recovered from site cleanup or D&D activities, constitute non-real properties that warrant consideration for release from regulatory control for reuse or recycle, as permitted and practiced under current DOE policy. The provisions for implementing this policy are contained in the Draft Handbookmore » for Controlling Release for Reuse or Recycle of Non-Real Property Containing Residual Radioactive Material published by DOE in 1997 and distributed to DOE Field Offices for interim use and implementation. This manual describes a computer management tool, P2Pro(RSM), that implements the first 5 steps of the 10-step process stipulated by the Handbook. P2Pro(RSM) combines an easy-to-use Windows interface with a comprehensive database to facilitate the development of authorized release limits for non-real property.« less

  18. Quality quandaries: Statistical detective work to understand the isotopic ratios in Drum 68660 and the radioactive release at WIPP

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kelly, Elizabeth J.; Weaver, Brian Phillip; Veirs, Douglas Kirk

    An incident at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in 2014 resulted in the release of radioactive material into the environment. Initially, it was known that at least one drum in WIPP, identified as drum 68660, was involved. However, questions remained. Could the air-monitor isotopic ratios measured in WIPP at the time of the release be explained by materials in drum 68660 or were other drums involved? Could internal conditions in drum 68660 have caused the breach? What were the implications for 68660's sister drum? These questions needed to be answered as quickly as possible. Here, thismore » analysis, which was completed in three weeks, combined combinatorics and uncertainty analysis to provide scientists with the timely evidence they needed to either answer these important questions or to design experiments to answer them.« less

  19. Quality quandaries: Statistical detective work to understand the isotopic ratios in Drum 68660 and the radioactive release at WIPP

    DOE PAGES

    Kelly, Elizabeth J.; Weaver, Brian Phillip; Veirs, Douglas Kirk

    2017-08-09

    An incident at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in 2014 resulted in the release of radioactive material into the environment. Initially, it was known that at least one drum in WIPP, identified as drum 68660, was involved. However, questions remained. Could the air-monitor isotopic ratios measured in WIPP at the time of the release be explained by materials in drum 68660 or were other drums involved? Could internal conditions in drum 68660 have caused the breach? What were the implications for 68660's sister drum? These questions needed to be answered as quickly as possible. Here, thismore » analysis, which was completed in three weeks, combined combinatorics and uncertainty analysis to provide scientists with the timely evidence they needed to either answer these important questions or to design experiments to answer them.« less

  20. 10 CFR 50.109 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... availability of such resources; (8) The potential impact of differences in facility type, design or age on the... licensee or applicant in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental off-site release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure...

  1. 10 CFR 50.109 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... availability of such resources; (8) The potential impact of differences in facility type, design or age on the... licensee or applicant in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental off-site release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure...

  2. 10 CFR 50.109 - Backfitting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... availability of such resources; (8) The potential impact of differences in facility type, design or age on the... licensee or applicant in order to complete the backfit; (3) Potential change in the risk to the public from the accidental off-site release of radioactive material; (4) Potential impact on radiological exposure...

  3. Degos disease: a new simulator of non-accidental injury.

    PubMed

    Moss, Celia; Wassmer, Evangeline; Debelle, Geoff; Hackett, Scott; Goodyear, Helen; Malcomson, Roger; Ryder, Clive; Sgouros, Spyros; Shahidullah, Hossain

    2009-08-01

    Recent high-profile cases have made paediatricians very aware of the serious implications of either missing or wrongly diagnosing non-accidental injury. Subdural fluid collections in non-mobile infants usually represent haemorrhage caused by non-accidental injury. We report a 6-month-old male who presented to the Accident and Emergency Department of Birmingham Heartlands Hospital with bilateral subdural fluid collections and skin ulcers resembling cigarette burns. Non-accidental injury was considered to be the most likely diagnosis. However, while under observation in hospital, the child's neurological condition deteriorated with progressive cerebral infarctions, and serial photographs of the skin lesions showed failure to heal. The revised diagnosis, confirmed histologically, was Degos disease, an extremely rare and often fatal occlusive vasculopathy. The child was treated palliatively and died 8 weeks after presentation. This report informs doctors of a new simulator of non-accidental injury to be considered in infants with otherwise unexplained subdural fluid collections.

  4. The role of environmental accidental risk assessment in the process of granting development consent.

    PubMed

    Kontic, Branko; Gerbec, Marko

    2009-11-01

    Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a procedure that must be followed for certain types of development before they are granted development consent. The procedure requires the developer to compile an environmental impact report (EIR) describing the likely significant effects of the project on the environment. A regulatory requirement in Slovenia is that an accidental risk assessment for a new installation should be a part of an EIR. The article shows how risk assessment (RA) related to accidental release of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) or a polyvalent alcohol mixture from a new planned unit of a chemical factory in the Alpine region of Slovenia was performed in the framework of an EIA for the purpose of obtaining a construction permit. Two accidental scenarios were considered: (a) a spill of 20 m(3) of MDI or polyvalent alcohol mixture into the river Soca (the river runs close to the chemical factory) and (b) a fire in the warehouse storing the raw material, where emission of toxic gases HCN, NO(x), and CO is expected during combustion of MDI. One of the most important results of this case is the agreement among the developer, the competent authority, and a consultant in the field of EIA and RA to positively conclude the licensing process despite the absence of formal (regulatory) limit values for risk. It has been approved that transparent, reasonably uncertain, and semi-quantitative environmental risk assessment is an inevitable component of an EIA, and an essential factor in informed, licensing-related decision making.

  5. Understanding drug-related mortality in released prisoners: a review of national coronial records.

    PubMed

    Andrews, Jessica Y; Kinner, Stuart A

    2012-04-04

    The prisoner population is characterised by a high burden of disease and social disadvantage, and ex-prisoners are at increased risk of death following release. Much of the excess mortality can be attributed to an increased risk of unnatural death, particularly from drug overdose; however, relatively few studies have investigated the circumstances surrounding drug-related deaths among released prisoners. This study aimed to explore and compare the circumstances of death for those who died from accidental drug-related causes to those who died from all other reportable causes. A nationwide search of the Australian National Coroners Information System (NCIS) was conducted to identify reportable deaths among ex-prisoners from 2000 to 2007. Using a structured coding form, NCIS records for these cases were interrogated to explore causes and circumstances of death. Coronial records for 388 deceased ex-prisoners were identified. Almost half of these deaths were a result of accidental drug-related causes (45%). The majority of accidental drug-related deaths occurred in a home environment, and poly-substance use at or around the time of death was common, recorded in 72% of drug-related deaths. Ex-prisoners who died of accidental drug-related causes were on average younger and less likely to be Indigenous, born in Australia, married, or living alone at or around the time of death, compared with those who died from all other reportable causes. Evidence of mental illness or self-harm was less common among accidental drug-related deaths, whereas evidence of previous drug overdose, injecting drug use, history of heroin use and history of drug withdrawal in the previous six months were more common. Drug-related deaths are common among ex-prisoners and often occur in a home (vs. public) setting. They are often associated with use of multiple substances at or around the time of death, risky drug-use patterns, and even among this markedly disadvantaged group, extreme social

  6. Iodine-131 Releases from Radioactive Lanthanum Processing at the X-10 Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (1944-1956)- An Assessment of Quantities released, Off-Site Radiation Doses, and Potential Excess Risks of Thyroid Cancer, Volume 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Apostoaei, A.I.; Burns, R.E.; Hoffman, F.O.

    1999-07-01

    In the early 1990s, concern about the Oak Ridge Reservation's past releases of contaminants to the environment prompted Tennessee's public health officials to pursue an in-depth study of potential off-site health effects at Oak Ridge. This study, the Oak Ridge dose reconstruction, was supported by an agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Tennessee, and was overseen by a 12-member panel appointed by Tennessee's Commissioner of Health. One of the major contaminants studied in the dose reconstruction was radioactive iodine, which was released to the air by X-10 (now called Oak Ridge National Laboratory) asmore » it processed spent nuclear reactor fuel from 1944 through 1956. The process recovered radioactive lanthanum for use in weapons development. Iodine concentrates in the thyroid gland so health concerns include various diseases of the thyroid, such as thyroid cancer. The large report, ''Iodine-131 Releases from Radioactive Lanthanum Processing at the X-10 Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (1944-1956) - An Assessment of Quantities Released, Off-site Radiation Doses, and Potential Excess Risks of Thyroid Cancer,'' is in two volumes. Volume 1 is the main body of the report, and Volume 1A, which has the same title, consists of 22 supporting appendices. Together, these reports serve the following purposes: (1) describe the methodologies used to estimate the amount of iodine-131 (I-131) released; (2) evaluate I-131's pathway from air to vegetation to food to humans; (3) estimate doses received by human thyroids; (4) estimate excess risk of acquiring a thyroid cancer during ones lifetime; and (5) provide equations, examples of historical documents used, and tables of calculated values. Results indicate that females born in 1952 who consumed milk from a goat pastured a few miles east of X-10 received the highest doses from I-131 and would have had the highest risks of contracting thyroid cancer. Doses from cow's milk are considerably less

  7. An overview of radioactive waste disposal procedures of a nuclear medicine department

    PubMed Central

    Ravichandran, R.; Binukumar, J. P.; Sreeram, Rajan; Arunkumar, L. S.

    2011-01-01

    Radioactive wastes from hospitals form one of the various types of urban wastes, which are managed in developed countries in a safe and organized way. In countries where growth of nuclear medicine services are envisaged, implementations of existing regulatory policies and guidelines in hospitals in terms of handling of radioactive materials used in the treatment of patients need a good model. To address this issue, a brief description of the methods is presented. A designed prototype waste storage trolley is found to be of great help in decaying the I-131 solid wastes from wards before releasing to waste treatment plant of the city. Two delay tanks with collection time of about 2 months and delay time of 2 months alternately result in 6 releases of urine toilet effluents to the sewage treatment plant (STP) of the hospital annually. Samples of effluents collected at releasing time documented radioactive releases of I-131 much below recommended levels of bi-monthly release. External counting of samples showed good statistical correlation with calculated values. An overview of safe procedures for radioactive waste disposal is presented. PMID:21731225

  8. Hazards of Improper Dispensary: Literature Review and Report of an Accidental Chloroform Injection.

    PubMed

    Verma, Prashant; Tordik, Patricia; Nosrat, Ali

    2018-06-01

    Several clear, transparent solutions are used in endodontics. Inappropriate dispensing methods can lead to accidental injection or accidental irrigation. These accidents can cause permanent tissue damage including damage to the bone, periodontium, nerves, and vasculature. This article reports on the consequences of an accidental chloroform injection. Nonsurgical retreatment of tooth #8 was planned as part of a restorative treatment plan in a 69-year-old woman. The dentist accidentally injected chloroform instead of local anesthesia because chloroform was loaded into the anesthetic syringe. The patient experienced severe pain and swelling and soft tissue necrosis and suffered permanent sensory and motor nerve damage. A review of the literature was performed on accidents caused by improper dispensary, namely accidental injections and accidental irrigations. The data were extracted and summarized. Sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine, formalin, formocresol, 1:1000 adrenaline, benzalkonium chloride, and lighter fuel were accidentally injected as an intraoral nerve block or as infiltration injections. Bone and soft tissue necrosis, tooth loss, and sensory nerve damage (anesthesia and paresthesia) were the most common consequences reported. Such disastrous events can be prevented by appropriate labeling and separate dispensing methods for each solution. There is a need for disseminating information on toxicity and biocompatibility of materials/solutions used in endodontics. The authors recommend training dental students and endodontic residents on immediate and long-term therapeutic management of patients when an accidental injection or accidental irrigation occurs. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Mistakes in diagnosing non-accidental injury: 10 years' experience

    PubMed Central

    Wheeler, David M; Hobbs, Christopher J

    1988-01-01

    Fifty children who were referred to the child abuse team in Leeds over the 10 years 1976-86 with suspected non-accidental injury were found to have conditions which mimicked non-accidental injury. These included impetigo (nine children) and blue spots (five children). Five children who presented with multiple bruising had haemostatic disorders. Eight children had disorders of the bone. Five children had been previously abused physically. Four showed evidence of neglect. One had evidence of non-accidental injury as well as the condition mimicking abuse. It is emphasised that when child abuse is suspected a sensitive and thorough assessment should be carried out by a paediatrician who is experienced in this. ImagesFIG 1 PMID:3133026

  10. Doctor Ward's Accidental Terrarium.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hershey, David R.

    1996-01-01

    Presents the story of the accidental invention of the Wardian case, or terrarium, by Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward. Advocates the use of this story in teaching precollege biology as an illustration of how a chance event can lead to a major scientific advancement and as an example of the common occurrence of multiple discovery in botany. Contains 34…

  11. Application of the Bulgarian emergency response system in case of nuclear accident in environmental assessment study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Syrakov, Dimiter; Veleva, Blagorodka; Georgievs, Emilia; Prodanova, Maria; Slavov, Kiril; Kolarova, Maria

    2014-05-01

    The development of the Bulgarian Emergency Response System (BERS) for short term forecast in case of accidental radioactive releases to the atmosphere has been started in the mid 1990's [1]. BERS comprises of two main parts - operational and accidental, for two regions 'Europe' and 'Northern Hemisphere'. The operational part runs automatically since 2001 using the 72 hours meteorological forecast from DWD Global model, resolution in space of 1.5o and in time - 12 hours. For specified Nuclear power plants (NPPs), 3 days trajectories are calculated and presented on NIMH's specialized Web-site (http://info.meteo.bg/ews/). The accidental part is applied when radioactive releases are reported or in case of emergency exercises. BERS is based on numerical weather forecast information and long-range dispersion model accounting for the transport, dispersion, and radioactive transformations of pollutants. The core of the accidental part of the system is the Eulerian 3D dispersion model EMAP calculating concentration and deposition fields [2]. The system is upgraded with a 'dose calculation module' for estimation of the prognostic dose fields of 31 important radioactive gaseous and aerosol pollutants. The prognostic doses significant for the early stage of a nuclear accident are calculated as follows: the effective doses from external irradiation (air submersion + ground shinning); effective dose from inhalation; summarized effective dose and absorbed thyroid dose [3]. The output is given as 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours prognostic dose fields according the updated meteorology. The BERS was upgraded to simulate the dispersion of nuclear materials from Fukushima NPP [4], and results were presented in NIMH web-site. In addition BERS took part in the respective ENSEMBLE exercises to model 131I and 137Cs in Fukushima source term. In case of governmental request for expertise BERS was applied for environmental impact assessment of hypothetical accidental transboundary

  12. Are pre-hospital deaths from accidental injury preventable?

    PubMed Central

    Hussain, L. M.; Redmond, A. D.

    1994-01-01

    OBJECTIVE--To determine what proportion of pre-hospital deaths from accidental injury--deaths at the scene of the accident and those that occur before the person has reached hospital--are preventable. DESIGN--Retrospective study of all deaths from accidental injury that occurred between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1990 and were reported to the coroner. SETTING--North Staffordshire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Injury severity score, probability of survival (probit analysis), and airway obstruction. RESULTS--There were 152 pre-hospital deaths from accidental injury (110 males and 42 females). In the same period there were 257 deaths in hospital from accidental injury (136 males and 121 females). The average age at death was 41.9 years for those who died before reaching hospital, and their average injury severity score was 29.3. In contrast, those who died in hospital were older and equally likely to be males or females. Important neurological injury occurred in 113 pre-hospital deaths, and evidence of airway obstruction in 59. Eighty six pre-hospital deaths were due to road traffic accidents, and 37 of these were occupants in cars. On the basis of the injury severity score and age, death was found to have been inevitable or highly likely in 92 cases. In the remaining 60 cases death had not been inevitable and airway obstruction was present in up to 51 patients with injuries that they might have survived. CONCLUSION--Death was potentially preventable in at least 39% of those who died from accidental injury before they reached hospital. Training in first aid should be available more widely, and particularly to motorists as many pre-hospital deaths that could be prevented are due to road accidents. PMID:8173428

  13. A soil sampling intercomparison exercise for the ALMERA network.

    PubMed

    Belli, Maria; de Zorzi, Paolo; Sansone, Umberto; Shakhashiro, Abduhlghani; Gondin da Fonseca, Adelaide; Trinkl, Alexander; Benesch, Thomas

    2009-11-01

    Soil sampling and analysis for radionuclides after an accidental or routine release is a key factor for the dose calculation to members of the public, and for the establishment of possible countermeasures. The IAEA organized for selected laboratories of the ALMERA (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) network a Soil Sampling Intercomparison Exercise (IAEA/SIE/01) with the objective of comparing soil sampling procedures used by different laboratories. The ALMERA network is a world-wide network of analytical laboratories located in IAEA member states capable of providing reliable and timely analysis of environmental samples in the event of an accidental or intentional release of radioactivity. Ten ALMERA laboratories were selected to participate in the sampling exercise. The soil sampling intercomparison exercise took place in November 2005 in an agricultural area qualified as a "reference site", aimed at assessing the uncertainties associated with soil sampling in agricultural, semi-natural, urban and contaminated environments and suitable for performing sampling intercomparison. In this paper, the laboratories sampling performance were evaluated.

  14. Approach to the assessment of the hazard. [fire released carbon fiber electrical effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huston, R. J.

    1980-01-01

    An overview of the carbon fiber hazard assessment is presented. The potential risk to the civil sector associated with the accidental release of carbon fibers from aircraft having composite structures was assessed along with the need for protection of civil aircraft from carbon fibers.

  15. Accidental introductions are an important source of invasive plants in the continental United States.

    PubMed

    Lehan, Nora E; Murphy, Julia R; Thorburn, Lukas P; Bradley, Bethany A

    2013-07-01

    Preventing new plant invasions is critical for reducing large-scale ecological change. Most studies have focused on the deliberate introduction of nonnatives via the ornamental plant trade. However, accidental introduction may be an important source of nonnative, invasive plants. Using Web and literature searches, we compiled pathways of introduction to the United States for 1112 nonnative plants identified as invasive in the continental United States. We assessed how the proportion of accidentally and deliberately introduced invasive plants varies over time and space and by growth habit across the lower 48 states. Deliberate introductions of ornamentals are the primary source of invasive plants in the United States, but accidental introductions through seed contaminants are an important secondary source. Invasive forbs and grasses are the most likely to have arrived accidentally through seed contaminants, while almost all nonnative, invasive trees were introduced deliberately. Nonnative plants invading eastern states primarily arrived deliberately as ornamentals, while a high proportion of invasive plants in western states arrived accidentally as seed contaminants. Accidental introductions may be increasing in importance through time. Before 1850, 10 of 89 (11%) of invasive plants arrived accidentally. After 1900, 20 of 65 (31%) arrived accidentally. Recently enacted screening protocols and weed risk assessments aim to reduce the number of potentially invasive species arriving to the United States via deliberate introduction pathways. Increasing proportions of accidentally introduced invasive plants, particularly associated with contaminated seed imports across the western states, suggest that accidental introduction pathways also need to be considered in future regulatory decisions.

  16. Imitation of Intentional and Accidental Actions by Children with Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    D'Entremont, Barbara; Yazbek, Aimee

    2007-01-01

    To determine whether children with autism (CWA) would selectively imitate intentional, as opposed to accidental actions, an experimenter demonstrated either an "intentional" and an "accidental" action or two "intentional" actions on the same toy [Carpenter, Akhtar, & Tomasello ("1998a") "Infant Behavior and Development, 21," 315-330]. CWA tended…

  17. Experiences of Causing an Accidental Death: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rassool, Sara B.; Nel, Pieter W.

    2012-01-01

    Accidentally killing or feeling responsible for another person's death constitutes an event that is different from many typical traumatic stressors in that the responsibility for causing the trauma is located in the person themselves, rather than another person or persons. Research exploring the perspective of those who have accidentally caused a…

  18. Ladtap XL Version 2017: A Spreadsheet For Estimating Dose Resulting From Aqueous Releases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Minter, K.; Jannik, T.

    LADTAP XL© is an EXCEL© spreadsheet used to estimate dose to offsite individuals and populations resulting from routine and accidental releases of radioactive materials to the Savannah River. LADTAP XL© contains two worksheets: LADTAP and IRRIDOSE. The LADTAP worksheet estimates dose for environmental pathways including external exposure resulting from recreational activities on the Savannah River and internal exposure resulting from ingestion of water, fish, and invertebrates originating from the Savannah River. IRRIDOSE estimates offsite dose to individuals and populations from irrigation of foodstuffs with contaminated water from the Savannah River. In 2004, a complete description of the LADTAP XL© codemore » and an associated user’s manual was documented in LADTAP XL©: A Spreadsheet for Estimating Dose Resulting from Aqueous Release (WSRC-TR-2004-00059) and revised input parameters, dose coefficients, and radionuclide decay constants were incorporated into LADTAP XL© Version 2013 (SRNL-STI-2011-00238). LADTAP XL© Version 2017 is a slight modification to Version 2013 with minor changes made for more user-friendly parameter inputs and organization, updates in the time conversion factors used within the dose calculations, and fixed an issue with the expected time build-up parameter referenced within the population shoreline dose calculations. This manual has been produced to update the code description, verification of the models, and provide an updated user’s manual. LADTAP XL© Version 2017 has been verified by Minter (2017) and is ready for use at the Savannah River Site (SRS).« less

  19. Accidental degeneracies in nonlinear quantum deformed systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aleixo, A. N. F.; Balantekin, A. B.

    2011-09-01

    We construct a multi-parameter nonlinear deformed algebra for quantum confined systems that includes many other deformed models as particular cases. We demonstrate that such systems exhibit the property of accidental pairwise energy level degeneracies. We also study, as a special case of our multi-parameter deformation formalism, the extension of the Tamm-Dancoff cutoff deformed oscillator and the occurrence of accidental pairwise degeneracy in the energy levels of the deformed system. As an application, we discuss the case of a trigonometric Rosen-Morse potential, which is successfully used in models for quantum confined systems, ranging from electrons in quantum dots to quarks in hadrons.

  20. Representative Atmospheric Plume Development for Elevated Releases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eslinger, Paul W.; Lowrey, Justin D.; McIntyre, Justin I.

    2014-02-01

    An atmospheric explosion of a low-yield nuclear device will produce a large number of radioactive isotopes, some of which can be measured with airborne detection systems. However, properly equipped aircraft may not arrive in the region where an explosion occurred for a number of hours after the event. Atmospheric conditions will have caused the radioactive plume to move and diffuse before the aircraft arrives. The science behind predicting atmospheric plume movement has advanced enough that the location of the maximum concentrations in the plume can be determined reasonably accurately in real time, or near real time. Given the assumption thatmore » an aircraft can follow a plume, this study addresses the amount of atmospheric dilution expected to occur in a representative plume as a function of time past the release event. The approach models atmospheric transport of hypothetical releases from a single location for every day in a year using the publically available HYSPLIT code. The effective dilution factors for the point of maximum concentration in an elevated plume based on a release of a non-decaying, non-depositing tracer can vary by orders of magnitude depending on the day of the release, even for the same number of hours after the release event. However, the median of the dilution factors based on releases for 365 consecutive days at one site follows a power law relationship in time, as shown in Figure S-1. The relationship is good enough to provide a general rule of thumb for estimating typical future dilution factors in a plume starting at the same point. However, the coefficients of the power law function may vary for different release point locations. Radioactive decay causes the effective dilution factors to decrease more quickly with the time past the release event than the dilution factors based on a non-decaying tracer. An analytical expression for the dilution factors of isotopes with different half-lives can be developed given the power law

  1. Modelling of catastrophic flashing releases.

    PubMed

    Deaves, D M; Gilham, S; Mitchell, B H; Woodburn, P; Shepherd, A M

    2001-11-16

    Several low boiling point materials are stored in closed vessels at ambient temperature, using their own vapour pressure to maintain a liquid state. These materials are often toxic, flammable, or both, and thus any uncontrolled release can have potentially disastrous consequences. There are many ways in which an accidental release can occur, the most severe being due to catastrophic vessel failure. Although not the most common, this mode of failure has the potential to result in an instantaneous loss of the entire vessel inventory in the form of a rapidly expanding, two-phase, vaporising cloud. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the physical processes of existing models and of available experimental and incident data to model such scenarios. Subsequently, this has enabled the development of an improved methodology for the characterisation of the source conditions following catastrophic vessel failures.

  2. Patient release criteria following radioactive iodine-131 treatment in the light of international practice: where does South Africa fit in?

    PubMed

    Mongane, Modisenyane S; Rae, William I D

    2017-10-01

    The release from hospital of patients treated with radioactive iodine-131 (I) remains a controversial issue as a result of the range of guidelines implemented by national regulatory bodies responsible for radiation protection in various countries worldwide. The aim of this study was to review and analyse the literature on patient release criteria (PRC) applied internationally in an attempt to achieve a justifiable approach to setting equivalent criteria in South Africa. In 2016, the South African Department of Health, Directorate: Radiation Control added conditions (numbers 50 and 90), to licences to use radioactive nuclides. These conditions state that patients must be hospitalized when the dose rate at 1 m is above 25 μSv/h, or more than 555 MBq of iodine-131 was administered to the patient. However, these criteria do not consider patients' socioeconomic conditions. A literature survey was carried out of articles detailing PRC from high-income countries as well as those in the middle-income and lower-income groups. Socioeconomic conditions within countries were determined using the International Monetary Fund lists of gross domestic product. The results from the literature have shown that in setting PRC, several countries have considered the socioeconomic conditions prevailing in their countries to achieve harmony between public protection and cost associated with hospitalization. The South African authority conditions must be seen in the context of the approach followed by other countries. Considering the international context, a justifiable, and potentially implementable, guideline or policy for improving individualized and more caring patient management is advocated.

  3. Individual housing-based socioeconomic status predicts risk of accidental falls among adults.

    PubMed

    Ryu, Euijung; Juhn, Young J; Wheeler, Philip H; Hathcock, Matthew A; Wi, Chung-Il; Olson, Janet E; Cerhan, James R; Takahashi, Paul Y

    2017-07-01

    Accidental falls are a major public health concern among people of all ages. Little is known about whether an individual-level housing-based socioeconomic status measure is associated with the risk of accidental falls. Among 12,286 Mayo Clinic Biobank participants residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, subjects who experienced accidental falls between the biobank enrollment and September 2014 were identified using ICD-9 codes evaluated at emergency departments. HOUSES (HOUsing-based Index of SocioEconomic Status), a socioeconomic status measure based on individual housing features, was also calculated. Cox regression models were utilized to assess the association of the HOUSES (in quartiles) with accidental fall risk. Seven hundred eleven (5.8%) participants had at least one emergency room visit due to an accidental fall during the study period. Subjects with higher HOUSES were less likely to experience falls in a dose-response manner (hazard ratio: 0.58; 95% confidence interval: 0.44-0.76 for comparing the highest to the lowest quartile). In addition, the HOUSES was positively associated with better health behaviors, social support, and functional status. The HOUSES is inversely associated with accidental fall risk requiring emergency care in a dose-response manner. The HOUSES may capture falls-related risk factors through housing features and socioeconomic status-related psychosocial factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Procedures, placement, and risks of further abuse after Munchausen syndrome by proxy, non-accidental poisoning, and non-accidental suffocation

    PubMed Central

    Davis, P; McClure, R; Rolfe, K; Chessman, N; Pearson, S; Sibert, J; Meadow, R

    1998-01-01

    OBJECTIVES—To investigate outcome, management, and prevention in Munchausen syndrome by proxy, non-accidental poisoning, and non-accidental suffocation.
DESIGN—Ascertainment through British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and questionnaires to responding paediatricians.
SETTING—The UK and Republic of Ireland, September 1992 to August 1994.
SUBJECTS—Children under 14 years diagnosed with the above.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES—Placement and child protection measures for victims and siblings; morbidity and reabuse rates for victims; abuse of siblings; prosecution of perpetrators.
RESULTS—Outcome data for 119 with median follow up of 24 months (range 12 to 44 months). No previously diagnosed factitious disease was found to have been caused by genuine disease. Forty six children were allowed home without conditions at follow up. Children who had suffered from suffocation, non-accidental poisoning, direct harm, and those under 5 years were less likely to go home.
 Twenty seven (24%) children still had symptoms or signs as a result of the abuse at follow up; 108/120 were originally on a child protection register and 35/111 at follow up. Twenty nine per cent (34/118) of the perpetrators had been prosecuted and most convicted; 17% of the milder cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy allowed home were reabused. Evidence in siblings suggests that in 50% of families with a suffocated child and 40% with non-accidental poisoning there would be further abuse, some fatal.
CONCLUSIONS—This type of abuse is severe with high mortality, morbidity, family disruption, reabuse, and harm to siblings. A very cautious approach for child protection with reintroduction to home only if circumstances are especially favourable is advised. Paediatric follow up by an expert in child protection should also occur.

 PMID:9613350

  5. Accidental fetal lacerations during cesarean delivery: experience in an Italian level III university hospital.

    PubMed

    Dessole, Salvatore; Cosmi, Erich; Balata, Antonio; Uras, Luisa; Caserta, Donatella; Capobianco, Giampiero; Ambrosini, Guido

    2004-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, type, location, and risk factors of accidental fetal lacerations during cesarean delivery. Total deliveries, cesarean deliveries, and neonatal records for documented accidental fetal lacerations were reviewed retrospectively in our level III university hospital. The gestational age, the presenting part of the fetus, the cesarean delivery indication, the type of incision, and the surgeon who performed the procedure were recorded. Cesarean deliveries were divided into scheduled, unscheduled, and emergency procedures. Fetal lacerations were divided into mild, moderate, and severe. Neonatal follow-up examinations regarding laceration sequelae were available for 6 months. Of 14926 deliveries, 3108 women were delivered by cesarean birth (20.82%). Neonatal records documented 97 accidental fetal lacerations. Of these accidental lacerations, 94 were mild; 2 were moderate, and 1 was severe. The overall rate of accidental fetal laceration per cesarean delivery was 3.12%; the accidental laceration rate in the cohort of fetuses was 2.46%. The crude odds ratios were 0.34 for scheduled procedures, 0.57 for unscheduled procedures, and 1.7 for emergency procedures. The risk for fetal accidental lacerations was higher in fetuses who underwent emergency cesarean birth and lower for unscheduled and scheduled cesarean births (P < .001). Fetal accidental laceration may occur during cesarean delivery; the incidence is significantly higher during emergency cesarean delivery compared with elective procedures. The patient should be counseled about the occurrence of fetal laceration during cesarean delivery to avoid litigation.

  6. Hemodialysis as a treatment of severe accidental hypothermia.

    PubMed

    Caluwé, Rogier; Vanholder, Raymond; Dhondt, Annemieke

    2010-03-01

    We describe a case of severe accidental hypothermia (core body temperature 23.2 degrees C) successfully treated with hemodialysis in a diabetic patient with preexisting renal insufficiency. Consensus exists about cardiopulmonary bypass as the treatment of choice in cases of severe accidental hypothermia with cardiac arrest. Prospective randomized controlled trials comparing the different rewarming modalities for hemodynamically stable patients with hypothermia, however, are lacking. In our opinion, the choice of a rewarming technique should be patient tailored, knowing that hemodialysis is an efficient, minimally invasive, and readily available technique with the advantage of providing electrolyte support.

  7. A descriptive study of accidental skeletal injuries and non-accidental skeletal injuries of child maltreatment.

    PubMed

    Ghanem, Maha A H; Moustafa, Tarek A; Megahed, Haidy M; Salama, Naglaa; Ghitani, Sara A

    2018-02-01

    Lack of awareness and recognition of child maltreatment is the major reason behind underreporting. All victims often interact with the health care system for routine or emergency care. In several research works, non-accidental fractures are the second most common injury in maltreated children and it is represented up to one-third of cases. To determine the incidence of different types of accidental and non-accidental skeletal injuries among children, estimate the severity of injuries according to the modified injury severity score and to determine the degree of fractures either closed or opened (Gustiloe-Anderson open fracture classification). Moreover, identifying fractures resulting from child abuse and neglect. This aimed for early recognition of non-accidental nature of fractures in child maltreatment that can prevent further morbidity and mortality. A descriptive study was carried out on all children (109) with skeletal injuries who were admitted to both Main Alexandria and El-Hadara Orthopedic and Traumatology University Hospitals during six months. History, physical examination and investigations were done for the patients. A detailed questionnaire was taken to diagnose child abuse and neglect. Gustiloe-Anderson open fracture classification was used to estimate the degree of open fractures. Out of 109 children, twelve cases (11%) were categorized as child maltreatment. One case was physical abuse, eight cases (7.3%) were child neglect and three cases (2.8%) were labour exploitation. Road traffic accidents (RTA) was the commonest cause of skeletal injuries followed by falling from height. Regarding falls, they included 4 cases of stair falls in neglected children and another four cases of falling from height (balcony/window). The remaining 36 cases of falls were accidental. The skeletal injuries were in the form of fractures in 99 cases, dislocation in two cases, both fracture and/or dislocation in three cases, and bone deformity from brachial plexus injury

  8. 21 CFR 369.9 - General warnings re accidental ingestion by children.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false General warnings re accidental ingestion by... SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE INTERPRETATIVE STATEMENTS RE WARNINGS ON DRUGS AND DEVICES FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER SALE Definitions and Interpretations § 369.9 General warnings re accidental ingestion...

  9. 21 CFR 369.9 - General warnings re accidental ingestion by children.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false General warnings re accidental ingestion by... SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE INTERPRETATIVE STATEMENTS RE WARNINGS ON DRUGS AND DEVICES FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER SALE Definitions and Interpretations § 369.9 General warnings re accidental ingestion...

  10. Environmental Releases for Calendar Year 2001

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DYEKMAN, D L

    2002-08-01

    This report fulfills the annual reporting requirements of US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program. The report contains tabular data summaries on air emissions and liquid effluents released to the environment as well as nonroutine releases during calendar year (CY) 2001. These releases, bearing radioactive and hazardous substances, were from Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI), CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. (CHG), and Fluor Hanford (FH) managed facilities and activities. These data were obtained from direct sampling and analysis and from estimates based upon approved release factors. This report further serves as a supplemental resource to the Hanfordmore » Site Environmental Report (HSER PNNL-13910), published by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. HSER includes a yearly accounting of the impacts on the surrounding populace and environment from major activities at the Hanford Site. HSER also summarizes the regulatory compliance status of the Hanford Site. Tables ES-1 through ES-5 display comprehensive data summaries of CY2001 air emission and liquid effluent releases. The data displayed in these tables compiles the following: Radionuclide air emissions; Nonradioactive air emissions; Radionuclides in liquid effluents discharged to ground; Total volumes and flow rates of radioactive liquid effluents discharged to ground; and Radionuclides discharged to the Columbia River.« less

  11. Night work, long work weeks, and risk of accidental injuries. A register-based study.

    PubMed

    Larsen, Ann D; Hannerz, Harald; Møller, Simone V; Dyreborg, Johnny; Bonde, Jens Peter; Hansen, Johnni; Kolstad, Henrik A; Hansen, Åse Marie; Garde, Anne Helene

    2017-11-01

    Objectives The aims of this study were to (i) investigate the association between night work or long work weeks and the risk of accidental injuries and (ii) test if the association is affected by age, sex or socioeconomic status. Methods The study population was drawn from the Danish version of the European Labour Force Survey from 1999-2013. The current study was based on 150 438 participants (53% men and 47% women). Data on accidental injuries were obtained at individual level from national health registers. We included all 20-59-year-old employees working ≥32 hours a week at the time of the interview. We used Poisson regression to estimate the relative rates (RR) of accidental injuries as a function of night work or long work weeks (>40 hours per week) adjusted for year of interview, sex, age, socioeconomic status (SES), industry, and weekly working hours or night work. Age, sex and SES were included as two-way interactions. Results We observed 23 495 cases of accidental injuries based on 273 700 person years at risk. Exposure to night work was statistically significantly associated with accidental injuries (RR 1.11, 99% CI 1.06-1.17) compared to participants with no recent night work. No associations were found between long work weeks (>40 hours) and accidental injuries. Conclusion We found a modest increased risk of accidental injuries when reporting night work. No associations between long work weeks and risk of accidental injuries were observed. Age, sex and SES showed no trends when included as two-way interactions.

  12. The big chill: accidental hypothermia.

    PubMed

    Davis, Robert Allan

    2012-01-01

    A potential cause of such emergent issues as cardiac arrhythmias, hypotension, and fluid and electrolyte shifts, accidental hypothermia can be deadly, is common among trauma patients, and is often difficult to recognize. The author discusses predisposing conditions, the classic presentation, and the effects on normal thermoregulatory processes; explains how to conduct a systems assessment of the hypothermic patient; and describes crucial management strategies.

  13. EMERALD REV.1. PWR Accident Activity Release

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brunot, W.K.; Fray, R.R.; Gillespie, S.G.

    1975-10-01

    The EMERALD program is designed for the calculation of radiation releases and exposures resulting from abnormal operation of a large pressurized water reactor (PWR). The approach used in EMERALD is similar to an analog simulation of a real system. Each component or volume in the plant which contains a radioactive material is represented by a subroutine which keeps track of the production, transfer, decay and absorption of radioactivity in that volume. During the course of the analysis of an accident, activity is transferred from subroutine to subroutine in the program as it would be transferred from place to place inmore » the plant. For example, in the calculation of the doses resulting from a loss-of-coolant accident the program first calculates the activity built up in the fuel before the accident, then releases some of this activity to the containment volume. Some of this activity is then released to the atmosphere. The rates of transfer, leakage, production, cleanup, decay, and release are read in as input to the program. Subroutines are also included which calculate the on-site and off-site radiation exposures at various distances for individual isotopes and sums of isotopes. The program contains a library of physical data for the twenty-five isotopes of most interest in licensing calculations, and other isotopes can be added or substituted. Because of the flexible nature of the simulation approach, the EMERALD program can be used for most calculations involving the production and release of radioactive materials during abnormal operation of a PWR. These include design, operational, and licensing studies.« less

  14. Accidental Falls Among Geriatric Patients: Can More Be Prevented?

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Edwin T.

    1985-01-01

    The potential for accidental falls among geriatric patients is of mounting concern. Two hundred forty-one accidental falls over a 12-month period at the VA Medical Center were analyzed retrospectively and the literature reviewed in order to highlight factors that have bearing on the incidence and severity of falls. If a patient's potential for falling could be identified through a grading system based on these premonitory features, preventive measures might be more clearly focused where needed to reduce this frequent hazard in our hospital population. PMID:4046062

  15. Epidemiology of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, non-accidental poisoning, and non-accidental suffocation.

    PubMed Central

    McClure, R J; Davis, P M; Meadow, S R; Sibert, J R

    1996-01-01

    A two year prospective study was performed to determine the epidemiology of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, non-accidental poisoning, and non-accidental suffocation in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Cases were notified to the British Paediatric Association Surveillance Unit from September 1992 to August 1994 if a formal case conference had been held for the first time during that period to discuss any of the above conditions. A total of 128 cases were identified: 55 suffered Munchausen syndrome by proxy alone, 15 poisoning, and 15 suffocation; 43 suffered more than one type of abuse. The majority of children were aged under 5 years, the median age being 20 months. On 85% of occasions the perpetrator was the child's mother. In 42% of families with more than one child, a sibling had previously suffered some form of abuse. Eighty five per cent of notifying paediatricians considered the probability of their diagnosis as virtually certain before a case conference was convened. The commonest drugs used to poison were anticonvulsants; opiates were the second commonest. Sixty eight children suffered severe illness of whom eight died. The combined annual incidence of these conditions in children aged under 16 years is at least 0.5/100,000, and for children aged under 1, at least 2.8/100,000. PMID:8813872

  16. Effects of accidental hypothermia on posttraumatic complications and outcome in multiple trauma patients.

    PubMed

    Mommsen, P; Andruszkow, H; Frömke, C; Zeckey, C; Wagner, U; van Griensven, M; Frink, M; Krettek, C; Hildebrand, F

    2013-01-01

    Accidental hypothermia seems to predispose multiple trauma patients to the development of posttraumatic complications, such as Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), and increased mortality. However, the role of accidental hypothermia as an independent prognostic factor is controversially discussed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of accidental hypothermia in multiple trauma patients and its effects on the development of posttraumatic complications and mortality. Inclusion criteria for patients in this retrospective study (2005-2009) were an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥16, age ≥16 years, admission to our Level I trauma centre within 6h after the accident. Accidental hypothermia was defined as body temperature less than 35°C measured within 2 h after admission, but always before first surgical procedure in the operation theatre. The association between accidental hypothermia and the development of posttraumatic complications as well as mortality was investigated. Statistical analysis was performed with χ(2)-test, Student's t-test, ANOVA and logistic regression. Statistical significance was considered at p<0.05. 310 multiple trauma patients were enrolled in the present study. Patients' mean age was 41.9 (SD 17.5) years, the mean injury severity score was 29.7 (SD 10.2). The overall incidence of accidental hypothermia was 36.8%. The overall incidence of posttraumatic complications was 77.4% (SIRS), 42.9% (sepsis) and 7.4% (MODS), respectively. No association was shown between accidental hypothermia and the development of posttraumatic complications. Overall, 8.7% died during the posttraumatic course. Despite an increased mortality rate in hypothermic patients, hypothermia failed to be an independent risk factor for mortality in multivariate analysis. Accidental hypothermia is very common in multiply injured patients. However, it could be assumed that the increase of

  17. Evidence of technetium and iodine release from a sodalite-bearing ceramic waste form

    DOE PAGES

    Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla P.; Williams, Benjamin D.; ...

    2015-12-31

    We proposed sodalites as a possible host of certain radioactive species, specifically 99Tc and 129I, which may be encapsulated into the cage structure of the mineral. To demonstrate the ability of this framework silicate mineral to encapsulate and immobilize 99Tc and 129I, single-pass flow-through (SPFT) tests were conducted on a sodalite-bearing multi-phase ceramic waste form produced through a steam reforming process. We produced two samples made using a steam reformer samples using nonradioactive I and Re (as a surrogate for Tc), while a third sample was produced using actual radioactive tank waste containing Tc and added Re. One of themore » non-radioactive samples was produced with an engineering-scale steam reformer while the other non-radioactive sample and the radioactive sample were produced using a bench-scale steam reformer. For all three steam reformer products, the similar steady-state dilute-solution release rates for Re, I, and Tc at pH (25 C) 9 and 40 C were measured. However, it was found that the Re, I, and Tc releases were equal or up to 4.5x higher compared to the release rates of the network-forming elements, Na, Al, and Si. Moreover, the similar releases of Re and Tc in the SPFT test, and the similar time-dependent shapes of the release curves for samples containing I, suggest that Re, Tc, and I partition to the sodalite minerals during the steam reforming process.« less

  18. Dental pain as a risk factor for accidental acetaminophen overdose: a case-control study.

    PubMed

    Vogel, Jody; Heard, Kennon J; Carlson, Catherine; Lange, Chad; Mitchell, Garrett

    2011-11-01

    Patients frequent take acetaminophen to treat dental pain. One previous study found a high rate of overuse of nonprescription analgesics in an emergency dental clinic. The purpose of this study is to determine if patients with dental pain are more likely to be treated for accidental acetaminophen poisoning than patients with other types of pain. We conducted a case-control study at 2 urban hospitals. Cases were identified by chart review of patients who required treatment for accidental acetaminophen poisoning. Controls were self-reported acetaminophen users taking therapeutic doses identified during a survey of emergency department patients. For our primary analysis, the reason for taking acetaminophen was categorized as dental pain or not dental pain. Our primary outcome was the odds ratio of accidental overdose to therapeutic users after adjustment for age, sex, alcoholism, and use of combination products using logistic regression. We identified 73 cases of accidental acetaminophen poisoning and 201 therapeutic users. Fourteen accidental overdose patients and 4 therapeutic users reported using acetaminophen for dental pain. The adjusted odds ratio for accidental overdose due to dental pain compared with other reasons for use was 12.8 (95% confidence interval, 4.2-47.6). We found that patients with dental pain are at increased risk to accidentally overdose on acetaminophen compared with patients taking acetaminophen for other reasons. Emergency physicians should carefully question patients with dental pain about overuse of analgesics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Viking labeled release biology experiment - Interim results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levin, G. V.; Straat, P. A.

    1976-01-01

    All results of the labeled-release life-detection experiment conducted on Mars prior to conjunction are summarized. Tests at both landing sites provide remarkably similar evolution of radioactive gas upon addition of a radioactive nutrient to the Mars sample. The 'active' agent in the sample is stable to 18 C, but is substantially inactivated by heat treatment for 3 hours at 50 C and completely inactivated at 160 C, as would be anticipated if the active response were caused by microorganisms. Results from test and heat-sterilized control samples are compared with those obtained from terrestrial soils and a lunar sample. Possible nonbiological explanations of the Mars data are reviewed. Although such explanations of the labeled-release data depend on UV irradiation, the labeled-release response does not appear to depend on recent direct UV activation of surface material. Available facts do not yet permit a conclusion regarding the existence of life on Mars.

  20. Low-level radioactive waste management handbook series: Low-level radioactive waste management in medical and biomedical research institutions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1987-03-01

    Development of this handbook began in 1982 at the request of the Radhealth Branch of the California Department of Health Services. California Assembly Bill 1513 directed the DHS to ''evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of (1) reducing the volume, reactivity, and chemical and radioactive hazard of (low-level radioactive) waste and (2) substituting nonradioactive or short-lived radioactive materials for those radionuclides which require long-term isolation from the environment. A contract awarded to the University of California at Irvine-UCI (California Std. Agreement 79902), to develop a document focusing on methods for decreasing low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generation in institutions was amore » result of that directive. In early 1985, the US Department of Energy, through EG and G Idaho, Inc., contracted with UCI to expand, update, and revise the California text for national release.« less

  1. Twenty-year review of medical findings in a Marshallese population accidentally exposed to radioactive fallout

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Conard, R.A.

    1975-01-01

    A summary is presented of results of medical examinations of inhabitants of the Marshall Islands during the 20-year period following the exposure of Rongelap people to radioactive fallout in 1954. The initial effect observed was $beta$ burns of the skin of some individuals. Few significant findings were observed during the subsequent 9-year period, although an increase in miscarriages and stillbirths among the exposed women was noted. In 1963 some thyroid abnormalities and growth retardation of some children were noted. (177 references). (CH)

  2. Involving Parents in Indicated Early Intervention for Childhood PTSD Following Accidental Injury

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cobham, Vanessa E.; March, Sonja; De Young, Alexandra; Leeson, Fiona; Nixon, Reginald; McDermott, Brett; Kenardy, Justin

    2012-01-01

    Accidental injuries represent the most common type of traumatic event to which a youth is likely to be exposed. While the majority of youth who experience an accidental injury will recover spontaneously, a significant proportion will go on to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). And yet, there is little published treatment outcome…

  3. Design of a monitoring network over France in case of a radiological accidental release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abida, Rachid; Bocquet, Marc; Vercauteren, Nikki; Isnard, Olivier

    The Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (France) is planning the set-up of an automatic nuclear aerosol monitoring network over the French territory. Each of the stations will be able to automatically sample the air aerosol content and provide activity concentration measurements on several radionuclides. This should help monitor the French and neighbouring countries nuclear power plants set. It would help evaluate the impact of a radiological incident occurring at one of these nuclear facilities. This paper is devoted to the spatial design of such a network. Here, any potential network is judged on its ability to extrapolate activity concentrations measured on the network stations over the whole domain. The performance of a network is quantitatively assessed through a cost function that measures the discrepancy between the extrapolation and the true concentration fields. These true fields are obtained through the computation of a database of dispersion accidents over one year of meteorology and originating from 20 French nuclear sites. A close to optimal network is then looked for using a simulated annealing optimisation. The results emphasise the importance of the cost function in the design of a network aimed at monitoring an accidental dispersion. Several choices of norm used in the cost function are studied and give way to different designs. The influence of the number of stations is discussed. A comparison with a purely geometric approach which does not involve simulations with a chemistry-transport model is performed.

  4. New tracers identify hydraulic fracturing fluids and accidental releases from oil and gas operations.

    PubMed

    Warner, N R; Darrah, T H; Jackson, R B; Millot, R; Kloppmann, W; Vengosh, A

    2014-11-04

    Identifying the geochemical fingerprints of fluids that return to the surface after high volume hydraulic fracturing of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs has important applications for assessing hydrocarbon resource recovery, environmental impacts, and wastewater treatment and disposal. Here, we report for the first time, novel diagnostic elemental and isotopic signatures (B/Cl, Li/Cl, δ11B, and δ7Li) useful for characterizing hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids (HFFF) and distinguishing sources of HFFF in the environment. Data from 39 HFFFs and produced water samples show that B/Cl (>0.001), Li/Cl (>0.002), δ11B (25-31‰) and δ7Li (6-10‰) compositions of HFFF from the Marcellus and Fayetteville black shale formations were distinct in most cases from produced waters sampled from conventional oil and gas wells. We posit that boron isotope geochemistry can be used to quantify small fractions (∼0.1%) of HFFF in contaminated fresh water and likely be applied universally to trace HFFF in other basins. The novel environmental application of this diagnostic isotopic tool is validated by examining the composition of effluent discharge from an oil and gas brine treatment facility in Pennsylvania and an accidental spill site in West Virginia. We hypothesize that the boron and lithium are mobilized from exchangeable sites on clay minerals in the shale formations during the hydraulic fracturing process, resulting in the relative enrichment of boron and lithium in HFFF.

  5. Studies related to the development of the Viking 1975 labeled release experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Devincenzi, D. L.; Deal, P. H.

    1976-01-01

    The labeled release life detection experiment on the Viking 1975 Mars mission is based on the concept that microorganisms will metabolize radioactive organic substrates in a nutrient medium and release radioactive carbon dioxide. Several experiments, using laboratory equipment, were carried out to evaluate various aspects of the concept. Results indicate: (1) label is released by sterilization-treated soil, (2) substantial quantities of label are retained in solution under basic conditions, (3) the substrate used, as well as position of label in the molecule, affect release of label, (4) label release is depressed by radiolytic decomposition of substrates, and (5) About 100,000 organisms are required to produce a detectable response. These results, suggest additional areas for testing, add to the data base for interpretation of flight results, and have significance for broader application of this technique for assessing microbial activity.

  6. The accidental mentor: Australian rural nurses developing supportive relationships in the workplace.

    PubMed

    Mills, J E; Francis, K; Bonner, A

    2007-01-01

    Like the fictional 'Accidental Tourist', an author who does not plan to write about travel, the accidental mentor is an experienced rural nurse who does not plan to be a mentor, and yet assumes that role with new or novice rural nurses as a result of them encountering a critical incident. Accidental mentoring is a short-term relationship that provides support for the new or novice nurse in managing the incident, while maintaining their level of confidence. This article describes the findings from a constructivist grounded theory study that examined Australian rural nurses' experiences of mentoring, including evidence for a new concept of mentoring - accidental mentoring. Constructivist grounded theory is a research methodology that focuses on issues of importance for participants around an area of common interest - in this case Australian rural nurse mentoring. In this study, seven participants were interviewed, generating nine transcripts. These were analysed using a process of concurrent data generation and analysis. In addition, the literature regarding rural nurse workforce and mentoring was incorporated as a source of data, using collective frame analysis. Rural nurses live their work, which predisposes them to developing supportive relationships with new or novice rural nurses. Supportive relationships range from preceptoring, to accidental mentoring, mentoring and deep friendship, depending on the level of trust and engagement that is established between the partners and the amount of time they spend together. Accidental mentoring is a short-term relationship that is prompted by experienced rural nurses observing a new or novice rural nurse experiencing a critical incident. Findings are presented that illustrate a new concept of accidental mentoring not present in the current literature around nurse mentoring. A series of recommendations are included that suggest strategies for improved rural nurse retention as an outcome of recognising and developing such

  7. Box model of radionuclide dispersion and radiation risk estimation for population in case of radioactivity release from nuclear submarine {number_sign}601 dumped in the Kara Sea

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yefimov, E.I.; Pankratov, D.V.; Ignatiev, S.V.

    1997-12-31

    When ships with nuclear reactors or nuclear materials aboard suffer shipwreck or in the case of burial or dumping of radioactive wastes, atmospheric fallout, etc., radionuclides may be released and spread in the sea, contaminating the sea water and the sea bottom. When a nuclear submarine (NS) is dumped this spread of activity may occur due to gradual core destruction by corrosion over many years. The objective of this paper is to develop a mathematical model of radionuclide dispersion and to assess the population dose and radiation risk for radionuclide release from the NS No. 601, with Pb-Bi coolant thatmore » was dumped in the Kara Sea.« less

  8. [Accidental hypothermia].

    PubMed

    Soteras Martínez, Iñigo; Subirats Bayego, Enric; Reisten, Oliver

    2011-07-09

    Accidental hypothermia is an infrequent and under-diagnosed pathology, which causes fatalities every year. Its management requires thermometers to measure core temperature. An esophageal probe may be used in a hospital situation, although in moderate hypothermia victims epitympanic measurement is sufficient. Initial management involves advance life support and body rewarming. Vigorous movements can trigger arrhythmia which does not use to respond to medication or defibrillation until the body reaches 30°C. External, passive rewarming is the method of choice for mild hypothermia and a supplementary method for moderate or severe hypothermia. Active external rewarming is indicated for moderate or severe hypothermia or mild hypothermia that has not responded to passive rewarming. Active internal rewarming is indicated for hemodynamically stable patients suffering moderate or severe hypothermia. Patients with severe hypothermia, cardiac arrest or with a potassium level below 12 mmol/l may require cardiopulmonary bypass treatment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  9. Measuring the visual salience of alignments by their non-accidentalness.

    PubMed

    Blusseau, S; Carboni, A; Maiche, A; Morel, J M; Grompone von Gioi, R

    2016-09-01

    Quantitative approaches are part of the understanding of contour integration and the Gestalt law of good continuation. The present study introduces a new quantitative approach based on the a contrario theory, which formalizes the non-accidentalness principle for good continuation. This model yields an ideal observer algorithm, able to detect non-accidental alignments in Gabor patterns. More precisely, this parameterless algorithm associates with each candidate percept a measure, the Number of False Alarms (NFA), quantifying its degree of masking. To evaluate the approach, we compared this ideal observer with the human attentive performance on three experiments of straight contours detection in arrays of Gabor patches. The experiments showed a strong correlation between the detectability of the target stimuli and their degree of non-accidentalness, as measured by our model. What is more, the algorithm's detection curves were very similar to the ones of human subjects. This fact seems to validate our proposed measurement method as a convenient way to predict the visibility of alignments. This framework could be generalized to other Gestalts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Accidental Head Injury: A Real Life Experience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blakely, Jim

    1988-01-01

    The adult victim of accidental head injury as a result of an automobile accident recounts his experiences as a brain injured adult with such problems as poor balance, poor speech, spasticity, and lack of fine motor movement. He emphasizes his determination to get on with his life. (DB)

  11. Plutonium release from the 903 pad at Rocky Flats.

    PubMed

    Mongan, T R; Ripple, S R; Winges, K D

    1996-10-01

    The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDH) sponsored a study to reconstruct contaminant doses to the public from operations at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. This analysis of the accidental release of plutonium from the area known as the 903 Pad is part of the CDH study. In the 1950's and 1960's, 55-gallon drums of waste oil contaminated with plutonium, and uranium were stored outdoors at the 903 Pad. The drums corroded, leaking contaminated oil onto soil subsequently carried off-site by the wind. The plutonium release is estimated using environmental data from the 1960's and 1970's and an atmospheric transport model for fugitive dust. The best estimate of total plutonium release to areas beyond plant-owned property is about 0.26 TBq (7 Ci). Off-site airborne concentrations and deposition of plutonium are estimated for dose calculation purposes. The best estimate of the highest predicted off-site effective dose is approximately 72 microSv (7.2 mrem).

  12. Paediatric femur fractures at the emergency department: accidental or not?

    PubMed Central

    Vrolijk-Bosschaart, Thekla F; Bakx, Roel; Van Rijn, Rick R.

    2016-01-01

    Only a small proportion of all paediatric fractures is caused by child abuse or neglect, especially in highly prevalent long bone fractures. It can be difficult to differentiate abusive fractures from non-abusive fractures. This article focuses on femoral fractures in young children. Based on three cases, this article presents a forensic evidence-based approach to differentiate between accidental and non-accidental causes of femoral fractures. We describe three cases of young children who were presented to the emergency department because of a suspected femur fracture. Although in all cases, the fracture had a similar location and appearance, the clinical history and developmental stage of the child led to three different conclusions. In the first two cases, an accidental mechanism was a plausible conclusion, although in the second case, neglect of parental supervision was the cause for concern. In the third case, a non-accidental injury was diagnosed and appropriate legal prosecution followed. Any doctor treating children should always be aware of the possibility of child abuse and neglect in children with injuries, especially in young and non-mobile children presenting with an unknown trauma mechanism. If a suspicion of child abuse or neglect arises, a thorough diagnostic work-up should be performed, including a full skeletal survey according to the guidelines of the Royal College of Radiologists and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. In order to make a good assessment, the radiologist reviewing the skeletal survey needs access to all relevant clinical and social information. PMID:26642309

  13. THE USE OF HELICOPTERS FOR EMERGENCY DISTRICT SURVEY AFTER AN ACCIDENTAL RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lister, B.A.J.

    1963-10-31

    The possible use of helicopters in carrying out rapid district gamma radiation surveys was studied using standard portabie equipment operated by regular health physics operations staff. Measurements have been made of radiation levels at various heights up to 1000 feet above point sources of iodine- 131 and caesium-137 and above arrays of iodine-131 sources. The results show than an area contaminated to a level of 0.4 c iodine-131/m/sup 2/ (corresponding to the imposition of emergency restrictions on milk consumption) can be readily detected using a scintillation ratemeter at a height of 50-100 ft. This sensitivity is similar to that whichmore » can be obtained using a fixed wing aircraft at 500 ft employing more elaborate techniques. The type of helicopter used is available as a continuous emergency service operated by the Royal Air Force. Operational flying tests have indicated the main problems whlch would be met during an emergency survey, and the advantages to be gained from the use of helicopters either in close support of a carborne survey or in areas where a carborne survey is impracticable. A suitable technique for such an aerial survey has been worked out and an agreement for assistance now exists between A.E.R.E. Harwell and R.A.F. Coastal Command. (auth)« less

  14. Risk assessment for stonecutting enterprises Accidental risks in the course of petroleum production and stone extraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aleksandrova, A. J.; Timofeeva, S. S.

    2018-01-01

    The paper is devoted to the assessment of accidental risks occurring at the works engaged in stone extracting and petroleum production. Two basic kinds of accidents common for stone extracting and petroleum production have been chosen to be discussed in the part under consideration. The most dangerous accidental situation characteristic for a stone milling line is an unsanctioned explosion, UE, of blasting agents used for the development of stone deposits. The analysis of a risk occurrence in certain accidental situations is to be carried out. With reference to petroleum extraction, a combustibles and lubricants (C & L) explosion is the most dangerous of characteristic accidental situations. To reveal the most probable causes of accidental situations to be realized, a graph of cause and effect relations has been constructed for each of the accidental situations most probable causes to real situation of an accident. Disasters of a natural origin are the most probable causes of unsanctioned explosions at the deposits of stone raw materials. Technology related natural disasters are the most probable causes of unsanctioned explosions to be realized at multiple well platforms engaged in petroleum production.

  15. Finnish stakeholder engagement in the restoration of a radioactively contaminated food supply chain.

    PubMed

    Rantavaara, A; Wallin, H; Hasunen, K; Härmälä, K; Kulmala, H; Latvio, E; Liskola, K; Mustonen, I; Nieminen, I; Tainio, R

    2005-01-01

    An expert group was established in 2001 representing various organisations and authorities responsible for primary production, food processing, the distribution and consumption of foodstuffs, food safety and availability, catering and extension services, nature conservation, research into environmental impacts, and the media. The aim was to strengthen networking and improve the stakeholder response to accidental radioactive contamination of rural areas through participation in the FARMING network project. A hypothetical contamination of a large milk-producing area provided a suitable framework for evaluation of actions ensuring clean feeding of dairy cows during grazing. The following year the group received a compilation of rural countermeasures and waste disposal methods, described by the STRATEGY project. The robust, uncomplicated approach of the evaluation meetings was fruitful and efficient, and the multidisciplinary group was capable of taking shared views on various measures after updating their knowledge together. High priority was given to measurements of radioactivity and the provision of information and advice to a wider audience.

  16. Accidental poisoning with detomidine and butorphanol.

    PubMed

    Hannah, N

    2010-09-01

    This is a case report concerning a veterinarian who spilled detomidine and butorphanol on dermatitic hands while sedating a horse. This resulted in acute poisoning from which the patient spontaneously recovered with supportive management. Veterinarians often suffer from occupational dermatitis and handle strong sedatives with no gloves while working around unpredictable animals. Thus, this group is at risk of accidental self-poisoning from this method.

  17. Accidental hypothermia in a healthy quadriplegic patient.

    PubMed

    Altus, P; Hickman, J W; Nord, H J

    1985-03-01

    An otherwise healthy 28-year-old quadriplegic patient was admitted to the hospital with a core temperature of 76 degrees F secondary to accidental hypothermia. Her neurologic disability was detrimental to thermoregulation by decreasing her ability to shiver actively and to vasoconstrict. The relationship between shivering and thermoregulation is discussed.

  18. Safety assessment of borehole disposal of unwanted radioactive sealed sources in Egypt using Goldsim.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cochran, John Russell; Mattie, Patrick D.

    2004-10-01

    A radioactive sealed source is any radioactive material that is encased in a capsule designed to prevent leakage or escape of the radioactive material. Radioactive sealed sources are used for a wide variety of applications at hospitals, in manufacturing and research. Typical uses are in portable gauges to measure soil compaction and moisture or to determine physical properties of rocks units in boreholes (well logging). Hospitals and clinics use radioactive sealed sources for teletherapy and brachytherapy. Oil exploration and medicine are the largest users. Accidental mismanagement of radioactive sealed sources each year results in a large number of people receivingmore » very high or even fatal does of ionizing radiation. Deliberate mismanagement is a growing international concern. Sealed sources must be managed and disposed effectively in order to protect human health and the environment. Effective national safety and management infrastructures are prerequisites for efficient and safe transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal. The Integrated Management Program for Radioactive Sealed Sources in Egypt (IMPRSS) is a cooperative development agreement between the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Egyptian Ministry of Health (MOH), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the University of New Mexico (UNM), and Agriculture Cooperative Development International (ACDI/VOCA). The EAEA, teaming with SNL, is conducting a Preliminary Safety Assessment (PSA) of an intermediate-depth borehole disposal in thick arid alluvium in Egypt based on experience with the U.S. Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD). Goldsim has been selected for the preliminary disposal system assessment for the Egyptian GCD Study. The results of the PSA will then be used to decide if Egypt desires to implement such a disposal system.« less

  19. The effect of spatially varying velocity field on the transport of radioactivity in a porous medium.

    PubMed

    Sen, Soubhadra; Srinivas, C V; Baskaran, R; Venkatraman, B

    2016-10-01

    In the event of an accidental leak of the immobilized nuclear waste from an underground repository, it may come in contact of the flow of underground water and start migrating. Depending on the nature of the geological medium, the flow velocity of water may vary spatially. Here, we report a numerical study on the migration of radioactivity due to a space dependent flow field. For a detailed analysis, seven different types of velocity profiles are considered and the corresponding concentrations are compared. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Accidental introductions of natural enemies: causes and implications

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Accidental introductions of natural enemies, including parasitoid and predatory groups, may exceed species introduced intentionally. Several factors favor this: a general surge in international trade; lack of surveillance for species that are not associated with live plants or animals; inability to ...

  1. Accidental hazardous material releases with human impacts in the United States: exploration of geographical distribution and temporal trends.

    PubMed

    Sengul, Hatice; Santella, Nicholas; Steinberg, Laura J; Chermak, Christina

    2010-09-01

    To investigate the circumstances and geographic and temporal distributions of hazardous material releases and resulting human impacts in the United States. Releases with fatalities, injuries, and evacuations were identified from reports to the National Response Center between 1990 and 2008, correcting for data quality issues identified in previous studies. From more than 550,000 reports, 861 deaths, 16,348 injuries and 741,427 evacuations were identified. Injuries from releases of chemicals at fixed facilities and natural gas from pipelines have decreased whereas evacuations from petroleum releases at fixed facilities have increased. Results confirm recent advances in chemical and pipeline safety and suggest directions for further improvement including targeted training and inspections and adoption of inherently safer design principles.

  2. The release of labelled acetylcholine and choline from cerebral cortical slices stimulated electrically

    PubMed Central

    Richardson, I.W.; Szerb, J.C.

    1974-01-01

    1 In order to establish the origin of the increased efflux of radioactivity caused by electrical stimulation of cerebral cortical slices which had been incubated with [3H]-choline, labelled choline and acetylcholine (ACh) collected by superfusion were separated by gold precipitation. 2 In the presence of physostigmine electrical stimulation (1 Hz, 10 min) increased the release of only [3H]-ACh which was greatly enhanced by the addition of atropine. 3 Continuous stimulation in the presence of physostigmine resulted in an evoked release of [3H]-ACh which declined asymptotically. This evoked release appeared to follow first-order kinetics with a rate constant which remained stable over the course of prolonged stimulation. 4 The rate constant for the evoked release of [3H]-ACh with 1 Hz stimulation was three times greater in the presence of physostigmine and atropine than in the presence of physostigmine alone, while the size of the store from which [3H]-ACh was released was nearly identical under these two conditions. 5 In the absence of physostigmine and atropine, stimulation caused the appearance of only [3H]-choline in the samples. 6 Reduction of [3H]-ACh stores before the application of physostigmine resulted in a reduced evoked release of total radioactivity, both in the absence or presence of physostigmine and atropine, and decreased the evoked release of [3H]-ACh without affecting the release of [3H]-choline. 7 Results suggest that electrical stimulation of cortical slices which had been incubated with [3H]-choline causes the release of only [3H]-ACh, both in the presence or absence of an anticholinesterase. The evoked increase in the efflux of total radioactivity is therefore a good measure of the release of [3H]-ACh. PMID:4455326

  3. [Impact of heat waves on non-accidental deaths in Jinan, China].

    PubMed

    Zhang, J; Liu, S Q; Zhou, L; Gong, S P; Liu, Y L; Zhang, Y; Zhang, J

    2016-02-20

    To assess the impact of heat waves on non-accidental deaths, and to investigate the influencing factors for deaths caused by heat waves in Jinan, China. Daily death data and meteorological data for summer days with or without heat waves in Jinan from 2012 to 2014 were collected, and a cross-over analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of heat waves on non-accidental deaths and deaths caused by other reasons. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the influencing factors for deaths caused by heat waves. The risks of non-accidental deaths and deaths caused by circulation system diseases during the days with heat waves were 1.82 times(95% CI: 1.47~2.36) and 1.53 times(95% CI: 1.14~2.07) those during the days without heat waves. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that old age(≥75 years)(OR=1.184, 95% CI: 1.068~1.313), low educational level(OR=1.187, 95% CI: 1.064~1.324), and deaths outside hospital(OR=1.105, 95% CI: 1.009~1.210) were associated with the high risk of deaths during the days with heat waves. Heat waves significantly increase the risk of non-accidental deaths and deaths caused by circulation system diseases in Jinan, and the deaths during the days with heat waves are related to age, educational level, and place of death.

  4. An alternative approach for computing seismic response with accidental eccentricity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Xuanhua; Yin, Jiacong; Sun, Shuli; Chen, Pu

    2014-09-01

    Accidental eccentricity is a non-standard assumption for seismic design of tall buildings. Taking it into consideration requires reanalysis of seismic resistance, which requires either time consuming computation of natural vibration of eccentric structures or finding a static displacement solution by applying an approximated equivalent torsional moment for each eccentric case. This study proposes an alternative modal response spectrum analysis (MRSA) approach to calculate seismic responses with accidental eccentricity. The proposed approach, called the Rayleigh Ritz Projection-MRSA (RRP-MRSA), is developed based on MRSA and two strategies: (a) a RRP method to obtain a fast calculation of approximate modes of eccentric structures; and (b) an approach to assemble mass matrices of eccentric structures. The efficiency of RRP-MRSA is tested via engineering examples and compared with the standard MRSA (ST-MRSA) and one approximate method, i.e., the equivalent torsional moment hybrid MRSA (ETM-MRSA). Numerical results show that RRP-MRSA not only achieves almost the same precision as ST-MRSA, and is much better than ETM-MRSA, but is also more economical. Thus, RRP-MRSA can be in place of current accidental eccentricity computations in seismic design.

  5. Experience with intubated patients does not affect the accidental extubation rate in pediatric intensive care units and intensive care nurseries.

    PubMed

    Frank, B S; Lewis, R J

    1997-06-01

    Accidental extubation is a potentially serious event for pediatric or neonatal patients with respiratory failure, especially in clinical settings in which personnel capable of performing reintubation may not be readily available. Thus the rate of accidental extubation in small intensive care units that operate without 24-hour in-house physician availability may be an important quality assurance indicator. The objective of this study were to determine the accidental extubation rate at a single small pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and compare it with published reports. This study was carried out in a six-bed PICU at Washoe Medical Center in Reno, Nevada, with a relatively low level of patient acuity, as measured by PRISM score and the frequency of intubation, and without 24-hour in-house physician availability. All intubated patients admitted during the 5-year period from January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1993 were included. The primary outcome measure was the occurrence of accidental extubation. We observed only two accidental extubations in 1,749 intubated-patient-days (IPD) (0.114 accidental extubations/100 IPD [95% confidence interval 0.014-0.413 accidental extubations/ 100 IPD]). This rate of accidental extubation was compared with data in published reports from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and PICUs, which ranged from 0.14 accidental extubations/100 IPD to 4.36 accidental extubations/100 IPD. The dependence of the observed accidental extubation rate on unit size and institutional experience with intubated patients, as measured by the average number of intubated patients, was examined. We found no evidence that the accidental extubation rate is higher in smaller units or units with less institutional experience. Low rates can be achieved in small units with low acuity.

  6. Influence of target thickness on the release of radioactive atoms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guillot, Julien; Roussière, Brigitte; Tusseau-Nenez, Sandrine; Barré-Boscher, Nicole; Borg, Elie; Martin, Julien

    2017-03-01

    Nowadays, intense exotic beams are needed in order to study nuclei with very short half-life. To increase the release efficiency of the fission products, all the target characteristics involved must be improved (e.g. chemical composition, dimensions, physicochemical properties such as grain size, porosity, density…). In this article, we study the impact of the target thickness. Released fractions measured from graphite and uranium carbide pellets are presented as well as Monte-Carlo simulations of the Brownian motion.

  7. Accidental Kähler moduli inflation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maharana, Anshuman; Rummel, Markus; Sumitomo, Yoske

    2015-09-01

    We study a model of accidental inflation in type IIB string theory where inflation occurs near the inflection point of a small Kähler modulus. A racetrack structure helps to alleviate the known concern that string-loop corrections may spoil Kähler Moduli Inflation unless having a significant suppression via the string coupling or a special brane setup. Also, the hierarchy of gauge group ranks required for the separation between moduli stabilization and inflationary dynamics is relaxed. The relaxation becomes more significant when we use the recently proposed D-term generated racetrack model.

  8. Patterns of accidental deaths in Kuwait: a retrospective descriptive study from 2003-2009.

    PubMed

    Al-Kandary, Nadia; Al-Waheeb, Salah

    2015-03-28

    Accidents are a preventable cause of death. Unfortunately it accounts for a large number of deaths in many societies. In Kuwait, road traffic accidents (RTA) is the leading cause of death in young people. The study investigated the patterns of accidental deaths in Kuwait, one of the Gulf States which incorporates a wide variety of multi-ethnic communities. The study was retrospective from 2003-2009. Data of forensic cases were collected from the general department of criminal evidence (GDCE) in the ministry of interior (MOI).We attempted to find out causes of accidental death and the prevelance of each cause. Furthermore, the relationship of demographic factors (eg. Age, sex, marital status and nationality) with each cause of accidental death in Kuwait were studied. The material of this study constituted a total of 4886 reported accidental deaths referred for Medico-legal examination. Road traffic accidents was by far the most prevalent cause of death (64.6%) followed by fall from height (13.1%). Poisoning and mine explosions were amongst the least common causes. The government of Kuwait needs to take strong measures to promote safety in the workplace and households by educational campaigns.

  9. Osborn waves in severe accidental hypothermia secondary to prolonged immobilization and malnutrition.

    PubMed

    Rotondi, Francesco; Manganelli, Fiore; Candelmo, Fiore; Marino, Luciano; Di Lorenzo, Emilio; Alfano, Ferdinando; Stanco, Giovanni; Rosato, Giuseppe

    2010-07-01

    We report the case of a 77-year-old man, in whom accidental hypothermia was secondary to prolonged immobilization and malnutrition. The electrocardiogram showed typical Osborn waves, which disappeared with the rewarming of the patient. The diagnosis of hypothermia is easy in patients with a history of prolonged exposure to a cold environment but accidental hypothermia may also occur as a consequence of prolonged immobilization and malnutrition. ECG analysis is very important for a correct and fast diagnosis.

  10. Laser decontamination of the radioactive lightning rods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Potiens, A. J.; Dellamano, J. C.; Vicente, R.; Raele, M. P.; Wetter, N. U.; Landulfo, E.

    2014-02-01

    Between 1970 and 1980 Brazil experienced a significant market for radioactive lightning rods (RLR). The device consists of an air terminal with one or more sources of americium-241 attached to it. The sources were used to ionize the air around them and to increase the attraction of atmospheric discharges. Because of their ineffectiveness, the nuclear regulatory authority in Brazil suspended the license for manufacturing, commerce and installation of RLR in 1989, and determined that the replaced RLR were to be collected to a centralized radioactive waste management facility for treatment. The first step for RLR treatment is to remove the radioactive sources. Though they can be easily removed, some contaminations are found all over the remaining metal scrap that must decontaminated for release, otherwise it must be treated as radioactive waste. Decontamination using various chemicals has proven to be inefficient and generates large amounts of secondary wastes. This work shows the preliminary results of the decontamination of 241Am-contaminated metal scrap generated in the treatment of radioactive lightning rods applying laser ablation. A Nd:YAG nanoseconds laser was used with 300 mJ energy leaving only a small amount of secondary waste to be treated.

  11. Storage and release of hydrogen cyanide in a chelicerate (Oribatula tibialis)

    PubMed Central

    Brückner, Adrian; Raspotnig, Günther; Wehner, Katja; Meusinger, Reinhard; Norton, Roy A.; Heethoff, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Cyanogenesis denotes a chemical defensive strategy where hydrogen cyanide (HCN, hydrocyanic or prussic acid) is produced, stored, and released toward an attacking enemy. The high toxicity and volatility of HCN requires both chemical stabilization for storage and prevention of accidental self-poisoning. The few known cyanogenic animals are exclusively mandibulate arthropods (certain myriapods and insects) that store HCN as cyanogenic glycosides, lipids, or cyanohydrins. Here, we show that cyanogenesis has also evolved in the speciose Chelicerata. The oribatid mite Oribatula tibialis uses the cyanogenic aromatic ester mandelonitrile hexanoate (MNH) for HCN storage, which degrades via two different pathways, both of which release HCN. MNH is emitted from exocrine opisthonotal oil glands, which are potent organs for chemical defense in most oribatid mites. PMID:28289203

  12. 49 CFR 192.751 - Prevention of accidental ignition.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Prevention of accidental ignition. 192.751 Section 192.751 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) PIPELINE SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE:...

  13. Bayesian estimation of a source term of radiation release with approximately known nuclide ratios

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tichý, Ondřej; Šmídl, Václav; Hofman, Radek

    2016-04-01

    We are concerned with estimation of a source term in case of an accidental release from a known location, e.g. a power plant. Usually, the source term of an accidental release of radiation comprises of a mixture of nuclide. The gamma dose rate measurements do not provide a direct information on the source term composition. However, physical properties of respective nuclide (deposition properties, decay half-life) can be used when uncertain information on nuclide ratios is available, e.g. from known reactor inventory. The proposed method is based on linear inverse model where the observation vector y arise as a linear combination y = Mx of a source-receptor-sensitivity (SRS) matrix M and the source term x. The task is to estimate the unknown source term x. The problem is ill-conditioned and further regularization is needed to obtain a reasonable solution. In this contribution, we assume that nuclide ratios of the release is known with some degree of uncertainty. This knowledge is used to form the prior covariance matrix of the source term x. Due to uncertainty in the ratios the diagonal elements of the covariance matrix are considered to be unknown. Positivity of the source term estimate is guaranteed by using multivariate truncated Gaussian distribution. Following Bayesian approach, we estimate all parameters of the model from the data so that y, M, and known ratios are the only inputs of the method. Since the inference of the model is intractable, we follow the Variational Bayes method yielding an iterative algorithm for estimation of all model parameters. Performance of the method is studied on simulated 6 hour power plant release where 3 nuclide are released and 2 nuclide ratios are approximately known. The comparison with method with unknown nuclide ratios will be given to prove the usefulness of the proposed approach. This research is supported by EEA/Norwegian Financial Mechanism under project MSMT-28477/2014 Source-Term Determination of Radionuclide Releases

  14. Risk analysis for dry snow slab avalanche release by skier triggering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McClung, David

    2013-04-01

    Risk analysis is of primary importance for skier triggering of avalanches since human triggering is responsible for about 90% of deaths from slab avalanches in Europe and North America. Two key measureable quantities about dry slab avalanche release prior to initiation are the depth to the weak layer and the slope angle. Both are important in risk analysis. As the slope angle increases, the probability of avalanche release increases dramatically. As the slab depth increases, the consequences increase if an avalanche releases. Among the simplest risk definitions is (Vick, 2002): Risk = (Probability of failure) x (Consequences of failure). Here, these two components of risk are the probability or chance of avalanche release and the consequences given avalanche release. In this paper, for the first time, skier triggered avalanches were analyzed from probability theory and its relation to risk for both the D and . The data consisted of two quantities : (,D) taken from avalanche fracture line profiles after an avalanche has taken place. Two data sets from accidentally skier triggered avalanches were considered: (1) 718 for and (2) a set of 1242 values of D which represent average values along the fracture line. The values of D were both estimated (about 2/3) and measured (about 1/3) by ski guides from Canadian Mountain Holidays CMH). I also analyzed 1231 accidentally skier triggered avalanches reported by CMH ski guides for avalanche size (representing destructive potential) on the Canadian scale. The size analysis provided a second analysis of consequences to verify that using D. The results showed that there is an intermediate range of both D and with highest risk. ForD, the risk (product of consequences and probability of occurrence) is highest for D in the approximate range 0.6 m - 1.0 m. The consequences are low for lower values of D and the chance of release is low for higher values of D. Thus, the highest product is in the intermediate range. For slope angles

  15. Suicide and accidental deaths in children and adolescents in England and Wales, 2001-2010.

    PubMed

    Windfuhr, Kirsten; While, David; Hunt, Isabelle M; Shaw, Jenny; Appleby, Louis; Kapur, Nav

    2013-12-01

    To investigate the impact of narrative verdicts on suicide statistics among 10-19-year-olds; to identify the number and rate of suicide and accidental deaths, particularly in 10-14-year-olds. National cohort study. England and Wales. Mid-year population estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) were used to calculate rates per 100,000 population for suicide (undetermined and suicide verdicts) and accidental deaths (poisoning, hanging) for those aged 10-14 and 15-19. Trends in rates over time (2001-2010) were investigated using Poisson regression. Interaction tests were carried out to determine differences in trends between the two time periods (2001-2005 and 2006-2010). There were 1523 suicides (2.25/100,000). Suicide rates were highest in those aged 15-19 years (4.04/100,000) and in males (3.14/100,000). Between 2001 and 2010, rates significantly decreased among those aged 15-19 years (incidence rate-ratio (IRR): 0.95; 95% CI 0.93 to 0.97), with no change in rates of accidental deaths (IRR: 1.01, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.07). However, there was a significant interaction between the two time periods for accidental poisonings (2001-2005: IRR: 0.79 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.91); 2006-2010: IRR: 1.01 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.15), interaction p=0.012) and accidental hangings (2001-2005: IRR: 0.93 (95% CI 0.76 to 1.14); 2006-2010: IRR: 1.25 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.49), interaction=0.01) Undetermined deaths significantly decreased among females aged 15-19 yeras (IRR: 0.93; 95% CI 0.88 to 0.98). There were no significant trends among 10-14-year-olds. Rates of suicide are higher among older adolescents and males. There was a significant fall in suicide rates in males aged 15-19 years that was not accounted for by changes in rates of accidental death. The absence of a significant trend in suicide or accidental deaths in those aged 10-14 years may have been the result of small numbers. However, monitoring should continue to identify longitudinal trends in all young people.

  16. Prevention of accidental exposure in radiotherapy: the risk matrix approach.

    PubMed

    Vilaragut, J J; Duménigo, C; Delgado, J M; Morales, J; McDonnell, J D; Ferro, R; Ortiz López, P; Ramírez, M L; Pérez Mulas, A; Papadopulos, S; Gonçalves, M; López Morones, R; Sánchez Cayuela, C; Cascajo Castresana, A; Somoano, F; Álvarez, C; Guillén, A; Rodríguez, M; Pereira, P P; Nader, A

    2013-02-01

    Knowledge and lessons from past accidental exposures in radiotherapy are very helpful in finding safety provisions to prevent recurrence. Disseminating lessons is necessary but not sufficient. There may be additional latent risks for other accidental exposures, which have not been reported or have not occurred, but are possible and may occur in the future if not identified, analyzed, and prevented by safety provisions. Proactive methods are available for anticipating and quantifying risk from potential event sequences. In this work, proactive methods, successfully used in industry, have been adapted and used in radiotherapy. Risk matrix is a tool that can be used in individual hospitals to classify event sequences in levels of risk. As with any anticipative method, the risk matrix involves a systematic search for potential risks; that is, any situation that can cause an accidental exposure. The method contributes new insights: The application of the risk matrix approach has identified that another group of less catastrophic but still severe single-patient events may have a higher probability, resulting in higher risk. The use of the risk matrix approach for safety assessment in individual hospitals would provide an opportunity for self-evaluation and managing the safety measures that are most suitable to the hospital's own conditions.

  17. Accidental Chlorine Gas Intoxication: Evaluation of 39 Patients

    PubMed Central

    Sever, Mustafa; Mordeniz, Cengiz; Sever, Fidan; Dokur, Mehmet

    2009-01-01

    Background Chlorine is a known pulmonary irritant gas that may cause acute damage in the respiratory system. In this paper, the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of 39 accidentally exposed patients to chlorine gas are reported and different emergency treatment modalities are also discussed. Methods Two emergency departments applications were retrospectively analyzed for evaluation of accidental chlorine gas exposure for year 2007. Patients were classified into 3 groups according to severity of clinical and laboratory findings based on the literature and duration of land of stay in the emergency department. The first group was slightly exposed (discharged within 6 hours), second group moderately exposed (treated and observed for 24 hours), and third group was severely exposed (hospitalized). Most of the patients were initially treated with a combination of humidified oxygen, corticosteroids, and bronchodilators. Results The average age was 17.03 ± 16.01 years (95% CI). Seven (17.9%) of them were female and 29 (74.4%) were children. Twenty-four patients (61.5%) were included in the first, nine (23.1%) were in second and six (15.4%) were in the third group. The presenting symptoms were cough, nausea, and vomiting and conjunctiva hyperemia for the first group, first groups symptoms plus dyspnea for the second group. Second groups symptoms plus palpitation, weakness and chest tightness were for the third group. Cough and dyspnea were seen in 64.1% and 30.8% of the patients respectively. No patients died. Conclusions The authors recommend that non symptomatic or slightly exposed patients do not need any specific treatment or symptomatic treatment is sufficient. Keywords Accidental; Chlorine exposure; Chlorine gas; Chlorine intoxication; Emergency department PMID:22481989

  18. Characteristics of Metals Concentrations in in the Animas and San Juan Rivers during Passage of the Gold King Mine Release Plume

    EPA Science Inventory

    The accidental release of 11.3 million liters (~ 3,000,000 gallons) of acidic mine water from the Gold King Mine (GKM) in southwestern Colorado on August 5, 2015, created high concentrations of dissolved and particulate metals into the Animas River over about a 12-hour period. Th...

  19. Empirical calibration of uranium releases in the terrestrial environment of nuclear fuel cycle facilities.

    PubMed

    Pourcelot, Laurent; Masson, Olivier; Saey, Lionel; Conil, Sébastien; Boulet, Béatrice; Cariou, Nicolas

    2017-05-01

    In the present paper the activity of uranium isotopes measured in plants and aerosols taken downwind of the releases of three nuclear fuel settlements was compared between them and with the activity measured at remote sites. An enhancement of 238 U activity as well as 235 U/ 238 U anomalies and 236 U are noticeable in wheat, grass, tree leaves and aerosols taken at the edge of nuclear fuel settlements, which show the influence of uranium chronic releases. Further plants taken at the edge of the studied sites and a few published data acquired in the same experimental conditions show that the 238 U activity in plants is influenced by the intensity of the U atmospheric releases. Assuming that 238 U in plant is proportional to the intensity of the releases, we proposed empirical relationships which allow to characterize the chronic releases on the ground. Other sources of U contamination in plants such as accidental releases and "delayed source" of uranium in soil are also discussed in the light of uranium isotopes signatures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Accidental poisoning with autumn crocus.

    PubMed

    Gabrscek, Lucija; Lesnicar, Gorazd; Krivec, Bojan; Voga, Gorazd; Sibanc, Branko; Blatnik, Janja; Jagodic, Boris

    2004-01-01

    We describe a case of a 43-yr-old female with severe multiorgan injury after accidental poisoning with Colchicum autumnale, which was mistaken for wild garlic (Allium ursinum). Both plants grow on damp meadows and can be confused in the spring when both plants have leaves but no blossoms. The autumn crocus contains colchicine, which inhibits cellular division. Treatment consisted of supportive care, antibiotic therapy, and granulocyte-directed growth factor. The patient was discharged from the hospital after three weeks. Three years after recovery from the acute poisoning, the patient continued to complain of muscle weakness and intermittent episodes of hair loss.

  1. Fission-gas release from uranium nitride at high fission rate density

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weinstein, M. B.; Kirchgessner, T. A.; Tambling, T. N.

    1973-01-01

    A sweep gas facility has been used to measure the release rates of radioactive fission gases from small UN specimens irradiated to 8-percent burnup at high fission-rate densities. The measured release rates have been correlated with an equation whose terms correspond to direct recoil release, fission-enhanced diffusion, and atomic diffusion (a function of temperature). Release rates were found to increase linearly with burnups between 1.5 and 8 percent. Pore migration was observed after operation at 1550 K to over 6 percent burnup.

  2. Toxoplasma antibodies and retinochoroiditis in the Marshall Islands and their association with exposure to radioactive fallout

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Adams, W.H.; Kindermann, W.R.; Walls, K.W.

    1987-03-01

    Nearly universal serologic evidence of Toxoplasma gondii infection was found to have occurred by adulthood in 517 Marshallese tested in 1981-1982. The prevalence and incidence of retinal lesions compatible with toxoplasmosis were 3.9% and 273 cases/year/100,000 seropositive persons, respectively, thus indicating a significant public health problem. Seronegativity was significantly more common in a subgroup of Marshallese that had received 110-190 rads of total-body gamma radiation as a consequence of accidental exposure to radioactive fallout in 1954. Despite this finding there was no evidence of an increase in clinically significant lesions in exposed persons.

  3. Duration of time on shift before accidental blood or body fluid exposure for housestaff, nurses, and technicians.

    PubMed

    Green-McKenzie, Judith; Shofer, Frances S

    2007-01-01

    Shift work has been found to be associated with an increased rate of errors and accidents among healthcare workers (HCWs), but the effect of shift work on accidental blood and body fluid exposure sustained by HCWs has not been well characterized. To determine the duration of time on shift before accidental blood and body fluid exposure in housestaff, nurses, and technicians and the proportion of housestaff who sustain a blood and body fluid exposure after 12 hours on duty. This retrospective, descriptive study was conducted during a 24-month period at a large urban teaching hospital. Participants were HCWs who sustained an accidental blood and body fluid exposure. Housestaff were on duty significantly longer than both nursing staff (P=.02) and technicians (P<.0001) before accidental blood and body fluid exposure. Half of the blood and body fluid exposures sustained by housestaff occurred after being on duty 8 hours or more, and 24% were sustained after being on duty 12 hours or more. Of all HCWs, 3% reported an accidental blood and body fluid exposure, with specific rates of 7.9% among nurses, 9.4% among housestaff, and 3% among phlebotomists. Housestaff were significantly more likely to have longer duration of time on shift before blood and body fluid exposure than were the other groups. Almost one-quarter of accidental blood and body fluid exposures to housestaff were incurred after they had been on duty for 12 hours or more. Housestaff sustained a higher rate of accidental blood and body fluid exposures than did nursing staff and technicians.

  4. A prospective cohort study of non-fatal accidental overdose among street youth: the link with suicidal ideation.

    PubMed

    Richer, Isabelle; Bertrand, Karine; Vandermeerschen, Jill; Roy, Elise

    2013-07-01

    Drug overdose and suicide are the two leading causes of death among street youth. The literature discusses the two faces of drug overdose: accidental act and suicide attempt. Some authors have stated that accidental overdoses may be a hidden expression of suicidal ideation. This study longitudinally examined the relationship between recent suicidal ideations and non-fatal accidental drug overdoses among street youth. Between July 2001 and December 2005, 858 street youth (14-23 years old) were recruited for a prospective cohort study. Youth were eligible if, in the previous year, they had been without a place to sleep more than once or had used the services of street youth agencies on a regular basis (≥3). Participants completed baseline questionnaires and follow-up interviews were carried out every 6 months. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were conducted. Apart from suicidal ideation and accidental drug overdose, variables considered in the model were age, sex, problematic alcohol use, homelessness, injection drug use and polydrug use (≥3 drugs). Accidental drug overdose was significantly associated with suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio 1.88; 95% confidence interval 1.23-2.54). Homelessness, injection drug use and polydrug use were also significant in the final model. Results show that, during follow up, suicidal ideation independently increased risks of accidental overdose. They also underscore the need for interventions beyond educational prevention. Primary care practitioners should investigate suicidal ideations and behaviours of street youth in treatment for accidental overdose. © 2012 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  5. EMERALD-NORMAL; PWR activity release and dose. [IBM360,370; FORTRAN IV

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gillespie, S.G.; Brunot, W.K.

    EMERALD-NORMAL is designed for the calculation of radiation releases and exposures resulting from normal operation of a large pressurized water reactor. The approach used is similar to an analog simulation of a real system. Each component or volume in the plant which contains a radioactive material is represented by a subroutine which keeps track of the production, transfer, decay, and absorption of radioactivity in that volume. During the course of the analysis, activity is transferred from subroutine to subroutine in the program as it would be transferred from place to place in the plant. Some of this activity is thenmore » released to the atmosphere and to the discharge canal. The rates of transfer, leakage, production, cleanup, decay, and release are read as input to the program. Subroutines are also included which calculate the off-site radiation exposures at various distances for individual isotopes and sums of isotopes. The program contains a library of physical data for the forty isotopes of most interest in licensing calculations, and other isotopes can be added or substituted. Because of the flexible nature of the simulation approach, the EMERALD-NORMAL program can be used for most calculations involving the production and release of radioactive material. These include design, operation, and licensing studies.IBM360,370; FORTRAN IV; OS/360,370; 576K bytes of memory.« less

  6. Alarm inhalation dosemeter for long living radioactive dust due to an uncontrolled release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Streil, T.; Oeser, V.; Rambousky, R.; Buchholz, F. W.

    2008-08-01

    MyRIAM is the acronym for My Radioactivity In Air Monitor and points out that the device was designed for personal use to detect any radioactivity in the air at the place and at the moment of danger. The active air sampling process enables a detection limit several orders of magnitude below that of Gamma detectors. Therefore, it is the unique way to detect dangerous exposures in time. Individual protection against inhalation of long living radioactive dust (LLRD) saves human life and health. LLRD may occur in natural environment as well as in case of nuclear accidence or military and terrorist attacks. But in any case, the immediate warning of the population is of great importance. Keep in mind: it is very easy to avoid LLRD inhalation—but you have to recognize the imminent danger. The second requirement of gap-less documentation and reliable assessment of any derived LLRD exposure is building the link to Dosimetry applications. The paper demonstrates the possibility to design small and low cost air samplers, which can be used as personal alarm dosimeters and fulfil the requirements mentioned above. Several test measurements taken by a mobile phone sized MyRIAM, shall be used to demonstrate the correctness of this statement.

  7. Tracking Radioactive Fallout from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident in Arctic Snow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osterberg, E. C.; Thompson, J.; Landis, J.; Albert, M. R.; Campbell, S. W.; Hawley, R. L.; Virginia, R. A.

    2011-12-01

    The March 11, 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku, Japan earthquake produced a tsunami that inundated the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant and led to the accidental release of radioactive 131I, 132Te, 134Cs, and 137Cs to the atmosphere. The Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission estimates that 12,000 TBq of 137Cs were released to the atmosphere during the incident, which represents ~14% of the total estimated 137Cs emission from the Chernobyl disaster in April 1986. Measurements of airborne radiation collected at the Fukushima plant illustrate that >50% of the total emitted radiation was released on March 15 and 16 associated with explosions and fires at reactor units 1, 2, and 4, and 70% was emitted in the first 5 days of the event. The source of the radiation is thus well constrained in time and space, providing an opportunity to better understand long-range atmospheric transport processes from Asia to the Arctic, while also assessing the magnitude of the fallout in the Arctic. Here we describe the 137Cs and 134Cs fallout flux near Thule, Greenland (1700 m a.s.l.), at Summit (3200 m a.s.l.), Greenland, and within Denali National Park, Alaska (2400-3900 m a.s.l.) based on series of large-volume (5-15 l) snow pit samples collected in June and July, 2011. In addition to assessing the spatial variability of Fukushima fallout in the Arctic, the elevation range of samples allows for an analysis of any vertical heterogeneity in fallout transport and deposition. Major ion concentrations and stable water isotope ratios are used to confirm the seasonal timing of the Fukushima fallout horizon in the snowpack. Radiocesium was concentrated and isolated from the snow pit meltwater using the well-established ammonium phosphomolybdate (AMP) adsorption method, and 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations were measured using gamma spectrometry with a Canberra 3523 well-type intrinsic Ge-detector at the Dartmouth College Short-Lived Isotope Laboratory. NOAA HYPLIT atmospheric forward

  8. Non-accidental salt poisoning.

    PubMed Central

    Meadow, R

    1993-01-01

    The clinical features of 12 children who incurred non-accidental salt poisoning are reported. The children usually presented to hospital in the first six months of life with unexplained hypernatraemia and associated illness. Most of the children suffered repetitive poisoning before detection. The perpetrator was believed to the mother for 10 children, the father for one, and either parent for one. Four children had serum sodium concentrations above 200 mmol/l. Seven children had incurred other fabricated illness, drug ingestion, physical abuse, or failure to thrive/neglect. Two children died; the other 10 remained healthy in alternative care. Features are described that should lead to earlier detection of salt poisoning; the importance of checking urine sodium excretion, whenever hypernatraemia occurs, is stressed. PMID:8503665

  9. Estimation of errors in the inverse modeling of accidental release of atmospheric pollutant: Application to the reconstruction of the cesium-137 and iodine-131 source terms from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winiarek, Victor; Bocquet, Marc; Saunier, Olivier; Mathieu, Anne

    2012-03-01

    A major difficulty when inverting the source term of an atmospheric tracer dispersion problem is the estimation of the prior errors: those of the atmospheric transport model, those ascribed to the representativity of the measurements, those that are instrumental, and those attached to the prior knowledge on the variables one seeks to retrieve. In the case of an accidental release of pollutant, the reconstructed source is sensitive to these assumptions. This sensitivity makes the quality of the retrieval dependent on the methods used to model and estimate the prior errors of the inverse modeling scheme. We propose to use an estimation method for the errors' amplitude based on the maximum likelihood principle. Under semi-Gaussian assumptions, it takes into account, without approximation, the positivity assumption on the source. We apply the method to the estimation of the Fukushima Daiichi source term using activity concentrations in the air. The results are compared to an L-curve estimation technique and to Desroziers's scheme. The total reconstructed activities significantly depend on the chosen method. Because of the poor observability of the Fukushima Daiichi emissions, these methods provide lower bounds for cesium-137 and iodine-131 reconstructed activities. These lower bound estimates, 1.2 × 1016 Bq for cesium-137, with an estimated standard deviation range of 15%-20%, and 1.9 - 3.8 × 1017 Bq for iodine-131, with an estimated standard deviation range of 5%-10%, are of the same order of magnitude as those provided by the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and about 5 to 10 times less than the Chernobyl atmospheric releases.

  10. Self-reported Hearing Difficulty and Risk of Accidental Injury in US Adults, 2007 to 2015.

    PubMed

    Lin, Harrison W; Mahboubi, Hossein; Bhattacharyya, Neil

    2018-03-22

    Accidental injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Hearing problems may be associated with an increased risk for such injuries. To investigate associations between hearing difficulty and risk of accidental injuries among US adults. Cross-sectional analysis of responses of a nationally representative sample of 232.2 million individuals 18 years or older who participated in the National Health Interview Survey from 2007 to 2015 and responded to the questions related to the hearing and injury modules. The main outcome variable was accidental injury in the preceding 3 months. Hearing status was self-reported as "excellent," "good," "a little trouble," "moderate trouble," "a lot of trouble," and "deaf." Prevalence of accidental injuries was analyzed based on demographic characteristics and hearing status. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for injuries adjusted for demographics were calculated for degrees of hearing difficulty. A secondary outcome was association of hearing status with type of injury and was classified as driving related, work related, or leisure/sport related. Of 232.2 million US adults, 120.2 million (51.7%) were female, and 116.3 million (50.1%) considered their hearing to be less than excellent. Accidental injuries occurred in 2.8% of survey respondents. In comparison with normal-hearing adults (those with self-rated excellent or good hearing), the odds of accidental injury were higher in those with a little trouble hearing (4.1%; OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.5-1.8), moderate trouble hearing (4.2%; OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-1.9), and a lot of trouble hearing (4.8%; OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.6-2.3). Work- and leisure-related injuries were more prevalent among those with self-perceived hearing difficulty. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age and sex, revealed leisure-related injuries was most consistently associated with various degrees of hearing difficulty. Odds ratios were 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.4) in those with a little trouble hearing

  11. A survey of radioactive fallout data in Alaska

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DePhillips, M.P.

    1995-10-23

    Considerable attention has been directed by the scientific community to assessing the levels and fate of radionuclides in Arctic ecosystems. The following text and tables present available data and discussion of radionuclide fallout in Alaska. A literature search of 23 on-line databases (Table 1) using Alaska, Strontium (Sr), Cesium (Cs), Plutonium (Pu) and Radionuclide as constraint terms responded with 177 possible citations. After eliminating duplicate citations, 31 articles were available: 17 were relevant to the subject matter; the remainder addressed geologic issues. All of the cited literature addressed {sup 137}Cs, {sup 90}Sr and {sup 239,240}Pu as a result of radionuclidemore » fallout from nuclear testing or accidental release.« less

  12. Petroleum and hazardous material releases from industrial facilities associated with Hurricane Katrina.

    PubMed

    Santella, Nicholas; Steinberg, Laura J; Sengul, Hatice

    2010-04-01

    Hurricane Katrina struck an area dense with industry, causing numerous releases of petroleum and hazardous materials. This study integrates information from a number of sources to describe the frequency, causes, and effects of these releases in order to inform analysis of risk from future hurricanes. Over 200 onshore releases of hazardous chemicals, petroleum, or natural gas were reported. Storm surge was responsible for the majority of petroleum releases and failure of storage tanks was the most common mechanism of release. Of the smaller number of hazardous chemical releases reported, many were associated with flaring from plant startup, shutdown, or process upset. In areas impacted by storm surge, 10% of the facilities within the Risk Management Plan (RMP) and Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) databases and 28% of SIC 1311 facilities experienced accidental releases. In areas subject only to hurricane strength winds, a lower fraction (1% of RMP and TRI and 10% of SIC 1311 facilities) experienced a release while 1% of all facility types reported a release in areas that experienced tropical storm strength winds. Of industrial facilities surveyed, more experienced indirect disruptions such as displacement of workers, loss of electricity and communication systems, and difficulty acquiring supplies and contractors for operations or reconstruction (55%), than experienced releases. To reduce the risk of hazardous material releases and speed the return to normal operations under these difficult conditions, greater attention should be devoted to risk-based facility design and improved prevention and response planning.

  13. Insomnia medication use and the probability of an accidental event in an older adult population

    PubMed Central

    Avidan, Alon Y; Palmer, Liisa A; Doan, Justin F; Baran, Robert W

    2010-01-01

    Objective: This study examined the risk of accidental events in older adults prescribed a sedating antidepressant, long-acting benzodiazepine, short-acting benzodiazepine, and nonbenzodiazepine, relative to a reference group (selective melatonin receptor agonist). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of older adults (≥65 years) with newly initiated pharmacological treatment of insomnia. Data were collected from the Thomson MarketScan® Medicare Supplemental and Coordination of Benefits databases (January 1, 2000, through June 30, 2006). Probit models were used to evaluate the probability of an accidental event. Results: Data were analyzed for 445,329 patients. Patients taking a long-acting benzodiazepine (1.21 odds ratio [OR]), short-acting benzodiazepine (1.16 OR), or nonbenzodiazepine (1.12 OR) had a significantly higher probability of experiencing an accidental event during the first month following treatment initiation compared with patients taking the reference medication (P < 0.05 for all). A significantly higher probability of experiencing an accidental event was also observed during the 3-month period following the initiation of treatment (1.62 long-acting benzodiazepine, 1.60 short-acting benzodiazepine, 1.48 nonbenzodiazepine, and 1.56 sedating antidepressant; P < 0.05). Conclusions: Older adults taking an SAD or any of the benzodiazepine receptor agonists appear to have a greater risk of an accidental event compared with a reference group taking an MR. PMID:21701634

  14. The Association between Dust Storms and Daily Non-Accidental Mortality in the United States, 1993-2005.

    PubMed

    Crooks, James Lewis; Cascio, Wayne E; Percy, Madelyn S; Reyes, Jeanette; Neas, Lucas M; Hilborn, Elizabeth D

    2016-11-01

    The impact of dust storms on human health has been studied in the context of Asian, Saharan, Arabian, and Australian storms, but there has been no recent population-level epidemiological research on the dust storms in North America. The relevance of dust storms to public health is likely to increase as extreme weather events are predicted to become more frequent with anticipated changes in climate through the 21st century. We examined the association between dust storms and county-level non-accidental mortality in the United States from 1993 through 2005. Dust storm incidence data, including date and approximate location, are taken from the U.S. National Weather Service storm database. County-level mortality data for the years 1993-2005 were acquired from the National Center for Health Statistics. Distributed lag conditional logistic regression models under a time-stratified case-crossover design were used to study the relationship between dust storms and daily mortality counts over the whole United States and in Arizona and California specifically. End points included total non-accidental mortality and three mortality subgroups (cardiovascular, respiratory, and other non-accidental). We estimated that for the United States as a whole, total non-accidental mortality increased by 7.4% (95% CI: 1.6, 13.5; p = 0.011) and 6.7% (95% CI: 1.1, 12.6; p = 0.018) at 2- and 3-day lags, respectively, and by an average of 2.7% (95% CI: 0.4, 5.1; p = 0.023) over lags 0-5 compared with referent days. Significant associations with non-accidental mortality were estimated for California (lag 2 and 0-5 day) and Arizona (lag 3), for cardiovascular mortality in the United States (lag 2) and Arizona (lag 3), and for other non-accidental mortality in California (lags 1-3 and 0-5). Dust storms are associated with increases in lagged non-accidental and cardiovascular mortality. Citation: Crooks JL, Cascio WE, Percy MS, Reyes J, Neas LM, Hilborn ED. 2016. The association between dust storms

  15. The potential for damage from the accidental release of conductive carbon fibers from burning composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bell, V. L.

    1980-01-01

    The potential damage to electrical equipment caused by the release of carbon fibers from burning commercial airliners is assessed in terms of annual expected costs and maximum losses at low probabilities of occurrence. A materials research program to provide alternate or modified composite materials for aircraft structures is reviewed.

  16. 2011 Radioactive Materials Usage Survey for Unmonitored Point Sources

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sturgeon, Richard W.

    This report provides the results of the 2011 Radioactive Materials Usage Survey for Unmonitored Point Sources (RMUS), which was updated by the Environmental Protection (ENV) Division's Environmental Stewardship (ES) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). ES classifies LANL emission sources into one of four Tiers, based on the potential effective dose equivalent (PEDE) calculated for each point source. Detailed descriptions of these tiers are provided in Section 3. The usage survey is conducted annually; in odd-numbered years the survey addresses all monitored and unmonitored point sources and in even-numbered years it addresses all Tier III and various selected other sources.more » This graded approach was designed to ensure that the appropriate emphasis is placed on point sources that have higher potential emissions to the environment. For calendar year (CY) 2011, ES has divided the usage survey into two distinct reports, one covering the monitored point sources (to be completed later this year) and this report covering all unmonitored point sources. This usage survey includes the following release points: (1) all unmonitored sources identified in the 2010 usage survey, (2) any new release points identified through the new project review (NPR) process, and (3) other release points as designated by the Rad-NESHAP Team Leader. Data for all unmonitored point sources at LANL is stored in the survey files at ES. LANL uses this survey data to help demonstrate compliance with Clean Air Act radioactive air emissions regulations (40 CFR 61, Subpart H). The remainder of this introduction provides a brief description of the information contained in each section. Section 2 of this report describes the methods that were employed for gathering usage survey data and for calculating usage, emissions, and dose for these point sources. It also references the appropriate ES procedures for further information. Section 3 describes the RMUS and explains how the survey results are

  17. 21 CFR 1002.20 - Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... the Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, all accidental radiation occurrences... grounds include, but are not necessarily limited to, professional, scientific, or medical facts or... occurred. (b) Such reports shall be addressed to the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, ATTN...

  18. 21 CFR 1002.20 - Reporting of accidental radiation occurrences.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... the Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, all accidental radiation occurrences... grounds include, but are not necessarily limited to, professional, scientific, or medical facts or... occurred. (b) Such reports shall be addressed to Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and...

  19. Modeling Radionuclide Decay Chain Migration Using HYDROGEOCHEM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, T. C.; Tsai, C. H.; Lai, K. H.; Chen, J. S.

    2014-12-01

    Nuclear technology has been employed for energy production for several decades. Although people receive many benefits from nuclear energy, there are inevitably environmental pollutions as well as human health threats posed by the radioactive materials releases from nuclear waste disposed in geological repositories or accidental releases of radionuclides from nuclear facilities. Theoretical studies have been undertaken to understand the transport of radionuclides in subsurface environments because that the radionuclide transport in groundwater is one of the main pathway in exposure scenarios for the intake of radionuclides. The radionuclide transport in groundwater can be predicted using analytical solution as well as numerical models. In this study, we simulate the transport of the radionuclide decay chain using HYDROGEOCHEM. The simulated results are verified against the analytical solution available in the literature. Excellent agreements between the numerical simulation and the analytical are observed for a wide spectrum of concentration. HYDROGECHEM is a useful tool assessing the ecological and environmental impact of the accidental radionuclide releases such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster where multiple radionuclides leaked through the reactor, subsequently contaminating the local groundwater and ocean seawater in the vicinity of the nuclear plant.

  20. Determinants of suicide and accidental or violent death in the Australian HIV Observational Database.

    PubMed

    McManus, Hamish; Petoumenos, Kathy; Franic, Teo; Kelly, Mark D; Watson, Jo; O'Connor, Catherine C; Jeanes, Mark; Hoy, Jennifer; Cooper, David A; Law, Matthew G

    2014-01-01

    Rates of suicide and accidental or violent death remain high in HIV-positive populations despite significantly improved prognosis since the introduction of cART. We conducted a nested case-control study of suicide and accidental or violent death in the Australian HIV Observational Database (AHOD) between January 1999 and March 2012. For each case, 2 controls were matched by clinic, age, sex, mode of exposure and HIV-positive date to adjust for potential confounding by these covariates. Risk of suicide and accidental or violent death was estimated using conditional logistic regression. We included 27 cases (17 suicide and 10 violent/accidental death) and 54 controls. All cases were men who have sex with men (MSM) or MSM/ injecting drug use (IDU) mode of exposure. Increased risk was associated with unemployment (Odds Ratio (OR) 5.86, 95% CI: 1.69-20.37), living alone (OR 3.26, 95% CI: 1.06-10.07), suicidal ideation (OR 6.55, 95% CI: 1.70-25.21), and >2 psychiatric/cognitive risk factors (OR 4.99, 95% CI: 1.17-30.65). CD4 cell count of >500 cells/µL (OR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07-0.87) and HIV-positive date ≥1990 (1990-1999 (OR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.11-0.89), post-2000 (OR 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.84)) were associated with decreased risk. CD4 cell count ≥500 cells/µL remained a significant predictor of reduced risk (OR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03-0.70) in a multivariate model adjusted for employment status, accommodation status and HIV-positive date. After adjustment for psychosocial factors, the immunological status of HIV-positive patients contributed to the risk of suicide and accidental or violent death. The number of psychiatric/cognitive diagnoses contributed to the level of risk but many psychosocial factors were not individually significant. These findings indicate a complex interplay of factors associated with risk of suicide and accidental or violent death.

  1. Cervical spine injuries in young children: pattern and outcomes in accidental versus inflicted trauma.

    PubMed

    Baerg, Joanne; Thirumoorthi, Arul; Hazboun, Rajaie; Vannix, Rosemary; Krafft, Paul; Zouros, Alexander

    2017-11-01

    The aim of the study was to compare the cervical spine (c-spine) pattern of injury and outcomes in children below 3 y with a head injury from confirmed inflicted versus accidental trauma. After Institutional Review Board approval, data were prospectively collected between July 2011 and January 2016. Inclusion criteria were age below 3 y, a loss of consciousness, and any one of the following initial head computed tomography (CT) findings (subdural hematoma, intraventricular, intraparenchymal, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or cerebral edema). A protocol of brain and neck magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography was instituted. Brain and neck imaging results, clinical variables, and outcomes were recorded. Data were compared by t-test for continuous and Fisher exact test for categorical variables. 73 children were identified, 52 (71%) with inflicted and 21 (29%) with accidental trauma. The median age was 11 mo; (range: 1-35 mo). Ten (14%) had c-spine injuries, 7/52 (13%) inflicted, and 3/21 (14%) accidental. The mechanism was shaking for all inflicted and motor vehicle accident or pedestrian struck for accidental c-spine injuries. The inflicted group were significantly younger (P = 0.03), had higher Injury Severity Scores (P = 0.02), subdural hematomas (P = 0.03), fractures (P = 0.03), retinal hemorrhages (P = 0.02), brain infarcts (P = 0.01), and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (P = 0.01). Seven with inflicted trauma died from brain injury (9.5%), one had atlanto-occipital dissociation. Six mortalities (86%) had no c-spine injury. Six with inflicted c-spine injuries survived with neurologic impairment, whereas three with accidental survived without disability, including one atlanto-occipital dissociation. Compared to accidental trauma, young children with inflicted c-spine injuries have more multisystem trauma, long-term disability from brain injury, and an injury pattern consistent with shaking. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc

  2. Weathering of primary minerals and mobility of major elements in soils affected by an accidental spill of pyrite tailing.

    PubMed

    Martín, Francisco; Diez, María; García, Inés; Simón, Mariano; Dorronsoro, Carlos; Iriarte, Angel; Aguilar, José

    2007-05-25

    In the present work, soil profiles were sampled 40 days and three years after an accidental pyrite tailing spill from the Aznalcóllar mine (S Spain) in order to figure out the effects of the acidic solution draining from the tailing. The composition of the acidic solution, the mineralogy, and the total and soluble content of the major elements were analysed at varying depths. The results show a weathering process of carbonates and of primary silicates. Calcium released is leached or reacts with the sulphate ions to form gypsum. Magnesium, aluminium and potassium tend to leach from the uppermost millimetres of the soil, accumulating where the pH>/=5.0; also the iron, probably forming more or less complex hydroxysulphates, precipitate in the upper 5 cm. The strong releasing of soluble salts increases the electrical conductivity, while the soluble potassium tends to decrease in the uppermost part of the soil due to the neoformation of jarosite. Iron is soluble only where the pH

  3. Accidental Peccei-Quinn Symmetry Protected to Arbitrary Order

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Di Luzio, Luca; Nardi, Enrico; Ubaldi, Lorenzo

    2017-07-01

    A S U (N )L×S U (N )R gauge theory for a scalar multiplet Y transforming in the bifundamental representation (N ,N ¯) preserves, for N >4 , an accidental U (1 ) symmetry first broken at operator dimension N . A vacuum expectation value for Y can break the symmetry to Hs=S U (N )L+R or to Hh=S U (N -1 )L×S U (N -1 )R×U (1 )L +R . In the first case the accidental U (1 ) gets also broken, yielding a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson with mass suppression controlled by N . In the second case a global U (1 ) remains unbroken. The strong C P problem is solved by coupling Y to new fermions carrying color. The first case allows for a Peccei-Quinn solution with U (1 )PQ protected by the gauge symmetry up to order N . In the second case U (1 ) can get broken by condensates of the new strong dynamics, resulting in a composite axion. By coupling Y to fermions carrying only weak isospin, models for axionlike particles can be constructed.

  4. Accidental Beam Losses and Protection in the LHC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, R.; Working Group On Machine Protection

    2005-06-01

    At top energy (proton momentum 7 TeV/c) with nominal beam parameters, each of the two LHC proton beams has a stored energy of 350 MJ threatening to damage accelerator equipment in case of accidental beam loss. It is essential that the beams are properly extracted onto the dump blocks in case of failure since these are the only elements that can withstand full beam impact. Although the energy stored in the beams at injection (450 GeV/c) is about 15 times smaller compared to top energy, the beams must still be properly extracted in case of large accidental beam losses. Failures must be detected at a sufficiently early stage and initiate a beam dump. Quenches and power converter failures will be detected by monitoring the correct functioning of the hardware systems. In addition, safe operation throughout the cycle requires the use of beam loss monitors, collimators and absorbers. Ideas of detection of fast beam current decay, monitoring of fast beam position changes and monitoring of fast magnet current changes are discussed, to provide the required redundancy for machine protection.

  5. Accidental hanging by a T-shirt collar in a man with morphine intoxication: an unusual case.

    PubMed

    Kodikara, Sarathchandra; Alagiyawanna, Ramesh

    2011-09-01

    Accidental hanging is rare across all age groups, and it is even rarer in the adult population except in autoerotic asphyxia. Few cases have been reported in the literature, which describe unusual patterns of accidental hanging. This article focuses on an unusual pattern of accidental hanging of a 25-year-old man, who was in a state of morphine-induced central nervous system depression and found dead in a sitting position with the collar of his T-shirt hanging off a jutting-out root of a tree. The hanged collar acted as a ligature compressing the neck.

  6. Management options for recycling radioactive scrap metals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dehmel, J.C.; MacKinney, J.; Bartlett, J.

    1997-02-01

    The feasibility and advantages of recycling radioactive scrap metals (RSM) have yet to be assessed, given the unique technical, regulatory, safety, and cost-benefit issues that have already been raised by a concerned recycling industry. As is known, this industry has been repeatedly involved with the accidental recycling of radioactive sources and, in some cases, with costly consequences. If recycling were deemed to be a viable option, it might have to be implemented with regulatory monitoring and controls. Its implementation may have to consider various and complex issues and address the requirements and concerns of distinctly different industries. There are threemore » basic options for the recycling of such scraps. They are: (1) recycling through the existing network of metal-scrap dealers and brokers, (2) recycling directly and only with specific steelmills, or (3) recycling through regional processing centers. Under the first option, scrap dealers and brokers would receive material from RSM generators and determine at which steelmills such scraps would be recycled. For the second option, RSM generators would deal directly with selected steelmills under specific agreements. For the third option, generators would ship scraps only to regional centers for processing and shipment to participating steelmills. This paper addresses the potential advantages of each option, identifies the types of arrangements that would need to be secured among all parties, and attempts to assess the receptivity of the recycling industry to each option.« less

  7. The Accidental Transgressor: Morally-Relevant Theory of Mind

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Killen, Melanie; Mulvey, Kelly Lynn; Richardson, Cameron; Jampol, Noah; Woodward, Amanda

    2011-01-01

    To test young children's false belief theory of mind in a morally relevant context, two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, children (N=162) at 3.5, 5.5, and 7.5 years of age were administered three tasks: prototypic moral transgression task, false belief theory of mind task (ToM), and an "accidental transgressor" task, which measured a…

  8. Positive income shocks and accidental deaths among Cherokee Indians: a natural experiment

    PubMed Central

    Bruckner, Tim A; Brown, Ryan A; Margerison-Zilko, Claire

    2011-01-01

    Background Several studies in low-income populations report the somewhat counterintuitive finding that positive income gains adversely affect adult health. The literature posits that receipt of a large portion of annual income increases, in the short term, risk-taking behaviour and/or the consumption of health-damaging goods. This work implies the hypothesis that persons with an unexpected gain in income will exhibit an elevated risk of accidental death—the fifth leading cause of death in the USA. We test this hypothesis directly by capitalizing on a natural experiment in which Cherokee Indians in rural North Carolina received discrete lump sum payments from a new casino. Methods We applied Poisson regression to the monthly count of accidental deaths among Cherokee Indians over 204 months spanning 1990–2006. We controlled for temporal patterns in accidental deaths (e.g. seasonality and trend) as well as changes in population size. Results As hypothesized, the risk of accidental death rises above expected levels during months of the large casino payments (relative risk = 2.62; 95% confidence interval = 1.54–4.47). Exploratory analyses of ethnographic interviews and behavioural surveys support that increased vehicular travel and consumption of health-damaging goods may account for the rise in accident proneness. Conclusions Although long-term income gains may improve health in this population, our findings indicate that acute responses to large income gains, in the short term, increase risk-taking and accident proneness. We encourage further investigation of natural experiments to identify causal economic antecedents of population health. PMID:21527447

  9. The Accumulation of Radioactive Contaminants in Drinking Water Distribution Systems

    EPA Science Inventory

    The accumulation of trace contaminants in drinking water distribution systems has been documented and the subsequent release of the contaminants back to the water is a potential exposure pathway. Radioactive contaminants are of particular concern because of their known health eff...

  10. The Impacts of Air Temperature on Accidental Casualties in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Ma, Pan; Wang, Shigong; Fan, Xingang; Li, Tanshi

    2016-11-02

    Emergency room (ER) visits for accidental casualties, according to the International Classification of Deceases 10th Revision Chapters 19 and 20, include injury, poisoning, and external causes (IPEC). Annual distribution of 187,008 ER visits that took place between 2009 and 2011 in Beijing, China displayed regularity rather than random characteristics. The annual cycle from the Fourier series fitting of the number of ER visits was found to explain 63.2% of its total variance. In this study, the possible effect and regulation of meteorological conditions on these ER visits are investigated through the use of correlation analysis, as well as statistical modeling by using the Distributed Lag Non-linear Model and Generalized Additive Model. Correlation analysis indicated that meteorological variables that positively correlated with temperature have a positive relationship with the number of ER visits, and vice versa. The temperature metrics of maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures were found to have similar overall impacts, including both the direct impact on human mental/physical conditions and indirect impact on human behavior. The lag analysis indicated that the overall impacts of temperatures higher than the 50th percentile on ER visits occur immediately, whereas low temperatures show protective effects in the first few days. Accidental casualties happen more frequently on warm days when the mean temperature is higher than 14 °C than on cold days. Mean temperatures of around 26 °C result in the greatest possibility of ER visits for accidental casualties. In addition, males were found to face a higher risk of accidental casualties than females at high temperatures. Therefore, the IPEC-classified ER visits are not pure accidents; instead, they are associated closely with meteorological conditions, especially temperature.

  11. Radiation monitoring systems as a tool for assessment of accidental releases at the Chernobyl and Fukushima NPPs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shershakov, Vjacheslav; Bulgakov, Vladimir

    2013-04-01

    The experience gained during mitigation of the consequences of the accidents at the Chernobyl and Fukushima NPPs has shown that what makes different the decision-making in case of nuclear accidents is that the greatest benefit from decision-making can be achieved in the early phase of an accident. Support to such process can be provided only by a real-time decision-making support system. In case of a nuclear accident the analysis of the situation and decision-making is not feasible without an operational radiation monitoring system, international data exchange and automated data processing, and the use of computerized decision-making support systems. With this in mind, in the framework of different international programs on the Chernobyl-related issues numerous projects were undertaken to study and develop a set of methods, algorithms and programs providing effective support to emergency response decision-making, starting from accident occurrence to decision-making regarding countermeasures to mitigate effects of radioactive contamination of the environment. The presentation focuses results of the analysis of radiation monitoring data and, on this basis, refining or, for many short-lived radionuclides, reconstructing the source term, modeling dispersion of radioactivity in the environment and assessing its impacts. The obtained results allowed adding and refining the existing estimates and in some cases reconstructing doses for the public on the territories contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident. The activities were implemented in two stages. In the first stage, several scenarios for dispersion of Chernobyl-related radioactivity were developed. For each scenario cesium-137 dispersion was estimated and these estimates were compared with measurement data. In the second stage, the scenario which showed the best agreement of calculations and measurements was used for modeling the dispersion of iodine-131and other short-lived radionuclides. The described

  12. SIRANERISK: Modelling dispersion of steady and unsteady pollutant releases in the urban canopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soulhac, L.; Lamaison, G.; Cierco, F.-X.; Ben Salem, N.; Salizzoni, P.; Mejean, P.; Armand, P.; Patryl, L.

    2016-09-01

    SIRANERISK is an operational model for the simulation of the dispersion of unsteady atmospheric releases of pollutant within and above an urban area. SIRANERISK is built on the same principles as the SIRANE model, and couples a street network model for the pollutant transfers within the urban canopy with a Gaussian puff model for the transfers above it. The performance of the model are here analysed by a detailed comparisons with wind-tunnel experiments. These experiments concern the dispersion of steady and unsteady pollutant releases within and above obstacle arrays with varying geometrical configurations, representing different topologies of idealised urban districts. The overall good agreement between numerical and experimental data demonstrates the reliability of SIRANERISK as an operational tool for the assessment of risk analysis and for the management of crises due to the accidental release of harmful airborne pollutants within a built environment.

  13. METHOD OF REMOVING RADIOACTIVE IODINE FROM GASES

    DOEpatents

    Silverman, L.

    1962-01-23

    A method of removing radioactive iodine from a gaseous medium is given in which the gaseous medium is adjusted to a temperature not exceeding 400 deg C and then passed over a copper fibrous pad having a coating of cupric sulfide deposited thereon. An ionic exchange on the pad results in the formation of cupric iodide and the release of sulfur. (AEC)

  14. The Association between Dust Storms and Daily Non-Accidental Mortality in the United States, 1993–2005

    PubMed Central

    Crooks, James Lewis; Cascio, Wayne E.; Percy, Madelyn S.; Reyes, Jeanette; Neas, Lucas M.; Hilborn, Elizabeth D.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The impact of dust storms on human health has been studied in the context of Asian, Saharan, Arabian, and Australian storms, but there has been no recent population-level epidemiological research on the dust storms in North America. The relevance of dust storms to public health is likely to increase as extreme weather events are predicted to become more frequent with anticipated changes in climate through the 21st century. Objectives: We examined the association between dust storms and county-level non-accidental mortality in the United States from 1993 through 2005. Methods: Dust storm incidence data, including date and approximate location, are taken from the U.S. National Weather Service storm database. County-level mortality data for the years 1993–2005 were acquired from the National Center for Health Statistics. Distributed lag conditional logistic regression models under a time-stratified case-crossover design were used to study the relationship between dust storms and daily mortality counts over the whole United States and in Arizona and California specifically. End points included total non-accidental mortality and three mortality subgroups (cardiovascular, respiratory, and other non-accidental). Results: We estimated that for the United States as a whole, total non-accidental mortality increased by 7.4% (95% CI: 1.6, 13.5; p = 0.011) and 6.7% (95% CI: 1.1, 12.6; p = 0.018) at 2- and 3-day lags, respectively, and by an average of 2.7% (95% CI: 0.4, 5.1; p = 0.023) over lags 0–5 compared with referent days. Significant associations with non-accidental mortality were estimated for California (lag 2 and 0–5 day) and Arizona (lag 3), for cardiovascular mortality in the United States (lag 2) and Arizona (lag 3), and for other non-accidental mortality in California (lags 1–3 and 0–5). Conclusions: Dust storms are associated with increases in lagged non-accidental and cardiovascular mortality. Citation: Crooks JL, Cascio WE, Percy MS, Reyes

  15. Determinants of Suicide and Accidental or Violent Death in the Australian HIV Observational Database

    PubMed Central

    McManus, Hamish; Petoumenos, Kathy; Franic, Teo; Kelly, Mark D.; Watson, Jo; O’Connor, Catherine C.; Jeanes, Mark; Hoy, Jennifer; Cooper, David A.; Law, Matthew G.

    2014-01-01

    Background Rates of suicide and accidental or violent death remain high in HIV-positive populations despite significantly improved prognosis since the introduction of cART. Methods We conducted a nested case-control study of suicide and accidental or violent death in the Australian HIV Observational Database (AHOD) between January 1999 and March 2012. For each case, 2 controls were matched by clinic, age, sex, mode of exposure and HIV-positive date to adjust for potential confounding by these covariates. Risk of suicide and accidental or violent death was estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results We included 27 cases (17 suicide and 10 violent/accidental death) and 54 controls. All cases were men who have sex with men (MSM) or MSM/ injecting drug use (IDU) mode of exposure. Increased risk was associated with unemployment (Odds Ratio (OR) 5.86, 95% CI: 1.69–20.37), living alone (OR 3.26, 95% CI: 1.06–10.07), suicidal ideation (OR 6.55, 95% CI: 1.70–25.21), and >2 psychiatric/cognitive risk factors (OR 4.99, 95% CI: 1.17–30.65). CD4 cell count of >500 cells/µL (OR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07–0.87) and HIV-positive date ≥1990 (1990–1999 (OR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.11–0.89), post-2000 (OR 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01–0.84)) were associated with decreased risk. CD4 cell count ≥500 cells/µL remained a significant predictor of reduced risk (OR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03–0.70) in a multivariate model adjusted for employment status, accommodation status and HIV-positive date. Conclusions After adjustment for psychosocial factors, the immunological status of HIV-positive patients contributed to the risk of suicide and accidental or violent death. The number of psychiatric/cognitive diagnoses contributed to the level of risk but many psychosocial factors were not individually significant. These findings indicate a complex interplay of factors associated with risk of suicide and accidental or violent death. PMID:24586519

  16. Incidence and characteristics of accidental falls in hospitalizations

    PubMed Central

    Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi; Imagama, Shiro; Inagaki, Yuko; Suzuki, Yusuke; Ando, Kei; Nishida, Yoshihiro; Nagao, Yoshimasa; Ishiguro, Naoki

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Aging of the patient population has led to increased occurrence of accidental falls in acute care settings. The aim of this study is to survey the annual occurrence of falls in a university hospital, and to examine procedures to prevent fall. A total of 49,059 inpatients were admitted to our hospital from April 2015 to March 2016. A fall assessment scale was developed to estimate the risk of fall at admission. Data on falls were obtained from the hospital incident reporting system. There were fall-related incidents in 826 patients (1.7%). Most falls occurred in hospital rooms (67%). Adverse events occurred in 101 patients who fell (12%) and were significantly more frequent in patients aged ≥80 years old and in those wearing slippers. The incidence of falls was also significantly higher in patients in the highest risk group. These results support the validity of the risk assessment scale for predicting accidental falls in an acute treatment setting. The findings also clarify the demographic and environmental factors and consequences associated with fall. These results of the study could provide important information for designing effective interventions to prevent fall in elderly patients. PMID:28878434

  17. Metastatic angiosarcoma of the spleen after accidental radiation exposure: a case report.

    PubMed

    Geffen, D B; Zirkin, H J; Mermershtain, W; Cohen, Y; Ariad, S

    1998-04-01

    Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor arising from endothelial cells of blood vessels or lymphatic channels. Therapeutic irradiation, thoriumdioxide administration, pyothorax, and polyvinyl chloride exposure have been shown to be predisposing factors for developing angiosarcoma. Accidental radiation exposure has not been associated with angiosarcoma. We present an unusual case of angiosarcoma of the spleen, with metastases to bone, liver, breast, and bone marrow, in a woman who lived near the Chernobyl nuclear facility in the former Soviet Union at the time of the reactor accident in 1986. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of metastatic angiosarcoma after accidental radiation exposure.

  18. Radioactive hot cell access hole decontamination machine

    DOEpatents

    Simpson, William E.

    1982-01-01

    Radioactive hot cell access hole decontamination machine. A mobile housing has an opening large enough to encircle the access hole and has a shielding door, with a door opening and closing mechanism, for uncovering and covering the opening. The housing contains a shaft which has an apparatus for rotating the shaft and a device for independently translating the shaft from the housing through the opening and access hole into the hot cell chamber. A properly sized cylindrical pig containing wire brushes and cloth or other disks, with an arrangement for releasably attaching it to the end of the shaft, circumferentially cleans the access hole wall of radioactive contamination and thereafter detaches from the shaft to fall into the hot cell chamber.

  19. Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling of the February 2014 Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Release

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nasstrom, John; Piggott, Tom; Simpson, Matthew

    2015-07-22

    This report presents the results of a simulation of the atmospheric dispersion and deposition of radioactivity released from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in New Mexico in February 2014. These simulations were made by the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and supersede NARAC simulation results published in a previous WIPP report (WIPP, 2014). The results presented in this report use additional, more detailed data from WIPP on the specific radionuclides released, radioactivity release amounts and release times. Compared to the previous NARAC simulations, the new simulation results in this report aremore » based on more detailed modeling of the winds, turbulence, and particle dry deposition. In addition, the initial plume rise from the exhaust vent was considered in the new simulations, but not in the previous NARAC simulations. The new model results show some small differences compared to previous results, but do not change the conclusions in the WIPP (2014) report. Presented are the data and assumptions used in these model simulations, as well as the model-predicted dose and deposition on and near the WIPP site. A comparison of predicted and measured radionuclide-specific air concentrations is also presented.« less

  20. Young and juvenile chimpanzees' (Pan troglodytes) reactions to intentional versus accidental and inadvertent actions.

    PubMed

    Povinelli, D J; Perilloux, H K; Reaux, J E; Bierschwale, D T

    1998-02-01

    Chimpanzees were tested for their ability to discriminate between accidental/inadvertent and intentional actions with equivalent adverse consequences. Subjects were first trained to `point' to human trainers in order to receive food rewards. In Experiment 1, six 5-year-old subjects were alternately presented with two unfamiliar human actors. In condition 1, each actor either started to hand a cup of juice to the trainer but then pulled it back and intentionally poured it onto the floor, or accidentally spilled it while handing it to the trainer. In condition 2, the actors either accidentally spilled it as above, or aggressively threw the juice onto the floor. The subjects were then presented with both actors and were allowed to choose between them. In Experiment 2, seven 6-7-year-old chimpanzees were confronted with unfamiliar actors who either (a) intentionally withheld and consumed food intended for the subjects, (b) attempted to hand the intended food to the subjects but were victimized by a third party who consumed the food, or (c) always succeeded in delivering the food to the subjects. In general, the subjects showed little evidence of using the accidental/inadvertent versus intentional distinction in their choices between the actors, although they did display some evidence of favoring the actor involved in the most passive role in both conditions in Experiment 1.

  1. 77 FR 10401 - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Issues

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-22

    ... rather than active systems to limit and retard releases to the environment. Development of the 10 CFR... have been a number of developments that have called into question some of the key assumptions made in... radioactive wastes that did not exist at the time 10 CFR Part 61 was promulgated. The developments previously...

  2. Conditioning and Repackaging of Spent Radioactive Cs-137 and Co-60 Sealed Sources in Egypt - 13490

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hasan, M.A.; Selim, Y.T.; El-Zakla, T.

    2013-07-01

    Radioactive Sealed sources (RSSs) are widely use all over the world in medicine, agriculture, industry, research, etc. The accidental misuse and exposure to RSSs has caused significant environmental contamination, serious injuries and many deaths. The high specific activity of the materials in many RSSs means that the spread of as little as microgram quantities can generate significant risk to human health and inhibit the use of buildings and land. Conditioning of such sources is a must to protect humans and environment from the hazard of ionizing radiation and contamination. Conditioning is also increase the security of these sources by decreasingmore » the probability of stolen and/or use in terrorist attacks. According to the law No.7/2010, Egyptian atomic energy authority represented in the hot laboratories and waste management center (centralized waste facility, HLWMC) has the responsibility of collecting, conditioning, storing and management of all types of radioactive waste from all Egyptian territory including spent radioactive sealed sources (SRSSs). This paper explains the conditioning procedures for two of the most common SRSSs, Cs{sup 137} and Co{sup 60} sources which make up more than 90% of the total spent radioactive sealed sources stored in our centralized waste facility as one of the major activities of hot laboratories and waste management center. Conditioning has to meet three main objectives, be acceptable for storage, enable their safe transport, and comply with disposal requirements. (authors)« less

  3. Food allergy: practical approach on education and accidental exposure prevention.

    PubMed

    Pádua, I; Moreira, A; Moreira, P; Barros, R

    2016-09-01

    Food allergies are a growing problem and currently the primary treatment of food allergy is avoidance of culprit foods. However, given the lack of information and education and also the ubiquitous nature of allergens, accidental exposures to food allergens are not uncommon. The fear of potential fatal reactions and the need of a proper avoidance leads in most of the cases to the limitation of leisure and social activities. This review aims to be a practical approach on education and accidental exposure prevention regarding activities like shopping, eating out, and travelling. The recommendations are focused especially on proper reading of food labels and the management of the disease, namely in restaurants and airplanes, concerning cross-contact and communication with other stakeholders. The implementation of effective tools is essential to manage food allergy outside home, avoid serious allergic reactions and minimize the disease's impact on individuals' quality of life.

  4. EMERALD REVISION 1; PWR accident activity release. [IBM360,370; FORTRAN IV

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fowler, T.B.; Tobias, M.L.; Fox, J.N.

    The EMERALD program is designed for the calculation of radiation releases and exposures resulting from abnormal operation of a large pressurized water reactor (PWR). The approach used in EMERALD is similar to an analog simulation of a real system. Each component or volume in the plant which contains a radioactive material is represented by a subroutine which keeps track of the production, transfer, decay and absorption of radioactivity in that volume. During the course of the analysis of an accident, activity is transferred from subroutine to subroutine in the program as it would be transferred from place to place inmore » the plant. For example, in the calculation of the doses resulting from a loss-of-coolant accident the program first calculates the activity built up in the fuel before the accident, then releases some of this activity to the containment volume. Some of this activity is then released to the atmosphere. The rates of transfer, leakage, production, cleanup, decay, and release are read in as input to the program. Subroutines are also included which calculate the on-site and off-site radiation exposures at various distances for individual isotopes and sums of isotopes. The program contains a library of physical data for the twenty-five isotopes of most interest in licensing calculations, and other isotopes can be added or substituted. Because of the flexible nature of the simulation approach, the EMERALD program can be used for most calculations involving the production and release of radioactive materials during abnormal operation of a PWR. These include design, operational, and licensing studies.IBM360,370; FORTRAN IV; OS/360,370 (IBM360,370); 520K bytes of memory are required..« less

  5. Capture of Tritium Released from Cladding in the Zirconium Recycle Process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spencer, Barry B.; Walker, T. B.; Bruffey, Stephanie H.

    2016-08-31

    This report is issued as the first revision to FCRD-MRWFD-2016-000297. Zirconium may be recovered from the Zircaloy® cladding of used nuclear fuel (UNF) for recycle or to reduce the quantities of high-level waste destined for a geologic repository. Recovery of zirconium using a chlorination process is currently under development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The approach is to treat the cladding with chlorine gas to convert the zirconium in the alloy (~98 wt % of the alloy mass) to zirconium tetrachloride. A significant fraction of the tritium (0–96%) produced in nuclear fuel during irradiation may be found in zirconium-basedmore » cladding and could be released from the cladding when the solid matrix is destroyed by the chlorination reaction. To prevent uncontrolled release of radioactive tritium to other parts of the plant or to the environment, a method to recover the tritium may be required. The focus of this effort was to (1) identify potential methods for the recovery of tritium from the off-gas of the zirconium recycle process, (2) perform scoping tests on selected recovery methods using non-radioactive gas simulants, and (3) select a process design appropriate for testing on radioactive gas streams generated by the engineering-scale zirconium recycle demonstrations on radioactive used cladding.« less

  6. Radioactively contaminated electric arc furnace dust as an addition to the immobilization mortar in low- and medium-activity repositories.

    PubMed

    Castellote, Marta; Menéndez, Esperanza; Andrade, Carmen; Zuloaga, Pablo; Navarro, Mariano; Ordóñez, Manuel

    2004-05-15

    Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), generated by the steel-making industry, is in itself an intrinsic hazardous waste; however, the case may also be that scrap used in the process is accidentally contaminated by radioactive elements such as cesium. In this case the resulting EAFD is to be handled as radioactive waste, being duly confined in low- and medium-activity repositories (LMAR). What this paper studies is the reliability of using this radioactive EAFD as an addition in the immobilization mortar of the containers of the LMAR, that is, from the point of view of the durability. Different mixes of mortar containing different percentages of EAFD have been subjected to flexural and compressive strength, initial and final setting time, XRD study, total porosity and pore size distribution, determination of the chloride diffusion coefficient, dimensional stability tests, hydration heat, workability of the fresh mix, and leaching behavior. What is deduced from the results is that for the conditions used in this research, (cement + sand) can be replaced by EAFD upto a ratio [EAFD/(cement + EAFD)] of 46% in the immobilization mortar of LMAR, apparently without any loss in the long-term durability properties of the mortar.

  7. A tree branch instead of a ligature: an unusual accidental hanging.

    PubMed

    Vadysinghe, Amal Nishantha; Sivasubramanium, Murugupillai; Jayasooriya, Rankothge Pemasiri

    2017-12-01

    A unique case of accidental hanging due to compression of the neck of an adult by the branches of a coffee tree is reported. The decedent was a 42-year-old male who was found dead in a semi prone position on a slope. His neck was lodged in a wedge formed by two branches of a coffee tree, with his legs angled downwards on the slope. Autopsy revealed two friction abrasions located horizontally on either side of the front of the neck, just above the larynx. The findings were compatible with compression of the neck by the branches of the tree, with the body weight of the decedent contributing to compression. Subsequent complete autopsy examination confirmed the cause of death as hanging. Following an inquest the death was ruled to be accidental.

  8. Understanding the Radioactive Ingrowth and Decay of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in the Environment: An Analysis of Produced Fluids from the Marcellus Shale.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Andrew W; Eitrheim, Eric S; Knight, Andrew W; May, Dustin; Mehrhoff, Marinea A; Shannon, Robert; Litman, Robert; Burnett, William C; Forbes, Tori Z; Schultz, Michael K

    2015-07-01

    The economic value of unconventional natural gas resources has stimulated rapid globalization of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. However, natural radioactivity found in the large volumes of "produced fluids" generated by these technologies is emerging as an international environmental health concern. Current assessments of the radioactivity concentration in liquid wastes focus on a single element-radium. However, the use of radium alone to predict radioactivity concentrations can greatly underestimate total levels. We investigated the contribution to radioactivity concentrations from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), including uranium, thorium, actinium, radium, lead, bismuth, and polonium isotopes, to the total radioactivity of hydraulic fracturing wastes. For this study we used established methods and developed new methods designed to quantitate NORM of public health concern that may be enriched in complex brines from hydraulic fracturing wastes. Specifically, we examined the use of high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry and isotope dilution alpha spectrometry to quantitate NORM. We observed that radium decay products were initially absent from produced fluids due to differences in solubility. However, in systems closed to the release of gaseous radon, our model predicted that decay products will begin to ingrow immediately and (under these closed-system conditions) can contribute to an increase in the total radioactivity for more than 100 years. Accurate predictions of radioactivity concentrations are critical for estimating doses to potentially exposed individuals and the surrounding environment. These predictions must include an understanding of the geochemistry, decay properties, and ingrowth kinetics of radium and its decay product radionuclides.

  9. PERSPECTIVE: Fireworks and radioactivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Breitenecker, Katharina

    2009-09-01

    , resulting in potential negative health effects, unless an extensive purification of the ores is undertaken. From the environmental and toxicological point of view, the formation of barium-rich aerosols following the display of fireworks is a problem. The barium compounds released are mainly in a bioavailable form. Considering the chemical similarities of barium and strontium to radium, the potential hazard of fireworks due to liberated radionuclides might be of interest. Ores and compounds used for pyrotechnic devices are usually purified only to the grade that is necessary for the intended effect. Thus, fireworks can contain traces of heavy metals which do not have a pyrotechnic function [5, 7, 8]. The incorporation, and thus, the inhalation of α-emitters (such as 226Ra) is a major health issue in human radiation protection. In order to examine the potential hazard Georg Steinhauser and Andreas Musilek investigated this topic. Although the specific radium activities were relatively low in the investigated samples, Steinhauser and Musilek showed that radium is significantly enriched in pyrotechnics. This fact gives no reason why people should not attend firework displays or should not set off their own fireworks on New Year's Eve. Rather, it is now the authorities' turn to take care of this topic. What if highly active radiobarite was used as a raw material for the production of pyrotechnic indoor devices? This would definitely cause unexpected health issues. Now that the problem is identified, the authorities have to ensure that the exemption limits are not exceeded. Today, public opinion is going more and more in the direction of using eco-friendly products. A lot of products have been shown to have potential negative health effects and are therefore now produced in safer and more eco-friendly forms than they used to be a few years ago. Thus, Georg Steinhauser and Andreas Musilek demonstrated that pyrotechnics do contain a certain amount of radioactive material—so why

  10. 19 CFR 158.27 - Accidental fire or other casualty.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... Casualty, Loss, or Theft While in Customs Custody § 158.27 Accidental fire or other casualty. In the case... submitted: (a) A declaration of the master of the vessel, the conductor or driver of the vehicle, the... merchandise was on board the vessel or vehicle, in the warehouse, or otherwise in his charge, as the case may...

  11. Radioactive cobalt removal from Salem liquid radwaste with cobalt selective media

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maza R.; Wilson, J.A.; Hetherington, R.

    This paper reports results of benchtop tests using ion exchange material to selectively remove radioactive cobalt from high conductivity liquid radwaste at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station. The purpose of this test program is to reduce the number of curies in liquid releases without increasing the solid waste volume. These tests have identified two cobalt selective materials that together remove radioactive cobalt more effectively than the single component currently used. All test materials were preconditioned by conversion to the divalent calcium or sulfate form to simulate chemically exhausted media.

  12. The 5th National Audit Project (NAP5) on accidental awareness during general anaesthesia: summary of main findings and risk factors.

    PubMed

    Pandit, J J; Andrade, J; Bogod, D G; Hitchman, J M; Jonker, W R; Lucas, N; Mackay, J H; Nimmo, A F; O'Connor, K; O'Sullivan, E P; Paul, R G; Palmer, J H MacG; Plaat, F; Radcliffe, J J; Sury, M R J; Torevell, H E; Wang, M; Hainsworth, J; Cook, T M

    2014-10-01

    We present the main findings of the 5th National Audit Project on accidental awareness during general anaesthesia. Incidences were estimated using reports of accidental awareness as the numerator, and a parallel national anaesthetic activity survey to provide denominator data. The incidence of certain/probable and possible accidental awareness cases was ~1:19 600 anaesthetics (95% CI 1:16 700-23 450). However, there was considerable variation across subtypes of techniques or subspecialties. The incidence with neuromuscular blockade was ~1:8200 (1:7030-9700), and without it was ~1:135 900 (1:78 600-299 000). The cases of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia reported to 5th National Audit Project were overwhelmingly cases of unintended awareness during neuromuscular blockade. The incidence of accidental awareness during caesarean section was ~1:670 (1:380-1300). Two thirds (82, 66%) of cases of accidental awareness experiences arose in the dynamic phases of anaesthesia, namely induction of and emergence from anaesthesia. During induction of anaesthesia, contributory factors included: use of thiopental; rapid sequence induction; obesity; difficult airway management; neuromuscular blockade; and interruptions of anaesthetic delivery during movement from anaesthetic room to theatre. During emergence from anaesthesia, residual paralysis was perceived by patients as accidental awareness, and commonly related to a failure to ensure full return of motor capacity. One third (43, 33%) of accidental awareness events arose during the maintenance phase of anaesthesia, most due to problems at induction or towards the end of anaesthesia. Factors increasing the risk of accidental awareness included: female sex; age (younger adults, but not children); obesity; anaesthetist seniority (junior trainees); previous awareness; out-of-hours operating; emergencies; type of surgery (obstetric, cardiac, thoracic); and use of neuromuscular blockade. The following factors were

  13. Suicide and accidental death in Australia's rural farming communities: a review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, Alison J; Maple, Myfanwy J; McKay, Kathy; Brumby, Susan A

    2014-01-01

    Australia's farmers constitute a heterogeneous group within the rural population. This literature review incorporates four broad areas: an understanding of farming communities, families and individuals and the contexts in which they live and work; an exploration of the challenges to morbidity and mortality that these communities face; a description of the patterns of suicide and accidental death in farming communities; and an outline of what is missing from the current body of research. Recommendations will be made on how these gaps may be addressed. In developing this comprehensive literature review, a snowballing and saturation approach was adopted. Initial search terms included suicid*, farm*, accident*, fatal*, death, sudden death, rural OR remote, Australia and NOT Australia. Databases searched included SCOPUS, PubMed, Proquest and SafetyLit; research from 1995 onwards was examined for relevance. Earlier seminal texts were also included. Reference lists of retrieved articles were searched and citations explored for further relevant research material. The primary focus was on Australian peer-reviewed research with supplementary grey literature. International material was used as examples. The literature variously describes farmers as members of both rural farming communities and farming families, and as individuals within an occupational classification. Within each of these classifications, there is evidence of the cumulative impact of a multiplicity of social, geographical and psychological factors relating to work, living and social arrangements that impact the health and wellbeing of Australia's farmers and their families, particularly accidental death and suicide. Research consistently demonstrates traumatic death to be at a greater rate than in the general Australian population, with reductions found more recently in some modes of farming-related accidental death. Patterns of accidental death and suicide are commonly linked to the changing shape of

  14. 5th National Audit Project (NAP5) on accidental awareness during general anaesthesia: summary of main findings and risk factors.

    PubMed

    Pandit, J J; Andrade, J; Bogod, D G; Hitchman, J M; Jonker, W R; Lucas, N; Mackay, J H; Nimmo, A F; O'Connor, K; O'Sullivan, E P; Paul, R G; Palmer, J H M G; Plaat, F; Radcliffe, J J; Sury, M R J; Torevell, H E; Wang, M; Hainsworth, J; Cook, T M

    2014-10-01

    We present the main findings of the 5th National Audit Project (NAP5) on accidental awareness during general anaesthesia (AAGA). Incidences were estimated using reports of accidental awareness as the numerator, and a parallel national anaesthetic activity survey to provide denominator data. The incidence of certain/probable and possible accidental awareness cases was ~1:19,600 anaesthetics (95% confidence interval 1:16,700-23,450). However, there was considerable variation across subtypes of techniques or subspecialities. The incidence with neuromuscular block (NMB) was ~1:8200 (1:7030-9700), and without, it was ~1:135,900 (1:78,600-299,000). The cases of AAGA reported to NAP5 were overwhelmingly cases of unintended awareness during NMB. The incidence of accidental awareness during Caesarean section was ~1:670 (1:380-1300). Two-thirds (82, 66%) of cases of accidental awareness experiences arose in the dynamic phases of anaesthesia, namely induction of and emergence from anaesthesia. During induction of anaesthesia, contributory factors included: use of thiopental, rapid sequence induction, obesity, difficult airway management, NMB, and interruptions of anaesthetic delivery during movement from anaesthetic room to theatre. During emergence from anaesthesia, residual paralysis was perceived by patients as accidental awareness, and commonly related to a failure to ensure full return of motor capacity. One-third (43, 33%) of accidental awareness events arose during the maintenance phase of anaesthesia, mostly due to problems at induction or towards the end of anaesthesia. Factors increasing the risk of accidental awareness included: female sex, age (younger adults, but not children), obesity, anaesthetist seniority (junior trainees), previous awareness, out-of-hours operating, emergencies, type of surgery (obstetric, cardiac, thoracic), and use of NMB. The following factors were not risk factors for accidental awareness: ASA physical status, race, and use or omission

  15. Accidental falls in hospitalized children: an analysis of the vulnerabilities linked to the presence of caregivers.

    PubMed

    Bagnasco, A; Sobrero, M; Sperlinga, L; Tibaldi, L; Sasso, L

    2010-06-01

    This study stemmed from the data gathered by a research conducted by the coordinator of the Department of Healthcare Services and a group of nurses involved in a research on accidental falls in hospitalized children at the "G. Gaslini" Children's Hospital and Scientific Research Institute in Genoa, Italy. The first retrospective study evaluated the accidental falls in hospitalized children referred to the three-year period 2003-2006, while the second perspective study, referred to the trimester March-May 2007, found that the main cause of falls in children was parent's distraction. The method adopted in the first phase of our study was a proactive risk analysis (The Basics of Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), identified in the first place by the VA National Centre for Patient Safety and applied to the "Child and parent hospital admission process". This proactive risk analysis has proven to be very effective in preventing the risk of accidental falls in hospitalized children through effective communication and educational interventions. The second phase of our study consisted of two Focus Groups for accidental traumatic events. The analysis of the results of the study showed how effective communication is instrumental, not only to have a better awareness of the children and their parents during their stay in hospital, but also to implement educational sessions on prevention to reduce the risk of accidental traumatic events. The present study contributes to improve safety and the quality of care by motivating nurses to keep their attention high on falls in hospitalized children, by monitoring and the development of new risk assessment tools.

  16. Accidental fatal lung injury by compressed air: a case report.

    PubMed

    Rayamane, Anand Parashuram; Pradeepkumar, M V

    2015-03-01

    Compressed air is being used extensively as a source of energy at industries and in daily life. A variety of fatal injuries are caused by improper and ignorant use of compressed air equipments. Many types of injuries due to compressed air are reported in the literature such as colorectal injury, orbital injury, surgical emphysema, and so on. Most of these injuries are accidental in nature. It is documented that 40 pounds per square inch pressure causes fatal injuries to the ear, eyes, lungs, stomach, and intestine. Openings of body are vulnerable to injuries by compressed air. Death due to compressed air injuries is rarely reported. Many cases are treated successfully by conservative or surgical management. Extensive survey of literature revealed no reports of fatal injury to the upper respiratory tract and lungs caused by compressed air. Here, we are reporting a fatal event of accidental death after insertion of compressed air pipe into the mouth. The postmortem findings are corroborated with the history and discussed in detail.

  17. Accidental degeneracy in photonic bands and topological phase transitions in two-dimensional core-shell dielectric photonic crystals.

    PubMed

    Xu, Lin; Wang, Hai-Xiao; Xu, Ya-Dong; Chen, Huan-Yang; Jiang, Jian-Hua

    2016-08-08

    A simple core-shell two-dimensional photonic crystal is studied where the triangular lattice symmetry and the C6 point group symmetry give rich physics in accidental touching points of photonic bands. We systematically evaluate different types of accidental nodal points at the Brillouin zone center for transverse-magnetic harmonic modes when the geometry and permittivity of the core-shell material are continuously tuned. The accidental nodal points can have different dispersions and topological properties (i.e., Berry phases). These accidental nodal points can be the critical states lying between a topological phase and a normal phase of the photonic crystal. They are thus very important for the study of topological photonic states. We show that, without breaking time-reversal symmetry, by tuning the geometry of the core-shell material, a phase transition into the photonic quantum spin Hall insulator can be achieved. Here the "spin" is defined as the orbital angular momentum of a photon. We study the topological phase transition as well as the properties of the edge and bulk states and their application potentials in optics.

  18. Accidental dural puncture, postdural puncture headache, intrathecal catheters, and epidural blood patch: revisiting the old nemesis.

    PubMed

    Kaddoum, Roland; Motlani, Faisal; Kaddoum, Romeo N; Srirajakalidindi, Arvi; Gupta, Deepak; Soskin, Vitaly

    2014-08-01

    One of the controversial management options for accidental dural puncture in pregnant patients is the conversion of labor epidural analgesia to continuous spinal analgesia by threading the epidural catheter intrathecally. No clear consensus exists on how to best prevent severe headache from occurring after accidental dural puncture. To investigate whether the intrathecal placement of an epidural catheter following accidental dural puncture impacts the incidence of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) and the subsequent need for an epidural blood patch in parturients. A retrospective chart review of accidental dural puncture was performed at Hutzel Women's Hospital in Detroit, MI, USA for the years 2002-2010. Documented cases of accidental dural punctures (N = 238) were distributed into two groups based on their management: an intrathecal catheter (ITC) group in which the epidural catheter was inserted intrathecally and a non-intrathecal catheter (non-ITC) group that received the epidural catheter inserted at different levels of lumbar interspaces. The incidence of PDPH as well as the necessity for epidural blood patch was analyzed using two-tailed Fisher's exact test. In the non-ITC group, 99 (54 %) parturients developed PDPH in comparison to 20 (37 %) in the ITC [odds ratio (OR), 1.98; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.06-3.69; P = 0.03]. Fifty-seven (31 %) of 182 patients in the non-ITC group required an epidural blood patch (EBP) (data for 2 patients of 184 were missing). In contrast, 7 (13 %) of parturients in the ITC group required an EBP. The incidence of EBP was calculated in parturients who actually developed headache to be 57 of 99 (57 %) in the non-ITC group versus 7 of 20 (35 %) in the ITC group (OR, 2.52; 95 % CI, 0.92-6.68; P = 0.07). The insertion of an intrathecal catheter following accidental dural puncture decreases the incidence of PDPH but not the need for epidural blood patch in parturients.

  19. Factors perceived as being related to accidental falls by persons with multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Nilsagård, Ylva; Denison, Eva; Gunnarsson, Lars-Gunnar; Boström, Katrin

    2009-01-01

    This study explores and describes factors that persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) perceive as being related to accidental falls. A qualitative content analysis with primarily deductive approach was conducted using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Twelve persons with MS, and identified as fallers, were interviewed. Factors perceived to cause accidental falls that had not previously been targeted in MS populations in relation to falls were identified as divided attention, reduced muscular endurance, fatigue and heat sensitivity. Previously reported risk factors such as changed gait pattern, limited walking ability, impaired proprioception, vision and spasticity were supported. Activities involving walking, recreation and leisure, maintaining and changing body position, lifting or carrying, taking care of the home, washing the body, moving around, preparing meals and housekeeping were limited and considered to be risk activities. Supportive persons and assistive device reduced falls, and unsuitable physical environments and climate conditions induced falls. Several preventative strategies were described as partially compensating for the impairments, limitations and restrictions. Investigating accidental falls using the perspective of the patient gave important information about variables not earlier targeted in MS research.

  20. Turbo FRMAC 2016 v. 7.3.0

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Madrid, Gregory J.; Whitener, Dustin Heath; Folz, Wesley

    2017-05-27

    The Turbo FRMAC (TF) software program is the software implementation of the science and methodologies utilized in the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC). The software automates the calculations described in volumes 1 of "The Federal Manual for Assessing Environmental Data during a Radiological Emergency" (2015 version). In the event of the intentional or accidental release of radioactive material, the software is used to guide and govern the response of the Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments. The manual, upon which the software is based, is unclassified and freely available on the Internet.

  1. Turbo FRMAC 2018

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fulton, John; Gallagher, Linda; Gonzales, Alejandro

    The Turbo FRMAC (TF) software program is the software implementation of the science and methodologies utilized in the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC). The software automates the calculations described in volumes 1 of "The Federal Manual for Assessing Environmental Data during a Radiological Emergency" (2015 version). In the event of the intentional or accidental release of radioactive material, the software is used to guide and govern the response of the Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments. The manual, upon which the software is based, is unclassified and freely available on the Internet.

  2. Turbo FRMAC 2016 Version 7.1.0

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fulton, John; Gallagher, Linda K.; Madrid, Gregory J.

    2016-08-01

    The Turbo FRMAC (TF) software program is the software implementation of the science and methodologies utilized in the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC). The software automates the calculations described in volumes 1 of "The Federal Manual for Assessing Environmental Data during a Radiological Emergency" (2015 version). In the event of the intentional or accidental release of radioactive material, the software is used to guide and govern the response of the Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments. The manual, upon which the software is based, is unclassified and freely available on the Internet.

  3. Turbo FRMAC 2016 v. 7.2.0

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Madrid, Gregory J.; Whitener, Dustin Heath; Folz, Wesley

    2017-02-27

    The Turbo FRMAC (TF) software program is the software implementation of the science and methodologies utilized in the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC). The software automates the calculations described in volumes 1 of "The Federal Manual for Assessing Environmental Data during a Radiological Emergency" (2015 version). In the event of the intentional or accidental release of radioactive material, the software is used to guide and govern the response of the Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments. The manual, upon which the software is based, is unclassified and freely available on the Internet.

  4. Accidental Outcomes Guide Punishment in a “Trembling Hand” Game

    PubMed Central

    Cushman, Fiery; Dreber, Anna; Wang, Ying; Costa, Jay

    2009-01-01

    How do people respond to others' accidental behaviors? Reward and punishment for an accident might depend on the actor's intentions, or instead on the unintended outcomes she brings about. Yet, existing paradigms in experimental economics do not include the possibility of accidental monetary allocations. We explore the balance of outcomes and intentions in a two-player economic game where monetary allocations are made with a “trembling hand”: that is, intentions and outcomes are sometimes mismatched. Player 1 allocates $10 between herself and Player 2 by rolling one of three dice. One die has a high probability of a selfish outcome, another has a high probability of a fair outcome, and the third has a high probability of a generous outcome. Based on Player 1's choice of die, Player 2 can infer her intentions. However, any of the three die can yield any of the three possible outcomes. Player 2 is given the opportunity to respond to Player 1's allocation by adding to or subtracting from Player 1's payoff. We find that Player 2's responses are influenced substantially by the accidental outcome of Player 1's roll of the die. Comparison to control conditions suggests that in contexts where the allocation is at least partially under the control of Player 1, Player 2 will punish Player 1 accountable for unintentional negative outcomes. In addition, Player 2's responses are influenced by Player 1's intention. However, Player 2 tends to modulate his responses substantially more for selfish intentions than for generous intentions. This novel economic game provides new insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying social preferences for fairness and retribution. PMID:19707578

  5. Extrapyramidal symptoms following accidental ingestion of risperidone in a child.

    PubMed

    Cheslik, T A; Erramouspe, J

    1996-04-01

    To describe the development of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) precipitated by an accidental overdose of risperidone in a 3.5-year-old boy. The boy presented to the emergency department with bilateral upward eye gaze, jerky movements of his extremities, and motor restlessness following an accidental ingestion of a single 4-mg risperidone tablet. Decontamination with NaCl 0.9% lavage and activated charcoal with sorbitol was performed. His symptoms responded immediately to intravenous diphenhydramine (on 3 different occasions) during his first 9.5 hours of hospitalization. He experienced no additional EPS, and was discharged home approximately 33 hours following initial presentation. At home, he received three oral doses of diphenhydramine in the 24 hours following hospital discharge because of hand tremor, total body shivering, and eye wandering. These signs resolved without further complications. Although the incidence of EPS associated with therapeutic risperidone use is low, its occurrence following overdose is less clearly defined. This represents the first published case, to our knowledge, of risperidone overdose in a child and highlights the potential for dystonic reactions at low doses in this population. Seven intentional overdoses of risperidone in adults (aged 21-68 y) have been reported in the literature and are reviewed. Amounts ingested ranged from 5 to 270 mg. All adult patients appeared to have a relatively benign course. Reported symptoms included drowsiness, slurred speech, altered levels of consciousness, hypertension, tachycardia, electrocardiogram abnormalities, atypical motor behavior, tremors, and other EPS (not specified). Accidental ingestion of low doses of risperidone can cause EPS in children that may respond well to an anticholinergic agent. Overdose management includes gastrointestinal lavage, activated charcoal with cathartic, cardiovascular monitoring, and supportive therapy.

  6. Parental cannabis abuse and accidental intoxications in children: prevention by detecting neglectful situations and at-risk families.

    PubMed

    Pélissier, Fanny; Claudet, Isabelle; Pélissier-Alicot, Anne-Laure; Franchitto, Nicolas

    2014-12-01

    Cannabis intoxication in toddlers is rare and mostly accidental. Our objectives were to focus on the characteristics and management of children under the age of 6 years who were admitted to our emergency department with cannabis poisoning reported as accidental by parents, and to point out the need to consider accidental cannabis ingestions as an indicator of neglect. The medical records of children hospitalized for cannabis poisoning in a pediatric emergency department from January 2007 to November 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. Data collected included age, sex, drug ingested, source of drug, intentional versus accidental ingestion, pediatric intensive care unit or hospital admission, treatment and length of hospital stay, toxicology results, and rate of child protectives services referral. Twelve toddlers (4 boys and 8 girls; mean age, 16.6 months) were included. All had ingested cannabis. Their parents reported the ingestion. Seven children experienced drowsiness or hypotonia. Three children were given activated charcoal. Blood screening for cannabinoids, performed in 2 cases, was negative in both, and urine samples were positive in 7 children (70%). All children had favorable outcomes after being hospitalized from 2 to 48 hours. Nine children were referred to social services for further assessment before discharge. Cannabis intoxication in children should be reported to child protection services with the aim of prevention, to detect situations of neglect and at-risk families. Legal action against the parents may be considered. Accidental intoxication and caring parents should be no exception to this rule.

  7. The Clinch River study--An investigation of the fate of radionuclides released to a surface stream

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pickering, R.J.; Carrigan, P.H.; Parker, F.L.

    1965-01-01

    The Clinch River Study is a multiagency effort to evaluate the physical, chemical, and biological effects of the release to de Clinch River of low-level radioactive wastes from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The major radionuclides released are ruthenium-106, cesium-137, cobalt-60, and strontium-90. Hydrologic and biologic studies have indicated that the radiation doses in the river are well below maximum acceptable levels. Radionuclide concentrations in river water have been measured at seven sampling stations on the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers. Mass-balance calculations for 44 weeks of sampling indicate that losses of radionuclides from the water phase to the river-bottom sediments represent only a very small part of the total radioactivity released to the river. A study of the Clinch River bottom-sediment cores collected in 1962 has disclosed a recurring pattern of variation in radioactivity with depth which may reflect past events in waste-disposal operations at the laboratory. Current investigations are expected to provide information about the chemical forms in which the major radionuclides exist and the mechanisms by which they were incorporated in the sediments.

  8. ASSESSMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS FOUND IN LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE STREAMS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    R.H. Little, P.R. Maul, J.S.S. Penfoldag

    2003-02-27

    This paper describes and presents the findings from two studies undertaken for the European Commission to assess the long-term impact upon the environment and human health of non-radioactive contaminants found in various low level radioactive waste streams. The initial study investigated the application of safety assessment approaches developed for radioactive contaminants to the assessment of nonradioactive contaminants in low level radioactive waste. It demonstrated how disposal limits could be derived for a range of non-radioactive contaminants and generic disposal facilities. The follow-up study used the same approach but undertook more detailed, disposal system specific calculations, assessing the impacts of bothmore » the non-radioactive and radioactive contaminants. The calculations undertaken indicated that it is prudent to consider non-radioactive, as well as radioactive contaminants, when assessing the impacts of low level radioactive waste disposal. For some waste streams with relatively low concentrations of radionuclides, the potential post-closure disposal impacts from non-radioactive contaminants can be comparable with the potential radiological impacts. For such waste streams there is therefore an added incentive to explore options for recycling the materials involved wherever possible.« less

  9. Hazard assessment of substances produced from the accidental heating of chemical compounds.

    PubMed

    Lunghi, A; Gigante, L; Cardillo, P; Stefanoni, V; Pulga, G; Rota, R

    2004-12-10

    Accidental events concerning process industries can affect not only the staff working in, but also the environment and people living next to the factory. For this reason a regulation is imposed by the European Community to prevent accidents that could represent a risk for the population and the environment. In particular, Directive 96/82/CE, the so-called 'Seveso II directive', requests a risk analysis involving also the hazardous materials generated in accidental events. Therefore, it is necessary to develop simple and economic procedure to foresee the hazardous materials that can be produced in the case of major accidents, among which the accidental heating of a chemical due to a fire or a runaway reaction is one of the most frequent. The procedure proposed in this work is based on evolved gas analysis methodology that consists in coupling two instruments: a thermogravimetric analyzer or a flash pyrolyzer, that are employed to simulate accident conditions, and a FTIR spectrometer that can be used to detect the evolved gas composition. More than 40 materials have been examined in various accident scenarios and the obtained data have been statistically analyzed in order to identify meaningful correlations between the presence of a chemical group in the molecule of a chemical and the presence of a given hazardous species in the fume produced.

  10. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McKenzie-Carter, M.A.; Lyon, R.E.

    This report contains information to support the Environmental Assessment for the Compact Ignition Tokamak Project (CIT) proposed for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). The assumptions and methodology used to assess the impact to members of the public from operational and accidental releases of radioactive material from the proposed CIT during the operational period of the project are described. A description of the tracer release tests conducted at PPPL by NOAA is included; dispersion values from these tests are used in the dose calculation. Radiological releases, doses, and resulting health risks are calculated. The computer code AIRDOS-EPA is used to calculatemore » the individual and population doses for routine releases; FUSCRAC3 is used to calculate doses resulting from off-normal releases where direct application of the NOAA tracer test data is not practical. Where applicable, doses are compared to regulatory limits and guidelines values. 44 refs., 5 figs., 18 tabs.« less

  11. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McKenzie-Carter, M.A.; Lyon, R.E.; Rope, S.K.

    This report contains information to support the Environmental Assessment for the Burning Plasma Experiment (BPX) Project proposed for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). The assumptions and methodology used to assess the impact to members of the public from operational and accidental releases of radioactive material from the proposed BPX during the operational period of the project are described. A description of the tracer release tests conducted at PPPL by NOAA is included; dispersion values from these tests are used in the dose calculations. Radiological releases, doses, and resulting health risks are calculated and summarized. The computer code AIRDOS- EPA,more » which is part of the computer code system CAP-88, is used to calculate the individual and population doses for routine releases; FUSCRAC3 is used to calculate doses resulting from off-normal releases where direct application of the NOAA tracer test data is not practical. Where applicable, doses are compared to regulatory limits and guideline values. 48 refs., 16 tabs.« less

  12. System for disposing of radioactive water

    DOEpatents

    Gotchy, Reginald L.

    1976-01-13

    A system for reducing radioactivity released to the biosphere in the course of producing natural gas from a reservoir stimulated by the detonation of nuclear explosives therein. Tritiated water produced with the gas is separated out and returned to a nuclear chimney through a string of tubing positioned within the well casing. The tubing string is positioned within the well casing in a manner which enhances separation of the water out of the gas and minimizes entrainment of water into the gas flowing out of the chimney.

  13. [The accidental detection of apical periodontitis].

    PubMed

    Wesselink, P R

    2011-04-01

    Accidental detection of an asymptomatic apical periodontitis raises the question whether this lesion should be treated or not. Arguments favouring treatment are that the inflammation may cause pain in the future, may enlarge or may negatively affect the host's resistance. Reasons for not treating may be that treatment weakens the tooth, may cause iatrogenic damage and that treatment is expensive and burdensome for the patient and does not lead in all cases to complete healing. Scientific evidence supporting either choice, whether treating the lesion or not, is lacking. In making such decisions, therefore, personal judgments by the patient and the dentist concerning the impact on the quality of life of the patient play an important role.

  14. Accidental mechanical asphyxia of children in Germany between 2000 and 2008.

    PubMed

    Meyer, F S; Trübner, K; Schöpfer, J; Zimmer, G; Schmidt, E; Püschel, K; Vennemann, M; Bajanowski, T; Althaus, L; Bach, P; Banaschak, S; Cordes, O; Dettmeyer, S R; Dressler, J; Gahr, B; Grellner, W; Héroux, V; Mützel, E; Tatschner, T; Zack, F; Zedler, B

    2012-09-01

    Accidents constitute one of the greatest risks to children, yet there are few medical reports that discuss the subject of accidental asphyxia. However, a systematic analysis of all documented cases in Germany over the years 2000-2008 has now been conducted, aiming at identifying patterns of accidental asphyxia, deducing findings, defining avoidance measures and recommending ways of increasing product safety and taking possible precautions. The analysis is based on a detailed retrospective analysis of all 91 relevant autopsy reports from 24 different German forensic institutes. A variety of demographic and morphological data was systematically collected and analysed. In 84 of the 91 cases, the sex of the victim was reported, resulting in a total of 57 boys (68 %) and 27 girls (32 %). The age spread ranged between 1 day and 14 years, with an average of 5.9 years. Most accidents occurred in the first year of life (20 %) or between the ages of 1 and 2 years (13 %). In 46 % of cases, the cause of death was strangulation, with the majority occurring in the home environment. In 31 % of all cases, the cause of death was positional asphyxia, the majority resulting from chest compression. In 23 % of cases, the cause of death was aspiration, mainly of foreign bodies. Today, accidental asphyxiation is a rare cause of death in children in Germany. Nevertheless, the majority of cases could have been avoided. Future incidence can be reduced by implementing two major precautions: increasing product safety and educating parents of potentially fatal risks. Specific recommendations relate to children's beds, toys and food.

  15. Radioactive wastes in biological research institutions (in French)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kirchmann, R.

    1973-01-01

    The different radioelements used in the Belgian Biological Research Laboratories and the activities used are indicated. The types of utilization of / sup 3/H, /sup 14/C, /sup 32/P, /sup 125/I, /sup 131/I, /sup 85/Sr, and /sup 226/ Ra are given. The handling procedures for contaminated wastes of these radionuclides are described. The release of radioactive waste by all the laboratories which were investigated is estimated. (auth)

  16. Release of (14)C-labelled carbon nanotubes from polycarbonate composites.

    PubMed

    Rhiem, Stefan; Barthel, Anne-Kathrin; Meyer-Plath, Asmus; Hennig, Michael P; Wachtendorf, Volker; Sturm, Heinz; Schäffer, Andreas; Maes, Hanna M

    2016-08-01

    Waste disposal of carbon nanotube (CNT) containing products is expected to be the most important pathway for release of CNTs into the environment. In the present work, the use of radiolabelled CNTs ((14)C-CNT) for polycarbonate polymer nanocomposites with 1 wt% (14)C-CNT content allowed for the first time to quantify and differentiate the CNT release according to the type of impact along the materials' ageing history. After an initial exposure of the nanocomposite by solar-like irradiation, further environmental impacts were applied to composite material. They aimed at mimicking disposal site conditions that may induce further ageing effects and CNT release. This study included shaking in water, rapid temperature changes, soaking in humic acid solution as well as waste water effluent, and, finally, gentle mechanical abrasion. All ageing impacts were applied sequentially, both on pristine (control) and on solar-irradiated nanocomposites. All experiments were accompanied by absolute quantification of radioactive release as well as chemical and morphological analyses of the nanocomposite surfaces using infra-red (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphological analysis showed that spectral irradiation can uncover CNT networks on the outer nanocomposite surface layers by polymer degradation. After having subjected the solar-irradiated nanocomposite to all studied disposal site effect, the total radioactive release was quantified to amount to 64 mg CNT/m(2), whereas only 0.8 mg CNT/m(2) were found for the un-irradiated control sample. Solar degradation of polymers was thus found to significantly increase the propensity of the studied polymer nanocomposites to release CNTs during ageing effects at the product's end-of-life typical for disposal sites. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Novel Method of Quantifying Radioactive Cesium-Rich Microparticles (CsMPs) in the Environment from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

    PubMed

    Ikehara, Ryohei; Suetake, Mizuki; Komiya, Tatsuki; Furuki, Genki; Ochiai, Asumi; Yamasaki, Shinya; Bower, William R; Law, Gareth T W; Ohnuki, Toshihiko; Grambow, Bernd; Ewing, Rodney C; Utsunomiya, Satoshi

    2018-06-05

    Highly radioactive cesium-rich microparticles (CsMPs) were released from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) to the surrounding environment at an early stage of the nuclear disaster in March of 2011; however, the quantity of released CsMPs remains undetermined. Here, we report a novel method to quantify the number of CsMPs in surface soils at or around Fukushima and the fraction of radioactivity they contribute, which we call "quantification of CsMPs" (QCP) and is based on autoradiography. Here, photostimulated luminescence (PSL) is linearly correlated to the radioactivity of various microparticles, with a regression coefficient of 0.0523 becquerel/PSL/h (Bq/PSL/h). In soil collected from Nagadoro, Fukushima, Japan, CsMPs were detected in soil sieved with a 114 μm mesh. There was no overlap between the radioactivities of CsMPs and clay particles adsorbing Cs. Based on the distribution of radioactivity of CsMPs, the threshold radioactivity of CsMPs in the size fraction of <114 μm was determined to be 0.06 Bq. Based on this method, the number and radioactivity fraction of CsMPs in four surface soils collected from the vicinity of the FDNPP were determined to be 48-318 particles per gram and 8.53-31.8%, respectively. The QCP method is applicable to soils with a total radioactivity as high as ∼10 6 Bq/kg. This novel method is critically important and can be used to quantitatively understand the distribution and migration of the highly radioactive CsMPs in near-surface environments surrounding Fukushima.

  18. [Cardiac arrest due to accidental hypothermia and prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation].

    PubMed

    Kot, P; Botella, J

    2010-11-01

    In cardiac arrest produced by accidental hypothermia, cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be prolonged until normal body temperature is achieved. There are different rewarming methods. In theory, the more invasive ones are elective in patients with cardiac arrest because of their higher rewarming speed. However, it has not been proven that these methods are better than the non-invasive ones. We present a case report of a patient with cardiac arrest due to accidental hypothermia who was treated without interruption for three hours with heart massage. This is the longest successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation known up-to-date in Spain. In order to rewarm the body, a combination of non-invasive methods was used: active external rewarming with convective warm air, gastric and bladder lavage with warm saline solution and intravenous warm saline infusion. This case shows that it is possible to treat hypothermic cardiac arrest successfully through these rewarming methods, which are both easy to apply and feasible in any hospital. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  19. Capture of Tritium Released from Cladding in the Zirconium Recycle Process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spencer, Barry B.; Walker, T. B.; Bruffey, S. H.

    2016-08-31

    Zirconium may be recovered from the Zircaloy® cladding of used nuclear fuel (UNF) for recycle or to reduce the quantities of high-level waste destined for a geologic repository. Recovery of zirconium using a chlorination process is currently under development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The approach is to treat the cladding with chlorine gas to convert the zirconium in the alloy (~98 wt % of the alloy mass) to zirconium tetrachloride. A significant fraction of the tritium (0–96%) produced in nuclear fuel during irradiation may be found in zirconium-based cladding and could be released from the cladding when themore » solid matrix is destroyed by the chlorination reaction. To prevent uncontrolled release of radioactive tritium to other parts of the plant or to the environment, a method to recover the tritium may be required. The focus of this effort was to (1) identify potential methods for the recovery of tritium from the off-gas of the zirconium recycle process, (2) perform scoping tests on selected recovery methods using nonradioactive gas simulants, and (3) select a process design appropriate for testing on radioactive gas streams generated by the engineering-scale zirconium recycle demonstrations on radioactive used cladding.« less

  20. Understanding the Radioactive Ingrowth and Decay of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in the Environment: An Analysis of Produced Fluids from the Marcellus Shale

    PubMed Central

    Nelson, Andrew W.; Eitrheim, Eric S.; Knight, Andrew W.; May, Dustin; Mehrhoff, Marinea A.; Shannon, Robert; Litman, Robert; Burnett, William C.; Forbes, Tori Z.

    2015-01-01

    Background The economic value of unconventional natural gas resources has stimulated rapid globalization of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. However, natural radioactivity found in the large volumes of “produced fluids” generated by these technologies is emerging as an international environmental health concern. Current assessments of the radioactivity concentration in liquid wastes focus on a single element—radium. However, the use of radium alone to predict radioactivity concentrations can greatly underestimate total levels. Objective We investigated the contribution to radioactivity concentrations from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), including uranium, thorium, actinium, radium, lead, bismuth, and polonium isotopes, to the total radioactivity of hydraulic fracturing wastes. Methods For this study we used established methods and developed new methods designed to quantitate NORM of public health concern that may be enriched in complex brines from hydraulic fracturing wastes. Specifically, we examined the use of high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry and isotope dilution alpha spectrometry to quantitate NORM. Results We observed that radium decay products were initially absent from produced fluids due to differences in solubility. However, in systems closed to the release of gaseous radon, our model predicted that decay products will begin to ingrow immediately and (under these closed-system conditions) can contribute to an increase in the total radioactivity for more than 100 years. Conclusions Accurate predictions of radioactivity concentrations are critical for estimating doses to potentially exposed individuals and the surrounding environment. These predictions must include an understanding of the geochemistry, decay properties, and ingrowth kinetics of radium and its decay product radionuclides. Citation Nelson AW, Eitrheim ES, Knight AW, May D, Mehrhoff MA, Shannon R, Litman R, Burnett WC, Forbes TZ, Schultz MK. 2015

  1. A case of pediatric age anticholinergic intoxication due to accidental Datura stramonium ingestion admitting with visual hallucination.

    PubMed

    Şanlıdağ, Burçin; Derinöz, Okşan; Yıldız, Nagehan

    2014-01-01

    Datura stramonium (DS) is a hallucinogenic plant that can produce anticholinergic toxicity because of its significant concentrations of toxic alkaloids, such as atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine. DS grows in both rural and urban areas in Turkey. Clinical findings of toxicity are similar to those of atropine toxicity. DS abuse is common among adolescents because of its hallucinatory effects. However, accidental DS poisoning from contaminated food is very rare. Accidental poisonings are commonly seen among children. Children are more prone to the toxic effects of atropine; ingestion of even a small amount can cause serious central nervous system symptoms. Treatment is supportive; antidote treatment is given rarely. An eight-year-old male with accidental DS poisoning who presented to the Pediatric Emergency Department with aggression, agitation, delirium, and visual hallucinations is reported.

  2. Collective doses to man from dumping of radioactive waste in the Arctic Seas.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, S P; Iosjpe, M; Strand, P

    1997-08-25

    A box model for the dispersion of radionuclides in the marine environment covering the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean has been constructed. Collective doses from ingestion pathways have been calculated from unit releases of the radionuclides 3H, 60Co, 63Ni, 90Sr, 129I, 137Cs, 239Pu and 241Am into a fjord on the east coast of NovayaZemlya. The results show that doses for the shorter-lived radionuclides (e.g. 137Cs) are derived mainly from seafood production in the Barents Sea. Doses from the longer-lived radionuclides (e.g. 239Pu) are delivered through marine produce further away from the Arctic Ocean. Collective doses were calculated for two release scenarios, both of which are based on information of the dumping of radioactive waste in the Barents and Kara Seas by the former Soviet Union and on preliminary information from the International Arctic Sea Assessment Programme. A worst-case scenario was assumed according to which all radionuclides in liquid and solid radioactive waste were available for dispersion in the marine environment at the time of dumping. Release of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel was assumed to take place by direct corrosion of the fuel ignoring the barriers that prevent direct contact between the fuel and the seawater. The second scenario selected assumed that releases of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel do not occur until after failure of the protective barriers. All other liquid and solid radioactive waste was assumed to be available for dispersion at the time of discharge in both scenarios. The estimated collective dose for the worst-case scenario was about 9 manSv and that for the second scenario was about 3 manSv. In both cases, 137Cs is the radionuclide predicted to dominate the collective doses as well as the peak collective dose rates.

  3. Particle Release Experiment (PRex) Final Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Keillor, Martin E.; Arrigo, Leah M.; Detwiler, Rebecca S.

    2014-09-30

    An experiment to release radioactive particles representative of small-scale venting from an underground nuclear test was conducted to gather data in support of treaty verification and monitoring activities. For this experiment, a CO 2-driven “air cannon” was used to release La-140 at ambient temperatures. Lanthanum-140 was chosen to represent the fission fragments because of its short half-life and prominent gamma-ray emissions; the choice was also influenced by the successful production and use of La-140 with low levels of radioactive contaminants in a Defence Research and Development Canada Field Trial. The source was created through activation of high-purity natural lanthanum oxidemore » at the reactor of Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. Multiple varieties of witness plates and air samplers were laid in an irregular grid covering the area over which the plume was modeled to deposit. Aerial survey, a NaI(Tl) mobile spectrometer, and handheld and backpack instruments ranging from polyvinyl toluene to high-purity germanium were used to survey the plume. Additionally, three varieties of soil sampling were investigated. The relative sensitivity and utility of sampling and survey methods are discussed in the context of On-Site Inspection. The measurements and samples show a high degree of correlation and form a valuable set of test data.« less

  4. Runge-Lenz vector, accidental SU(2) symmetry, and unusual multiplets for motion on a cone

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Al-Hashimi, M.H.; Wiese, U.-J.

    2008-01-15

    We consider a particle moving on a cone and bound to its tip by 1/r or harmonic oscillator potentials. When the deficit angle of the cone divided by 2{pi} is a rational number, all bound classical orbits are closed. Correspondingly, the quantum system has accidental degeneracies in the discrete energy spectrum. An accidental SU(2) symmetry is generated by the rotations around the tip of the cone as well as by a Runge-Lenz vector. Remarkably, some of the corresponding multiplets have fractional 'spin' and unusual degeneracies.

  5. The release of lindane from contaminated building materials.

    PubMed

    Volchek, Konstantin; Thouin, Geneviève; Kuang, Wenxing; Li, Ken; Tezel, F Handan; Brown, Carl E

    2014-10-01

    The release of the organochlorine pesticide lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane) from several types of contaminated building materials was studied to assess inhalation hazard and decontamination requirements in response to accidental and/or intentional spills. The materials included glass, polypropylene carpet, latex-painted drywall, ceramic tiles, vinyl floor tiles, and gypsum ceiling tiles. For each surface concentration, an equilibrium concentration was determined in the vapour phase of the surrounding air. Vapor concentrations depended upon initial surface concentration, temperature, and type of building material. A time-weighted average (TWA) concentration in the air was used to quantify the health risk associated with the inhalation of lindane vapors. Transformation products of lindane, namely α-hexachlorocyclohexane and pentachlorocyclohexene, were detected in the vapour phase at both temperatures and for all of the test materials. Their formation was greater on glass and ceramic tiles, compared to other building materials. An empiric Sips isotherm model was employed to approximate experimental results and to estimate the release of lindane and its transformation products. This helped determine the extent of decontamination required to reduce the surface concentrations of lindane to the levels corresponding to vapor concentrations below TWA.

  6. Predicting induced radioactivity for the accelerator operations at the Taiwan Photon Source.

    PubMed

    Sheu, R J; Jiang, S H

    2010-12-01

    This study investigates the characteristics of induced radioactivity due to the operations of a 3-GeV electron accelerator at the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS). According to the beam loss analysis, the authors set two representative irradiation conditions for the activation analysis. The FLUKA Monte Carlo code has been used to predict the isotope inventories, residual activities, and remanent dose rates as a function of time. The calculation model itself is simple but conservative for the evaluation of induced radioactivity in a light source facility. This study highlights the importance of beam loss scenarios and demonstrates the great advantage of using FLUKA in comparing the predicted radioactivity with corresponding regulatory limits. The calculated results lead to the conclusion that, due to fairly low electron consumption, the radioactivity induced in the accelerator components and surrounding concrete walls of the TPS is rather moderate and manageable, while the possible activation of air and cooling water in the tunnel and their environmental releases are negligible.

  7. Methane emissions and contaminant degradation rates at sites affected by accidental releases of denatured fuel-grade ethanol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sihota, Natasha J.; Mayer, K. Ulrich; Toso, Mark A.; Atwater, Joel F.

    2013-08-01

    The recent increase in the use of denatured fuel-grade ethanol (DFE) has enhanced the probability of its environmental release. Due to the highly labile nature of ethanol (EtOH), it is expected to rapidly biodegrade, increasing the potential for inducing methanogenic conditions in the subsurface. As environmental releases of DFE can be expected to occur at the ground surface or in the vadose zone (e.g., due to surficial spills from rail lines or tanker trucks and leaking underground storage tanks), the potential for methane (CH4) generation at DFE spill sites requires evaluation. An assessment is needed because high CH4 generation rates may lead to CH4 fluxes towards the ground surface, which is of particular concern if spills are located close to human habitation—related to concerns of soil vapor intrusion (SVI). This work demonstrates, for the first time, the measurement of surficial gas release rates at large volume DFE spill sites. Two study sites, near Cambria and Balaton, in MN are investigated. Total carbon emissions at the ground surface (summing carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 emissions) are used to quantify depth-integrated DFE degradation rates. Results from both sites demonstrate that substantial CO2 and CH4 emissions do occur—even years after a spill. However, large total carbon fluxes, and CH4 emissions in particular, were restricted to a localized area within the DFE source zone. At the Balaton site, estimates of total DFE carbon losses in the source zone ranged between 5 and 174 μmol m- 2 s- 1, and CH4 effluxes ranged between non-detect and 9 μmol m- 2 s- 1. At the Cambria site estimates of total DFE carbon losses in the source zone ranged between 8 and 500 μmol m- 2 s- 1, and CH4 effluxes ranged between non-detect and 393 μmol m- 2 s- 1. Substantial CH4 accumulation, coupled with oxygen (O2) depletion, measured in samples collected from custom-designed gas collection chambers at the Cambria site suggests that the development of explosion or

  8. Chalcogenide aerogels as sorbents for radioactive iodine

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Subrahmanyam, Kota S.; Sarma, Debajit; Malliakas, Christos

    Iodine (129I) is one of the radionuclides released in nuclear fuel reprocessing and poses risk to public safety due to its involvement in human metabolic processes. In order to prevent the leaching of hazardous radioactive iodine into the environment, its effective capture and sequestration is pivotal. In the context of finding a suitable matrix for capturing radioactive iodine the chalcogels, NiMoS4, CoMoS4, Sb4Sn4S12, Zn2Sn2S6, and CoSx (x = 4-5) were explored as iodine sorbents. All the chalcogels showed high uptake, reaching up to 225 mass% (2.25 g/g) of the final mass owing to strong chemical and physical iodine-chalcogen interactions. Analysismore » of the iodine-loaded specimens revealed that the iodine chemically reacted with Sb4Sn4S12, Zn2Sn2S6, and CoSx to form metal complexes SbI3, SnI4, and, KI respectively. The NiMoS4 and CoMoS4 chalcogels did not appear to undergo a chemical reaction with iodine since iodide complexes were not observed with these samples. Once heated, the iodine-loaded chalcogels released iodine in the temperature range of 75 °C to 220 °C, depending on the nature of iodine speciation. In the case of Sb4Sn4S12 and Zn2Sn2S6 iodine release was observed around 150 °C in the form of SnI4 and SbI3, respectively. The NiMoS4, CoMoS4, and CoSx released iodine at ~75 °C, which is consistent with physisorbed iodine. Preliminary investigations on consolidation of iodine-loaded Zn2Sn2S6 with Sb2S3 as a glass forming additive showed the content of iodine in consolidated glass ingots at around 25 mass%.« less

  9. Health Physics Code System for Evaluating Accidents Involving Radioactive Materials.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    2014-10-01

    Version 03 The HOTSPOT Health Physics codes were created to provide Health Physics personnel with a fast, field-portable calculational tool for evaluating accidents involving radioactive materials. HOTSPOT codes provide a first-order approximation of the radiation effects associated with the atmospheric release of radioactive materials. The developer's website is: http://www.llnl.gov/nhi/hotspot/. Four general programs, PLUME, EXPLOSION, FIRE, and RESUSPENSION, calculate a downwind assessment following the release of radioactive material resulting from a continuous or puff release, explosive release, fuel fire, or an area contamination event. Additional programs deal specifically with the release of plutonium, uranium, and tritium to expedite an initial assessmentmore » of accidents involving nuclear weapons. The FIDLER program can calibrate radiation survey instruments for ground survey measurements and initial screening of personnel for possible plutonium uptake in the lung. The HOTSPOT codes are fast, portable, easy to use, and fully documented in electronic help files. HOTSPOT supports color high resolution monitors and printers for concentration plots and contours. The codes have been extensively used by the DOS community since 1985. Tables and graphical output can be directed to the computer screen, printer, or a disk file. The graphical output consists of dose and ground contamination as a function of plume centerline downwind distance, and radiation dose and ground contamination contours. Users have the option of displaying scenario text on the plots. HOTSPOT 3.0.1 fixes three significant Windows 7 issues: Executable installed properly under "Program Files/HotSpot 3.0". Installation package now smaller: removed dependency on older Windows DLL files which previously needed to; Forms now properly scale based on DPI instead of font for users who change their screen resolution to something other than 100%. This is a more common feature in Windows 7; Windows

  10. Aerial Survey Results for 131I Deposition on the Ground after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Torii, Tatsuo; Sugita, Takeshi; Okada, Colin E.

    In March 2011 the second largest accidental release of radioactivity in history occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Teams from the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Emergency Response performed aerial surveys to provide initial maps of the dispersal of radioactive material in Japan. The initial results from the surveys did not report the concentration of 131I. This work reports on analyses performed on the initial survey data by a joint Japan-US collaboration to determine 131I ground concentration. This information is potentially useful in reconstruction ofmore » the inhalation and external exposure doses from this short-lived radionuclide. The deposited concentration of 134Cs is also reported.« less

  11. Accidental poisoning with Veratrum album mistaken for wild garlic (Allium ursinum).

    PubMed

    Gilotta, Irene; Brvar, Miran

    2010-11-01

    Veratrum album (white or false hellebore) is a poisonous plant containing steroidal alkaloids that cause nausea, vomiting, headache, visual disturbances, paresthesia, dizziness, bradycardia, atrioventricular block, hypotension, and syncope. It is regularly mistaken for Gentiana lutea (yellow gentian). We report accidental poisoning with V. album mistaken for Allium ursinum (wild garlic), a wild plant used in soups and salads in Central Europe. Four adults (24-45 years) accidentally ingested V. album mistaken for A. ursinum in self-prepared salads and soups. Within 15-30 min of ingestion they developed nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. At the same time dizziness, tingling, dimmed and jumping vision, transient blindness, and confusion appeared. On arrival at the ED, all patients had sinus bradycardia and hypotension. Following treatment the patients were discharged well 24-48 h after ingestion. In patients presenting with gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms a history of wild plant ingestion suggests possible poisoning with V. album mistaken for wild garlic.

  12. Photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers enabled by an accidental Dirac point

    DOEpatents

    Chua, Song Liang; Lu, Ling; Soljacic, Marin

    2014-12-02

    A photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL) includes a gain medium electromagnetically coupled to a photonic crystal whose energy band structure exhibits a Dirac cone of linear dispersion at the center of the photonic crystal's Brillouin zone. This Dirac cone's vertex is called a Dirac point; because it is at the Brillouin zone center, it is called an accidental Dirac point. Tuning the photonic crystal's band structure (e.g., by changing the photonic crystal's dimensions or refractive index) to exhibit an accidental Dirac point increases the photonic crystal's mode spacing by orders of magnitudes and reduces or eliminates the photonic crystal's distributed in-plane feedback. Thus, the photonic crystal can act as a resonator that supports single-mode output from the PCSEL over a larger area than is possible with conventional PCSELs, which have quadratic band edge dispersion. Because output power generally scales with output area, this increase in output area results in higher possible output powers.

  13. Bittering agents in the prevention of accidental poisoning: children's reactions to denatonium benzoate (Bitrex).

    PubMed Central

    Sibert, J R; Frude, N

    1991-01-01

    The responses of young children to Denatonium Benzoate (Bitrex) were observed, in order to assess the potential of this bittering agent in the prevention of accidental poisoning. Thirty-three children aged 17-36 months were offered orange juice containing Bitrex (in a concentration of 10 parts per million). Of the 30 children who took some of this juice, only seven were willing to take more than 10 gm. A variety of negative verbal and non-verbal responses were noted. It is suggested that the highly unpalatable nature of Bitrex makes this compound a useful additive that could well prevent accidental poisoning from household products of mild to moderate toxicity. PMID:1854387

  14. Apoptosis and accidental cell death in cultured human keratinocytes after thermal injury.

    PubMed

    Matylevitch, N P; Schuschereba, S T; Mata, J R; Gilligan, G R; Lawlor, D F; Goodwin, C W; Bowman, P D

    1998-08-01

    The respective roles of apoptosis and accidental cell death after thermal injury were evaluated in normal human epidermal keratinocytes. By coupling the LIVE/DEAD fluorescence viability assay with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method and ultrastructural morphology, these two processes could be distinguished. Cells were grown on glass coverslips with a microgrid pattern so that the results of several staining procedures performed sequentially could be visualized in the same cells after heating at temperatures of up to 72 degrees C for 1 second. After exposure to temperatures of 58 to 59 degrees C, cells died predominantly by apoptosis; viable cells became TUNEL positive, indicating degradation of DNA. After exposure to temperatures of 60 to 66 degrees C, both TUNEL-positive viable cells and TUNEL-positive nonviable cells were observed, indicating that apoptosis and accidental cell death were occurring simultaneously. Cells died almost immediately after exposure to temperatures above 72 degrees C, presumably from heat fixation. The fluorescent mitochondrial probe MitoTracker Orange indicated that cells undergoing apoptosis became TUNEL positive before loss of mitochondrial function. Nucleosomal fragmentation of DNA analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and gel electrophoresis occurred after exposure to temperatures of 58 to 59 degrees C. The characteristic morphological findings of cells undergoing apoptosis, by transmission electron microscopy, included cellular shrinkage, cytoplasmic budding, and relatively intact mitochondria. Depending on temperature and time of exposure, normal human epidermal keratinocytes may die by apoptosis, accidental cell death, or heat fixation.

  15. Potential radiological impact of tornadoes on the safety of Nuclear Fuel Services' West Valley Fuel Reprocessing Plant. 2. Reentrainment and discharge of radioactive materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davis, W Jr

    1981-07-01

    This report describes results of a parametric study of quantities of radioactive materials that might be discharged by a tornado-generated depressurization on contaminated process cells within the presently inoperative Nuclear Fuel Services' (NFS) fuel reprocessing facility near West Valley, New York. The study involved the following tasks: determining approximate quantities of radioactive materials in the cells and characterizing particle-size distribution; estimating the degree of mass reentrainment from particle-size distribution and from air speed data presented in Part 1; and estimating the quantities of radioactive material (source term) released from the cells to the atmosphere. The study has shown that improperlymore » sealed manipulator ports in the Process Mechanical Cell (PMC) present the most likely pathway for release of substantial quantities of radioactive material in the atmosphere under tornado accident conditions at the facility.« less

  16. Behavior of accidentally released radiocesium in soil-water environment: Looking at Fukushima from a Chernobyl perspective.

    PubMed

    Konoplev, A; Golosov, V; Laptev, G; Nanba, K; Onda, Y; Takase, T; Wakiyama, Y; Yoshimura, K

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative characteristics of dissolved and particulate radiocesium wash-off from contaminated watersheds after the FDNPP accident are calculated based on published monitoring data. Comparative analysis is provided for radiocesium wash-off parameters and distribution coefficients, Kd, between suspended matter and water in rivers and surface runoff on Fukushima and Chernobyl contaminated areas for the first years after the accidents. It was found that radiocesium distribution coefficient in Fukushima rivers is essentially higher (1-2 orders of magnitude) than corresponding values for rivers and surface runoff within the Chernobyl zone. This can be associated with two factors: first, the high fraction of clays in the predominant soils and sediments of the Fukushima area and accordingly a higher value of the radiocesium Interception Potential, RIP, in general, and secondly the presence of water insoluble glassy particles containing radiocesium in the accidental fallout at Fukushima. It was found also that normalized dissolved wash-off coefficients for Fukushima catchments are 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than corresponding values for the Chernobyl zone. Normalized particulate wash-off coefficients are comparable for Fukushima and Chernobyl. Results of the investigation of radiocesium's ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) vertical distribution in soils of the close-in area of the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP - Okuma town and floodplain of the Niida river are presented. The radiocesium migration in undisturbed forest and grassland soils at Fukushima contaminated area has been shown to be faster as compared to the Chernobyl 30-km zone during the first three years after the accidents. This may be associated with higher annual precipitation (by about 2.5 times) in Fukushima as compared to the Chernobyl zone, as well as the differences in the soil characteristics and temperature regime throughout a year. Investigation and analysis of Fukushima's radiocesium distribution in soils of Niida

  17. Regulating the path from legacy recognition, through recovery to release from regulatory control.

    PubMed

    Sneve, Malgorzata Karpow; Smith, Graham

    2015-04-01

    Past development of processes and technologies using radioactive material led to construction of many facilities worldwide. Some of these facilities were built and operated before the regulatory infrastructure was in place to ensure adequate control of radioactive material during operation and decommissioning. In other cases, controls were in place but did not meet modern standards, leading to what is now considered to have been inadequate control. Accidents and other events have occurred resulting in loss of control of radioactive material and unplanned releases to the environment. The legacy from these circumstances is that many countries have areas or facilities at which abnormal radiation conditions exist at levels that give rise to concerns about environmental and human health of potential interest to regulatory authorities. Regulation of these legacy situations is complex. This paper examines the regulatory challenges associated with such legacy management and brings forward suggestions for finding the path from: legacy recognition; implementation, as necessary, of urgent mitigation measures; development of a longer-term management strategy, through to release from regulatory control. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Preparation of alpha sources using magnetohydrodynamic electrodeposition for radionuclide metrology.

    PubMed

    Panta, Yogendra M; Farmer, Dennis E; Johnson, Paula; Cheney, Marcos A; Qian, Shizhi

    2010-02-01

    Expanded use of nuclear fuel as an energy resource and terrorist threats to public safety clearly require the development of new state-of-the-art technologies and improvement of safety measures to minimize the exposure of people to radiation and the accidental release of radiation into the environment. The precision in radionuclide metrology is currently limited by the source quality rather than the detector performance. Electrodeposition is a commonly used technique to prepare massless radioactive sources. Unfortunately, the radioactive sources prepared by the conventional electrodeposition method produce poor resolution in alpha spectrometric measurements. Preparing radioactive sources with better resolution and higher yield in the alpha spectrometric range by integrating magnetohydrodynamic convection with the conventional electrodeposition technique was proposed and tested by preparing mixed alpha sources containing uranium isotopes ((238)U, (234)U), plutonium ((239)Pu), and americium ((241)Am) for alpha spectrometric determination. The effects of various parameters such as magnetic flux density, deposition current and time, and pH of the sample solution on the formed massless radioactive sources were also experimentally investigated. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Sulfate-reducing bacteria release barium and radium from naturally occurring radioactive material in oil-field barite

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Phillips, E.J.P.; Landa, E.R.; Kraemer, T.; Zielinski, R.

    2001-01-01

    Scale and sludge deposits formed during oil production can contain elevated levels of Ra, often coprecipitated with barium sulfate (barite). The potential for sulfate-reducing bacteria to release 226 Ra and Ba (a Ra analog) from oil-field barite was evaluated. The concentration of dissolved Ba increased when samples containing pipe scale, tank sludge, or oil-field brine pond sediment were incubated with sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfovibrio sp., Str LZKI, isolated from an oil-field brine pond. However, Ba release was not stoichiometric with sulfide production in oil-field samples, and <0.1% of the Ba was released. Potential for the release of 226Ra was demonstrated, and the 226 Ra release associated with sulfate-reducing activity was predictable from the amount of Ba released. As with Ba, only a fraction of the 226Ra expected from the amount of sulfide produced was released, and most of the Ra remained associated with the solid material.

  20. Accidental poisoning with deadly nightshade berries: a case report.

    PubMed

    Trabattoni, G; Visintini, D; Terzano, G M; Lechi, A

    1984-12-01

    A case of acute accidental poisoning with deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) berries is reported. The patient was an elderly but healthy man who soon recovered. On the one hand, the clinical picture looked similar to that of delirium tremens; on the other, there were myoclonic jerks and signs of extrapyramidal involvement to suggest the onset of subacute dementia. The electroencephalogram findings confirmed those already reported during experimentally induced intoxication after ingestion of atropine in man.

  1. Preventing Accidental Ignition of Upper-Stage Rocket Motors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hickman, John; Morgan, Herbert; Cooper, Michael; Murbach, Marcus

    2005-01-01

    A report presents a proposal to reduce the risk of accidental ignition of certain upper-stage rocket motors or other high energy hazardous systems. At present, mechanically in-line initiators are used for initiation of many rocket motors and/or other high-energy hazardous systems. Electrical shorts and/or mechanical barriers, which are the basic safety devices in such systems, are typically removed as part of final arming or pad preparations while personnel are present. At this time, static discharge, test equipment malfunction, or incorrect arming techniques can cause premature firing. The proposal calls for a modular out-of-line ignition system incorporating detonating-cord elements, identified as the donor and the acceptor, separated by an air gap. In the safe configuration, the gap would be sealed with two shields, which would prevent an accidental firing of the donor from igniting the system. The shields would be removed to enable normal firing, in which shrapnel generated by the donor would reliably ignite the acceptor to continue the ordnance train. The acceptor would then ignite a through bulkhead initiator (or other similar device), which would ignite the motor or high-energy system. One shield would be remotely operated and would be moved to the armed position when a launch was imminent or conversely returned to the safe position if the launch were postponed. In the event of failure of the remotely operated shield, the other shield could be inserted manually to safe the system.

  2. Methane emissions and contaminant degradation rates at sites affected by accidental releases of denatured fuel-grade ethanol.

    PubMed

    Sihota, Natasha J; Mayer, K Ulrich; Toso, Mark A; Atwater, Joel F

    2013-08-01

    The recent increase in the use of denatured fuel-grade ethanol (DFE) has enhanced the probability of its environmental release. Due to the highly labile nature of ethanol (EtOH), it is expected to rapidly biodegrade, increasing the potential for inducing methanogenic conditions in the subsurface. As environmental releases of DFE can be expected to occur at the ground surface or in the vadose zone (e.g., due to surficial spills from rail lines or tanker trucks and leaking underground storage tanks), the potential for methane (CH4) generation at DFE spill sites requires evaluation. An assessment is needed because high CH4 generation rates may lead to CH4 fluxes towards the ground surface, which is of particular concern if spills are located close to human habitation-related to concerns of soil vapor intrusion (SVI). This work demonstrates, for the first time, the measurement of surficial gas release rates at large volume DFE spill sites. Two study sites, near Cambria and Balaton, in MN are investigated. Total carbon emissions at the ground surface (summing carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 emissions) are used to quantify depth-integrated DFE degradation rates. Results from both sites demonstrate that substantial CO2 and CH4 emissions do occur-even years after a spill. However, large total carbon fluxes, and CH4 emissions in particular, were restricted to a localized area within the DFE source zone. At the Balaton site, estimates of total DFE carbon losses in the source zone ranged between 5 and 174 μmol m(-2) s(-1), and CH4 effluxes ranged between non-detect and 9 μmol m(-2) s(-1). At the Cambria site estimates of total DFE carbon losses in the source zone ranged between 8 and 500 μmol m(-2) s(-1), and CH4 effluxes ranged between non-detect and 393 μmol m(-2) s(-1). Substantial CH4 accumulation, coupled with oxygen (O2) depletion, measured in samples collected from custom-designed gas collection chambers at the Cambria site suggests that the development of explosion

  3. Accidental hypothermia in Poland – estimation of prevalence, diagnostic methods and treatment.

    PubMed

    Kosiński, Sylweriusz; Darocha, Tomasz; Gałązkowski, Robert; Drwiła, Rafał

    2015-02-06

    The incidence of hypothermia is difficult to evaluate, and the data concerning the morbidity and mortality rates do not seem to fully represent the problem. The aim of the study was to estimate the actual prevalence of accidental hypothermia in Poland, as well as the methods of diagnosis and management procedures used in emergency rooms (ERs). A specially designed questionnaire, consisting of 14 questions, was mailed to all the 223 emergency rooms (ER) in Poland. The questions concerned the incidence, methods of diagnosis and risk factors, as well as the rewarming methods used and available measurement instruments. The analysis involved data from 42 ERs providing emergency healthcare for the population of 5,305,000. The prevalence of accidental hypothermia may have been 5.05 cases per 100.000 residents per year. Among the 268 cases listed 25% were diagnosed with codes T68, T69 or X31, and in 75% hypothermia was neither included nor assigned a code in the final diagnosis. The most frequent cause of hypothermia was exposure to cold air alongside ethanol abuse (68%). Peripheral temperature was measured in 57%, core temperature measurement was taken in 29% of the patients. Peripheral temperature was measured most often at the axilla, while core temperature measurement was predominantly taken rectally. Mild hypothermia was diagnosed in 75.5% of the patients, moderate (32-28°C) in 16.5%, while severe hypothermia (less than 28°C) in 8% of the cases. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was carried out in 7.5% of the patients. The treatment involved mainly warmed intravenous fluids (83.5%) and active external rewarming measures (70%). In no case was extracorporeal rewarming put to use. The actual incidence of accidental hypothermia in Polish emergency departments may exceed up to four times the official data. Core temperature is taken only in one third of the patients, the treatment of hypothermic patients is rarely conducted in intensive care wards and extracorporeal rewarming

  4. The PCDD/PCDF Dioxin releases in the climate of environment of Jordan in the period (2000-2008)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Dabbas, Mohammed Awwad

    2010-04-01

    Many environment problems of the full using of several categories of processing include mining, heat generators, direct combustion of forest fires, cement production, power plant, transport, medical waste. Dioxin/furan releases from these categories are one of these environment problems. Possible lines of reducing the PCDD/PCDF (Polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins/Polychlorinated dibenzofurans) releases from these categories are elucidated. The contribution of this paper is present the identification and estimation of the latest figure of dioxin/furan releases in the climate of environment of Jordan in the period 2000-2008 from the following categories (cement, aluminum, ceramic, medical waste, power plant, land fill, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, uncontrolled combustion process (biomass burning, waste burning, accidental fires in house, transport). These finding shows the sign of growth of estimated PCDD/PCDF releases from categories which did not calculated and followed after 2003. The result shows the highest PCDD/PCDF release from landfill fires (62.75 g TEQ/year), medical waste (8.8264 g TEQ/year), and transport (3.0145 g TEQ/year). Jordan seeks by next years, a reduction in total releases of dioxins and furans from sources resulting from human activity. This challenge will apply to the aggregate of releases to the air nationwide and of releases to the water within the Jordan area. Jordan should conduct air monitoring for dioxin in order to track fluctuations in atmospheric deposition levels.

  5. Studies on Inhibition of Intestinal Absorption of Radioactive Strontium

    PubMed Central

    Paul, T. M.; Edward, Deirdre Waldron; Skoryna, Stanley C.

    1964-01-01

    A method is reported that enables selective suppression of absorption of radioactive strontium from ingested food material, permitting calcium to remain available to the body. Studies were carried out by measuring blood levels and bone uptake of Sr89 and Ca45 at different time intervals after orogastric intubation of rats. The addition of sodium alginate, derived from brown marine algae, to the radioactive isotopes increased the overall physiological discrimination against strontium by amounts up to 60% after 24 hours. This discrimination was further increased by feeding sodium alginate mixed with standard diet in the proportions of 20:80 and 30:70. The observed ratio was reduced by administration of sodium alginate from 0.25 to 0.09. Determination of the limiting dosage in rats is restricted to the amounts which rats will consume. In the event of an inadvertent release of radioactive strontium, human subjects probably could increase their intake of alginate at will, permitting a greater effectiveness of sodium alginate than could be obtained in experimental animals. PMID:14176062

  6. A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area, heat removal storage casks. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area, heat removal storage casks. Plan, section, and details. Ralph M. Parsons 1480-7 ANP/GE-3-720-S-1. Date: November 1958. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INEEL index no. 034-0720-60-693-107459 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

  7. Radioactivity near the sunken submarine "Kursk" in the Southern Barents Sea.

    PubMed

    Matishov, Genady G; Matishov, Dimitry G; Namiatov, Alexey E; Smith, John Norton; Carroll, Jolynn; Dahle, Salve

    2002-05-01

    Radioactivity measurements were conducted on seawater, sediment, and biota samples collected in the vicinity of the Russian submarine "Kursk" in September, 2000, within 1 month of the vessel's sinking in the Barents Sea to determine whether leakage of radioactivity from the vessel's two nuclear reactors had occurred and to assess the impact on one of the most productive fishing areas in the world. Levels of radioactivity in surface sediments and biota are within the range of values previously measured in the Barents Sea and can be ascribed to inputs from global fallout, European nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, and the Chernobyl accident. However, levels of 1291 in seawater in the Southern Barents Sea increased by 500% between 1992 and 2000, and the 129I/137Cs ratio increased by more than an order of magnitude during this time, owing to long-range transport of releases from reprocessing facilities at Sellafield (U.K.) and La Hague (France). Although these results indicate that, at the time of sampling, leakage from the Kursk had a negligible impact on the environment, they also show that regional background levels of artificial radioactivity are varying rapidly on annual timescales and that Europe's nuclear reprocessing facilities are the leading contributor of anthropogenic radioactivity to the region.

  8. Accidental displacement of a high-speed handpiece bur during mandibular third molar surgery: a case report.

    PubMed

    Yalcin, Serhat; Aktas, Irem; Emes, Yusuf; Atalay, Belir

    2008-03-01

    Removal of third molars is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This procedure may result in a number of major and minor complications. Accidental displacement of impacted third molars is a complication that occasionally occurs during these operations, but accidental displacement of a high-speed handpiece bur has never been reported in literature before. The aim of this article is to present a rare and previously unreported case of a foreign body in the submandibular space and to review the possible complications seen after third molar surgery.

  9. Radon Release and Its Simulated Effect on Radiation Doses.

    PubMed

    Orabi, Momen

    2017-03-01

    One of the main factors that affect the uncertainty in calculating the gamma-radiation absorbed dose rate inside a room is the variation in the degree of secular equilibrium of the considered radioactive series. A component of this factor, considered in this paper, is the release of radon (Rn) from building materials to the living space of the room. This release takes place through different steps. These steps are represented and mathematically formulated. The diffusion of radon inside the material is described by Fick's second law. Some of the factors affecting the radon release rate (e.g. covering walls, moisture, structure of the building materials, etc.) are discussed. This scheme is used to study the impact of radon release on the gamma-radiation absorbed dose rate inside a room. The investigation is carried out by exploiting the MCNP simulation software. Different building materials are considered with different radon release rates. Special care is given to Rn due to its relatively higher half-life and higher indoor concentration than the other radon isotopes. The results of the presented model show that the radon release is of a significant impact in some building materials.

  10. Stochastic Modeling of Radioactive Material Releases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Andrus, Jason; Pope, Chad

    2015-09-01

    Nonreactor nuclear facilities operated under the approval authority of the U.S. Department of Energy use unmitigated hazard evaluations to determine if potential radiological doses associated with design basis events challenge or exceed dose evaluation guidelines. Unmitigated design basis events that sufficiently challenge dose evaluation guidelines or exceed the guidelines for members of the public or workers, merit selection of safety structures, systems, or components or other controls to prevent or mitigate the hazard. Idaho State University, in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory, has developed a portable and simple to use software application called SODA (Stochastic Objective Decision-Aide) that stochastically calculatesmore » the radiation dose associated with hypothetical radiological material release scenarios. Rather than producing a point estimate of the dose, SODA produces a dose distribution result to allow a deeper understanding of the dose potential. SODA allows users to select the distribution type and parameter values for all of the input variables used to perform the dose calculation. SODA then randomly samples each distribution input variable and calculates the overall resulting dose distribution. In cases where an input variable distribution is unknown, a traditional single point value can be used. SODA was developed using the MATLAB coding framework. The software application has a graphical user input. SODA can be installed on both Windows and Mac computers and does not require MATLAB to function. SODA provides improved risk understanding leading to better informed decision making associated with establishing nuclear facility material-at-risk limits and safety structure, system, or component selection. It is important to note that SODA does not replace or compete with codes such as MACCS or RSAC, rather it is viewed as an easy to use supplemental tool to help improve risk understanding and support better informed decisions. The work

  11. Review of intentionally self-inflicted, accidental and iatrogetic foreign objects in the genitourinary tract.

    PubMed

    Rieder, Jocelyn; Brusky, John; Tran, Viet; Stern, Karen; Aboseif, Sherif

    2010-01-01

    Retrospective evaluation of a series of patients presenting with genitourinary foreign objects. From 1997 to 2007, 11 men and 2 women were treated for a variety of foreign objects in the genitourinary tract. Medical records were reviewed for presentation, diagnosis, mental status, drug dependency, treatment, and follow-up. 13 patients were seen for removal of the foreign objects or for treatment of the sequela. These objects were intentionally self-inflicted, accidentally introduced or iatrogenic in nature. Intentional objects included: safety pins, screwdriver, marbles, pen cap, pencils, straw, cocaine, stiff metal wire and part of a pizza mixer. Accidental objects included: magnets, female catheter, urinary incontinence devices and part of a Foley catheter. The iatrogenic object was a reservoir from an inflatable penile implant. Smaller noninjurious objects were retrieved cystoscopically or at the bedside; larger objects or objects associated with trauma to the urethra needed open and reconstructive operations. Generally thought to be self-inflicted for personal gratification, the source of genitourinary objects can also be accidental or iatrogenic. The most traumatic injuries are purposely self-inflicted and found in patients who remove the objects themselves. These patients are at higher risk of permanent urethral damage needing complex surgical treatment and follow-up. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  12. Apoptosis and Accidental Cell Death in Cultured Human Keratinocytes after Thermal Injury

    PubMed Central

    Matylevitch, Natalia P.; Schuschereba, Steven T.; Mata, Jennifer R.; Gilligan, George R.; Lawlor, David F.; Goodwin, Cleon W.; Bowman, Phillip D.

    1998-01-01

    The respective roles of apoptosis and accidental cell death after thermal injury were evaluated in normal human epidermal keratinocytes. By coupling the LIVE/DEAD fluorescence viability assay with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method and ultrastructural morphology, these two processes could be distinguished. Cells were grown on glass coverslips with a microgrid pattern so that the results of several staining procedures performed sequentially could be visualized in the same cells after heating at temperatures of up to 72°C for 1 second. After exposure to temperatures of 58 to 59°C, cells died predominantly by apoptosis; viable cells became TUNEL positive, indicating degradation of DNA. After exposure to temperatures of 60 to 66°C, both TUNEL-positive viable cells and TUNEL-positive nonviable cells were observed, indicating that apoptosis and accidental cell death were occurring simultaneously. Cells died almost immediately after exposure to temperatures above 72°C, presumably from heat fixation. The fluorescent mitochondrial probe MitoTracker Orange indicated that cells undergoing apoptosis became TUNEL positive before loss of mitochondrial function. Nucleosomal fragmentation of DNA analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and gel electrophoresis occurred after exposure to temperatures of 58 to 59°C. The characteristic morphological findings of cells undergoing apoptosis, by transmission electron microscopy, included cellular shrinkage, cytoplasmic budding, and relatively intact mitochondria. Depending on temperature and time of exposure, normal human epidermal keratinocytes may die by apoptosis, accidental cell death, or heat fixation. PMID:9708816

  13. Accidental strangulation in children by the automatic closing of a car window.

    PubMed

    Serena, Kailene; Piva, Jefferson Pedro; Andreolio, Cinara; Carvalho, Paulo Roberto Antonacci; Rocha, Tais Sica da

    2018-03-01

    Among the main causes of death in our country are car accidents, drowning and accidental burns. Strangulation is a potentially fatal injury and an important cause of homicide and suicide among adults and adolescents. In children, its occurrence is usually accidental. However, in recent years, several cases of accidental strangulation in children around the world have been reported. A 2-year-old male patient was strangled in a car window. The patient was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 and presented with progressive worsening of respiratory dysfunction and torpor. The patient also presented acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute pulmonary edema and shock. He was managed with protective mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs and antibiotic therapy. He was discharged from the intensive care unit without neurological or pulmonary sequelae. After 12 days of hospitalization, he was discharged from the hospital, and his state was very good. The incidence of automobile window strangulation is rare but of high morbidity and mortality due to the resulting choking mechanism. Fortunately, newer cars have devices that stop the automatic closing of the windows if resistance is encountered. However, considering the severity of complications strangulated patients experience, the intensive neuro-ventilatory and hemodynamic management of the pathologies involved is important to reduce morbidity and mortality, as is the need to implement new campaigns for the education of parents and caregivers of children, aiming to avoid easily preventable accidents and to optimize safety mechanisms in cars with electric windows.

  14. Bulgarian emergency responce system for release of hazardous pollutants - design and first test of the preparedness mode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganev, Kostadin; Todorova, Angelina; Jordanov, Georgi; Gadzhev, Georgi; Syrakov, Dimiter; Miloshev, Nikolai; Prodanova, Maria

    2010-05-01

    The NATO SfP N 981393 project aims at developing of a unified Balkan region oriented modelling system for operational response to accidental releases of harmful gases in the atmosphere, which would be able to: 1.Perform highly acurate and reliable risk analysis and assessment for selected "hot spots"; 2.Support the emergency fast decisions with short-term regional scale forecast of the propagation of harmful gasesin case of accidental release; 3.Perform, in an off-line mode, a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of the possible longer-term impacts on the environment and human health and make the results available to the authorities and the public. The present paper describes the set up and the testing of the system, mainly focusing on the risk analysis mode. The modeling tool used in the system is the US EPA Models-3 System: WRF, CMAQ and SMOKE (partly). The CB05 toxic chemical mechanism, including chlorine reactions, is employed. The emission input exploits the high-resolution TNO emission inventory. The meteorological pre-processor WRF is driven by NCAR Final Reanalysis data and performs calculations in 3 nested domains, covering respectively the regions of South-Eastern Europe, Bulgaria, and the area surrounding the particular site. The risk assessment for the region of "Vereja Him" factory, Jambol, Bulgaria is performed on the basis of one-year long model calculations. The calculations with CMAQ chemical transport model are performed for the two inner domains. An ammount of 25 tons of chlorine is released two times daily in the innermost domain, and sepаrate calculations are performed for every release. The results are averaged over one year in order to evaluate the probability of exceeding some regulatory treshold value in each grid point. The completion of this task in a relatively short period of time was made possible by using the newly developed Grid computational environment, which allows for shared use of facilities in the research community.

  15. Effects of warm water inflows on the dispersion of pollutants in small reservoirs.

    PubMed

    Palancar, María C; Aragón, José M; Sánchez, Fernando; Gil, Roberto

    2006-11-01

    The effects of the warm water discharged by a nuclear power plant (NPP) into a small reservoir are studied. A case study is presented (José Cabrera NPP-Zorita Hidráulica Reservoir) with experimental data of the reservoir stratification and predicted data of the dispersion of radioactive pollutants from operative or accidental releases. The vertical and longitudinal temperature profiles, electrical conductivity and transparency of the reservoir water were measured for an annual cycle. The results indicate that the continuous warm water discharge from the NPP causes permanent and artificial reservoir stratification. The stratification is significant within 1500 m upstream and 1000 m downstream from the warm water outfall. The pollutant dispersion has been predicted by using a flow model based on N(T) perfect-mixing compartments in series with feedback. The model parameter, N(T), is calculated from the longitudinal diffusion coefficient. The prediction of pollutant dispersion by means of this model shows that the stratification slows down the vertical mixing in the whole water body, and reduces the reservoir volume that is effective for the dilution and dispersion of pollutants. This means that, in the case of a radioactive pollutant release, the reservoir radioactivity level could increase significantly.

  16. Accidental Bolt Gun Injury to Femur - A Case Report.

    PubMed

    Kattimani, Ravi Prasad; Shetty, Sanath; Mirza, Humayun

    2016-01-01

    Bolt gun or slaughterer's guns are used in meat industry for "humane killing" of animals. Injuries caused by bolt gun are rare, reported exclusively from central European countries. We report a case of 28 year old male, who accidentally shot himself with a bolt gun to his right thigh. A 28 years old male presented to our Accident and Emergency department after accidental injury to his right thigh with bolt gun. He had an entry wound measuring 2 cm in length and 1 cm in breadth over anterior aspect of lower one third of thigh at lower and sustained Grade II compound fracture of right femur shaft at distal one third. The wound was treated with multiple debridements, negative pressure wound therapy and intravenous antibiotics based on culture and sensitivity. Bolt gun or slaughterer's guns are weapons used in meat industry for slaughtering animals. Wounds inflicted by bolt guns have specific morphological feature, distinctive from wounds made by other kinds of hand firearms. Most of the time wound will be infected at presentation. Lesions caused by these weapons are likely to have a more serious character than is to be expected from the size of the entrance wound. The mainstay of treatment is liberal wound exploration, multiple debridement's and intra venous antibiotics based on culture reports to treat infection and prevent morbidity.

  17. Barriers to communication and cooperation in addressing community impacts of radioactive releases from research facilities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harrach, Robert J.; Peterson, S. Ring

    1999-05-05

    Two instances of research facilities responding to public scrutiny will be discussed. The first concerns emissions from a "tritium labeling facility" operated at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); the second deals with releases of plutonium from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). There are many parallels between these two cases, both of which are still ongoing. In both, the national laboratory is the acknowledged source of low-level (by regulatory standards) radioactive contamination in the community. A major purpose of both investigations is to determine the degree of the contamination and the threat it poses to public health and the environment. Themore » examining panel or committee is similarly constituted in the two cases, including representatives from all four categories of stakeholders: decision makers; scientists and other professionals doing the analysis/assessment; environmental activist or public interest groups; and "ordinary" citizens (nearly everyone else not in one or more of the first three camps). Both involved community participation from the beginning. The levels of outrage over the events triggering the assessment are comparable; though "discovered" or "appreciated" only a few years ago, the release of radiation in both cases occurred or began occurring more than a decade ago. The meetings have been conducted in a similar manner, with comparable frequency, often utilizing the services of professional facilitators. In both cases, the sharply contrasting perceptions of risk commonly seen between scientists and activists were present from the beginning, though the contrast was sharper and more problematical in the Berkeley case. Yet, the Livermore case seems to be progressing towards a satisfactory resolution, while the Berkeley case remains mired in ill-will, with few tangible results after two years of effort. We perceive a wide gap in negotiation skills (at the very least), and a considerable difference in willingness

  18. Nuclide radioactive decay data uncertainties library

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barabanova, D. S.; Zherdev, G. M.

    2017-01-01

    The results of the developing the library of uncertainties of radioactive decay data in the ABBN data library format are described. Different evaluations of uncertainties were compared and their effects on the results of calculations of residual energy release were determined using the test problems and experiment. Tables were generated in the ABBN format with the data obtained on the basis of libraries in ENDF-6 format. 3821 isotopes from the ENDF/B-7 data library, 3852 isotopes from the JEFF-3.11 data library and 1264 isotopes from the JENDL-4.0 data library were processed. It was revealed that the differences in the evaluations accepted in different decay data libraries are not so big, although they sometimes exceed the uncertainties assigned to the data in the ENDF/B-7 and JEFF-3.11 libraries, which as a rule, they agree with each other. On the basis of developed method it is supposed to create a library of data uncertainties for radioactive decay within the constant data system in FSUE RFNC-VNIIEF with its further connection with CRYSTAL module.

  19. The magnitude and relevance of the February 2014 radiation release from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant repository in New Mexico, USA.

    PubMed

    Thakur, P; Lemons, B G; White, C R

    2016-09-15

    After almost fifteen years of successful waste disposal operations, the first unambiguous airborne radiation release from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was detected beyond the site boundary on February 14, 2014. It was the first accident of its kind in the 15-year operating history of the WIPP. The accident released moderate levels of radioactivity into the underground air. A small but measurable amount of radioactivity also escaped to the surface through the ventilation system and was detected above ground. The dominant radionuclides released were americium and plutonium, in a ratio consistent with the known content of a breached drum. The radiation release was caused by a runaway chemical reaction inside a transuranic (TRU) waste drum which experienced a seal and lid failure, spewing radioactive materials into the repository. According to source-term estimation, approximately 2 to 10Ci of radioactivity was released from the breached drum into the underground, and an undetermined fraction of that source term became airborne, setting off an alarm and triggering the closure of seals designed to force exhausting air through a system of filters including high-efficiency-particulate-air (HEPA) filters. Air monitoring across the WIPP site intensified following the first reports of radiation detection underground to determine the extent of impact to WIPP personnel, the public, and the environment, if any. This article attempts to compile and interpret analytical data collected by an independent monitoring program conducted by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center (CEMRC) and by a compliance-monitoring program conducted by the WIPP's management and operating contractor, the Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), LLC., in response to the accident. Both the independent and the WIPP monitoring efforts concluded that the levels detected were very low and localized, and no radiation-related health effects among local workers or the public would be expected

  20. A case of accidental fatal aluminum phosphide poisoning involving humans and dogs.

    PubMed

    Behera, Chittaranjan; Krishna, Karthik; Bhardwaj, Daya Nand; Rautji, Ravi; Kumar, Arvind

    2015-05-01

    Aluminum phosphide is one of the commonest poisons encountered in agricultural areas, and manner of death in the victims is often suicidal and rarely homicidal or accidental. This paper presents an unusual case, where two humans (owner and housemaid) and eight dogs were found dead in the morning hours inside a room of a house, used as shelter for stray dogs. There was allegation by the son of the owner that his father had been killed. Crime scene visit by forensic pathologists helped to collect vital evidence. Autopsies of both the human victims and the dogs were conducted. Toxicological analysis of viscera, vomitus, leftover food, and chemical container at the crime scene tested positive for aluminum phosphide. The cause of death in both humans and dogs was aluminum phosphide poisoning. Investigation by police and the forensic approach to the case helped in ascertaining the manner of death, which was accidental. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  1. Difficulties in funding of VA-ECMO therapy for patients with severe accidental hypothermia.

    PubMed

    Kosiński, Sylweriusz; Darocha, Tomasz; Jarosz, Anna; Czerw, Aleksandra; Podsiadło, Paweł; Sanak, Tomasz; Gałązkowski, Robert; Piątek, Jacek; Konstanty-Kalandyk, Janusz; Ziętkiewicz, Mirosław; Kusza, Krzysztof; Krzych, Łukasz J; Drwiła, Rafał

    2017-01-01

    Severe accidental hypothermia is defined as a core temperature below 28 Celsius degrees. Within the last years, the issue of accidental hypothermia and accompanying cardiac arrest has been broadly discussed and European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines underline the importance of Extracorporeal Rewarming (ECR) in treatment of severely hypothermic victims. The study aimed to evaluate the actual costs of ECR with VA-ECMO and of further management in the Intensive Care Unit of patients admitted to the Severe Accidental Hypothermia Centre in Cracow, Poland. We carried out the economic analysis of 31 hypothermic adults in stage III-IV (Swiss Staging) treated with VA ECMO. Twenty-nine individuals were further managed in the Intensive Care Unit. The actual treatment costs were evaluated based on current medication, equipment, and dressing pricing. The costs incurred by the John Paul II Hospital were then collated with the National Health Service (NHS) funding, assessed based on current financial contract. In most of the cases, the actual treatment cost was greater than the funding received by around 10000 PLN per patient. The positive financial balance was achieved in only 4 (14%) individuals; other 25 cases (86%) showed a financial loss. Performed analysis clearly shows that hospitals undertaking ECR may experience financial loss due to implementation of effective treatment recommended by international guidelines. Thanks to new NHS funding policy since January 2017 such loss can be avoided, what shall encourage hospitals to perform this expensive, yet effective method of treatment.

  2. Radiological risk assessment and biosphere modelling for radioactive waste disposal in Switzerland.

    PubMed

    Brennwald, M S; van Dorp, F

    2009-12-01

    Long-term safety assessments for geological disposal of radioactive waste in Switzerland involve the demonstration that the annual radiation dose to humans due to the potential release of radionuclides from the waste repository into the biosphere will not exceed the regulatory limit of 0.1 mSv. Here, we describe the simple but robust approach used by Nagra (Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) to quantify the dose to humans as a result to time-dependent release of radionuclides from the geosphere into the biosphere. The model calculates the concentrations of radionuclides in different terrestrial and aquatic compartments of the surface environment. The fluxes of water and solids within the environment are the drivers for the exchange of radionuclides between these compartments. The calculated radionuclide concentrations in the biosphere are then used to estimate the radiation doses to humans due to various exposure paths (e.g. ingestion of radionuclides via drinking water and food, inhalation of radionuclides, external irradiation from radionuclides in soils). In this paper we also discuss recent new achievements and planned future work.

  3. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pirhonen, P.

    Life-cycle assessment is usually based on regular discharges that occur at a more or less constant rate. Nevertheless, the more factors that are taken into account in the LCA the better picture it gives on the environmental aspects of a product. In this study an approach to incorporate accidental releases into a products` life-cycle assessment was developed. In this approach accidental releases are divided into two categories. The first category consists of those unplanned releases which occur with a predicted level and frequency. Due to the high frequency and small release size at a time, these accidental releases can bemore » compared to continuous emissions. Their global impacts are studied in this approach. Accidental releases of the second category are sudden, unplanned releases caused by exceptional situations, e.g. technical failure, action error or disturbances in process conditions. These releases have a singular character and local impacts are typical of them. As far as the accidental releases of the second category are concerned, the approach introduced in this study results in a risk value for every stage of a life-cycle, the sum of which is a risk value for the whole life-cycle. Risk value is based on occurrence frequencies of incidents and potential environmental damage caused by releases. Risk value illustrates the level of potential damage caused by accidental releases related to the system under study and is meant to be used for comparison of these levels of two different products. It can also be used to compare the risk levels of different stages of the life-cycle. An approach was illustrated using petrol as an example product. The whole life-cycle of petrol from crude oil production to the consumption of petrol was studied.« less

  4. Accidental release of chlorine in Chicago: Coupling of an exposure model with a Computational Fluid Dynamics model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanchez, E. Y.; Colman Lerner, J. E.; Porta, A.; Jacovkis, P. M.

    2013-01-01

    The adverse health effects of the release of hazardous substances into the atmosphere continue being a matter of concern, especially in densely populated urban regions. Emergency responders need to have estimates of these adverse health effects in the local population to aid planning, emergency response, and recovery efforts. For this purpose, models that predict the transport and dispersion of hazardous materials are as necessary as those that estimate the adverse health effects in the population. In this paper, we present the results obtained by coupling a Computational Fluid Dynamics model, FLACS (FLame ACceleration Simulator), with an exposure model, DDC (Damage Differential Coupling). This coupled model system is applied to a scenario of hypothetical release of chlorine with obstacles, such as buildings, and the results show how it is capable of predicting the atmospheric dispersion of hazardous chemicals, and the adverse health effects in the exposed population, to support decision makers both in charge of emergency planning and in charge of real-time response. The results obtained show how knowing the influence of obstacles in the trajectory of the toxic cloud and in the diffusion of the pollutants transported, and obtaining dynamic information of the potentially affected population and of associated symptoms, contribute to improve the planning of the protection and response measures.

  5. Accidental Strangulation Due to Entrapment of Saree in Crop Thrasher Machine in an Elderly Women Working at Agricultural Field.

    PubMed

    Parchake, Manoj Bhausaheb; Kumre, Vikas; Kachare, Rajesh V

    2016-09-01

    Strangulation is generally considered as homicidal death and in accidental strangulation circumstantial evidence alone can point toward the accidental nature of incidence. In present case, a 71-year-old woman, wearing a saree (garment worn by traditional women in India) working in agricultural field, got entangled in the crop thrasher machine and got strangled. Immediately, she was taken to the nearest hospital, where she survived for 6 to 8 hours and then died. The autopsy reveals cross ribbon-shaped ligature mark on neck and anterior chest along with 1 puncture wound at the right lateral aspect of the neck. A lack of proper precaution and safety measures at agricultural field are other contributing factors. Accidental strangulation by saree is extremely rare, hence, this case is presented for its rarity and pattern of injury.

  6. Circumstances of Accidental Poisoning in Childhood

    PubMed Central

    Jackson, R. H.; Walker, J. H.; Wynne, N. A.

    1968-01-01

    Of 377 children with accidental poisoning, the commonest ages were 1, 2, and 3. The most important contributory factor was that the poison was kept in an inappropriate place. Most containers were closed, but the children found them easy to open. In some cases the container itself was unsuitable for the contents. The frequency of poisoning in childhood might be reduced in six main ways: (1) a reduction in the quantity of drugs kept in the home; (2) the provision of drug cupboards; (3) the provision of containers that are difficult for children to open, or individually foil-wrapping tablets; (4) making tablets less attractive to children; (5) clear identification of potential poisons; and (6) increasing parental awareness of the circumstances under which poisoning occurs. A plea is made for further sociomedical research into the prevention of poisoning. PMID:5682329

  7. Focus on the legislative approach to short half life radioactive hospital waste releasing.

    PubMed

    Petrucci, Caterina; Traino, Antonio Claudio

    2015-11-01

    We propose to summarize the advancements introduced by the new Directive 2013/59/Euratom concerning the concept of clearance, for which the radioactive medical waste represents a typical candidate. We also intend to spotlight disputable points in the regulatory scheme in force in Italy, as well to make a contribution to evaluate whether the practice of patients' urine storing, stated by it, can be regarded to be proper. With directing our interest to radionuclides used in Nuclear Medicine, we first present an overview of how the clearance concept, and that of exemption closely related to it, have been developed from the previous Directive 96/29 to the new one; then we describe the implementation of these concepts in the Italian legislation. Subsequently we estimate the exposure due both to keeping the effluent on site and to direct discharging it to the environment. In line with a well established international consensus, the Directive 2013/59 drives simple and harmonized regulation of clearance. On the contrary, some complexity and lack of consistency can be found in the framework of the national legislation affecting the radioactive medical waste handling. In addition the practice of excreta storing is disputed not to be really beneficial. The opportunity should be taken to make the whole system of these requirements simpler and more consistent and effective when it is revised to transpose the new Directive. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Induction of biliary cholangiocarcinoma cell apoptosis by 103Pd cholangial radioactive stent gamma-rays.

    PubMed

    He, Gui-jin; Sun, Dan-dan; Ji, Da-wei; Sui, Dong-ming; Yu, Fa-qiang; Gao, Qin-yi; Dai, Xian-wei; Gao, Hong; Jiang, Tao; Dai, Chao-liu

    2008-06-05

    In recent years, interventional tumor therapy, involving implantation of intra-cholangial metal stents through percutaneous trans-hepatic punctures, has provided a new method for treating cholangiocarcinoma. (103)Pd cholangial radioactive stents can concentrate high radioactive dosages into the malignant tumors and kill tumor cells effectively, in order to prevent re-stenosis of the lumen caused by a relapsed tumor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of gamma-rays released by the (103)Pd biliary duct radioactive stent in treating cholangiocarcinoma via induction of biliary cholangiocarcinoma cell apoptosis. A group of biliary duct cancer cells was collectively treated with a dose of gamma-rays. Cells were then examined by the 3-(4, 5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl terazolium-bromide (MTT) technique for determining the inhibition rate of the biliary duct cancer cells, as well as with other methods including electron microscopy, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, and flow cytometry were applied for the evaluation of their morphological and biochemical characteristics. The growth curve and the growth inhibition rate of the cells were determined, and the changes in the ultrastructure of the cholangiocarcinoma cells and the DNA electrophoresis bands were examined under a UV-lamp. The gamma-ray released by (103)Pd inhibited cholangiocarcinoma cell growth, as demonstrated when the growth rate of the cells was stunned by a gamma-ray with a dosage larger than 197.321 MBq. Typical features of cholangiocarcinoma cell apoptosis were observed in the 197.321 MBq dosage group, while cell necrosis was observed when irradiated by a dosage above 245.865 MBq. DNA agarose gel electrophoresis results were different between the 197.321 MBq irradiation dosage group, the 245.865 MBq irradiation dosage group, and the control group. (103)Pd radioactive stents which provide a radioactive dosage of 197.321 MBq are effective in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma

  9. Radioactive Decay

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Radioactive decay is the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation. Example decay chains illustrate how radioactive atoms can go through many transformations as they become stable and no longer radioactive.

  10. Relationship between fine particulate matter, weather condition and daily non-accidental mortality in Shanghai, China: A Bayesian approach.

    PubMed

    Fang, Xin; Fang, Bo; Wang, Chunfang; Xia, Tian; Bottai, Matteo; Fang, Fang; Cao, Yang

    2017-01-01

    There are concerns that the reported association of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with mortality might be a mixture of PM2.5 and weather conditions. We evaluated the effects of extreme weather conditions and weather types on mortality as well as their interactions with PM2.5 concentrations in a time series study. Daily non-accidental deaths, individual demographic information, daily average PM2.5 concentrations and meteorological data between 2012 and 2014 were obtained from Shanghai, China. Days with extreme weather conditions were identified. Six synoptic weather types (SWTs) were generated. The generalized additive model was set up to link the mortality with PM2.5 and weather conditions. Parameter estimation was based on Bayesian methods using both the Jeffreys' prior and an informative normal prior in a sensitivity analysis. We estimate the percent increase in non-accidental mortality per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration and constructed corresponding 95% credible interval (CrI). In total, 336,379 non-accidental deaths occurred during the study period. Average daily deaths were 307. The results indicated that per 10 μg/m3 increase in daily average PM2.5 concentration alone corresponded to 0.26-0.35% increase in daily non-accidental mortality in Shanghai. Statistically significant positive associations between PM2.5 and mortality were found for favorable SWTs when considering the interaction between PM2.5 and SWTs. The greatest effect was found in hot dry SWT (percent increase = 1.28, 95% CrI: 0.72, 1.83), followed by warm humid SWT (percent increase = 0.64, 95% CrI: 0.15, 1.13). The effect of PM2.5 on non-accidental mortality differed under specific extreme weather conditions and SWTs. Environmental policies and actions should take into account the interrelationship between the two hazardous exposures.

  11. Relationship between fine particulate matter, weather condition and daily non-accidental mortality in Shanghai, China: A Bayesian approach

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Chunfang; Xia, Tian; Bottai, Matteo; Fang, Fang; Cao, Yang

    2017-01-01

    There are concerns that the reported association of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with mortality might be a mixture of PM2.5 and weather conditions. We evaluated the effects of extreme weather conditions and weather types on mortality as well as their interactions with PM2.5 concentrations in a time series study. Daily non-accidental deaths, individual demographic information, daily average PM2.5 concentrations and meteorological data between 2012 and 2014 were obtained from Shanghai, China. Days with extreme weather conditions were identified. Six synoptic weather types (SWTs) were generated. The generalized additive model was set up to link the mortality with PM2.5 and weather conditions. Parameter estimation was based on Bayesian methods using both the Jeffreys’ prior and an informative normal prior in a sensitivity analysis. We estimate the percent increase in non-accidental mortality per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration and constructed corresponding 95% credible interval (CrI). In total, 336,379 non-accidental deaths occurred during the study period. Average daily deaths were 307. The results indicated that per 10 μg/m3 increase in daily average PM2.5 concentration alone corresponded to 0.26–0.35% increase in daily non-accidental mortality in Shanghai. Statistically significant positive associations between PM2.5 and mortality were found for favorable SWTs when considering the interaction between PM2.5 and SWTs. The greatest effect was found in hot dry SWT (percent increase = 1.28, 95% CrI: 0.72, 1.83), followed by warm humid SWT (percent increase = 0.64, 95% CrI: 0.15, 1.13). The effect of PM2.5 on non-accidental mortality differed under specific extreme weather conditions and SWTs. Environmental policies and actions should take into account the interrelationship between the two hazardous exposures. PMID:29121092

  12. Accidental acute alcohol intoxication in infants: review and case report.

    PubMed

    Minera, Gabriella; Robinson, Evan

    2014-11-01

    Acute alcohol intoxication in children younger than 18 months old is both rarely documented and rarely fatal. Previous case reports suggest hypoglycemia and faster than normal rates of alcohol elimination found in children with acute alcohol intoxication compared with adults, but data are lacking. A 2-month-old infant presented with a decreased mental status after accidental ingestion of alcohol. He was diagnosed with acute alcohol intoxication, with a blood alcohol level of 330 mg/dL and was hyperglycemic (167 mg/dL). Alcohol elimination rate was calculated to be 21.6 mg/dL/h, similar to that in adults. To our knowledge, this case is the second youngest documented patient with accidental alcohol intoxication via ingestion in the United States. We present a rare case report of acute alcohol intoxication in an infant and a review of the literature. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Although rare in the literature, poison control data suggests that alcohol poisoning in very young children is not rare. Emergency physicians should be prepared for the management of infants with alcohol poisoning. This case report and review brings attention to this subject and briefly discusses ethanol metabolism in infants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Accidental sodium hypochlorite-induced skin injury during endodontic treatment.

    PubMed

    Serper, Ahmet; Ozbek, Murat; Calt, Semra

    2004-03-01

    A case of accidental skin injury caused by leakage of sodium hypochlorite solution from the rubber dam during root canal preparation is reported. After placement of a rubber dam and initiation of root canal treatment, the patient complained of a burning sensation with sodium hypochlorite irrigation. The complaints were ignored by the practitioner, and a skin rash developed on and around the patient's chin, followed by scab formation. The patient required medical treatment with topical Hamamelis virginiana extract for 2 weeks, with full recovery.

  14. Short-term emergency response planning and risk assessment via an integrated modeling system for nuclear power plants in complex terrain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Ni-Bin; Weng, Yu-Chi

    2013-03-01

    Short-term predictions of potential impacts from accidental release of various radionuclides at nuclear power plants are acutely needed, especially after the Fukushima accident in Japan. An integrated modeling system that provides expert services to assess the consequences of accidental or intentional releases of radioactive materials to the atmosphere has received wide attention. These scenarios can be initiated either by accident due to human, software, or mechanical failures, or from intentional acts such as sabotage and radiological dispersal devices. Stringent action might be required just minutes after the occurrence of accidental or intentional release. To fulfill the basic functions of emergency preparedness and response systems, previous studies seldom consider the suitability of air pollutant dispersion models or the connectivity between source term, dispersion, and exposure assessment models in a holistic context for decision support. Therefore, the Gaussian plume and puff models, which are only suitable for illustrating neutral air pollutants in flat terrain conditional to limited meteorological situations, are frequently used to predict the impact from accidental release of industrial sources. In situations with complex terrain or special meteorological conditions, the proposing emergency response actions might be questionable and even intractable to decisionmakers responsible for maintaining public health and environmental quality. This study is a preliminary effort to integrate the source term, dispersion, and exposure assessment models into a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) to tackle the complex issues for short-term emergency response planning and risk assessment at nuclear power plants. Through a series model screening procedures, we found that the diagnostic (objective) wind field model with the aid of sufficient on-site meteorological monitoring data was the most applicable model to promptly address the trend of local wind field patterns

  15. RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF FOODS. PROBLEMS IN THE FOOD CONSUMPTION OF THE ITALIAN POPULATION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ferro-Luzzi, A.; Mariani, A.

    The aspects of health physics that are basically applications of physics are reviewed. Units of radiation measurement, RBE, permissible doses, personnel monitoring, applications of radiation spectrometry, and measurement of body activity are considered, as well as the release, dispersion, and deposition of radioactive material in reactor accidents. 140 references. (D.C.W.)

  16. Technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials.

    PubMed

    Vearrier, David; Curtis, John A; Greenberg, Michael I

    2009-05-01

    Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are ubiquitous throughout the earth's crust. Human manipulation of NORM for economic ends, such as mining, ore processing, fossil fuel extraction, and commercial aviation, may lead to what is known as "technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials," often called TENORM. The existence of TENORM results in an increased risk for human exposure to radioactivity. Workers in TENORM-producing industries may be occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation. TENORM industries may release significant amounts of radioactive material into the environment resulting in the potential for widespread exposure to ionizing radiation. These industries include mining, phosphate processing, metal ore processing, heavy mineral sand processing, titanium pigment production, fossil fuel extraction and combustion, manufacture of building materials, thorium compounds, aviation, and scrap metal processing. A search of the PubMed database ( www.pubmed.com ) and Ovid Medline database ( ovidsp.tx.ovid.com ) was performed using a variety of search terms including NORM, TENORM, and occupational radiation exposure. A total of 133 articles were identified, retrieved, and reviewed. Seventy-three peer-reviewed articles were chosen to be cited in this review. A number of studies have evaluated the extent of ionizing radiation exposure both among workers and the general public due to TENORM. Quantification of radiation exposure is limited because of modeling constraints. In some occupational settings, an increased risk of cancer has been reported and postulated to be secondary to exposure to TENORM, though these reports have not been validated using toxicological principles. NORM and TENORM have the potential to cause important human health effects. It is important that these adverse health effects are evaluated using the basic principles of toxicology, including the magnitude and type of exposure, as well as threshold and dose response.

  17. ACCIDENTAL DUPLICATION: MR Imaging Findings in Children with Spasmus Nutans.

    PubMed

    Bowen, Meredith; Peragallo, Jason; Kralik, Stephen F; Poretti, Andrea; Huisman, Thierry A G M; Soares, Bruno P

    2017-06-03

    The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaapos.2017.03.001. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Infant homicide and accidental death in the United States, 1940-2005: ethics and epidemiological classification.

    PubMed

    Riggs, Jack E; Hobbs, Gerald R

    2011-07-01

    Potential ethical issues can arise during the process of epidemiological classification. For example, unnatural infant deaths are classified as accidental deaths or homicides. Societal sensitivity to the physical abuse and neglect of children has increased over recent decades. This enhanced sensitivity could impact reported infant homicide rates. Infant homicide and accident mortality rates in boys and girls in the USA from 1940 to 2005 were analysed. In 1940, infant accident mortality rates were over 20 times greater than infant homicide rates in both boys and girls. After about 1980, when the ratio of infant accident mortality rates to infant homicide rates decreased to less than five, and the sum of infant accident and homicide rates became relatively constant, further decreases in infant accident mortality rates were associated with increases in reported infant homicide rates. These findings suggest that the dramatic decline of accidental infant mortality and recent increased societal sensitivity to child abuse may be related to the increased infant homicide rates observed in the USA since 1980 rather than an actual increase in societal violence directed against infants. Ethical consequences of epidemiological classification, involving the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, are suggested by observed patterns in infant accidental deaths and homicides in the USA from 1940 to 2005.

  19. Analysis of hospital admissions due to accidental non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning in England, between 2001 and 2010

    PubMed Central

    Ghosh, Rebecca E.; Close, Rebecca; McCann, Lucy J.; Crabbe, Helen; Garwood, Kevin; Hansell, Anna L.; Leonardi, Giovanni

    2016-01-01

    Background Accidental non-fire-related (ANFR) carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a cause of fatalities and hospital admissions. This is the first study that describes the characteristics of ANFR CO hospital admissions in England. Methods Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) inpatient data for England between 2001 and 2010 were used. ANFR CO poisoning admissions were defined as any mention of ICD-10 code T58: toxic effect of CO and X47: accidental poisoning by gases or vapours, excluding ICD-10 codes potentially related to fires (X00-X09, T20-T32 and Y26). Results There were 2463 ANFR CO admissions over the 10-year period (annual rate: 0.49/100 000); these comprised just under half (48.7%) of all non-fire-related (accidental and non-accidental) CO admissions. There was seasonal variability, with more admissions in colder winter months. Higher admission rates were observed in the north of England. Just over half (53%) of ANFR admissions were male, and the highest rates of ANFR admissions were in those aged >80 years. Conclusion The burden of ANFR CO poisoning is preventable. The results of this study suggest an appreciable burden of CO and highlight differences that may aid targeting of public health interventions. PMID:25755248

  20. [Decorporation agents for internal radioactive contamination].

    PubMed

    Ohmachi, Yasushi

    2015-01-01

    When radionuclides are accidentally ingested or inhaled, blood circulation or tissue/organ deposition of the radionuclides causes systemic or local radiation effects. In such cases, decorporation therapy is used to reduce the health risks due to their intake. Decorporation therapy includes reduction and/or inhibition of absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, isotopic dilution, and the use of diuretics, adsorbents, and chelating agents. For example, penicillamine is recommended as a chelating agent for copper contamination, and diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid is approved for the treatment of internal contamination with plutonium. During chelation therapy, the removal effect of the drugs should be monitored using a whole-body counter and/or bioassay. Some authorities, such as the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements and International Atomic Energy Agency, have reported recommended decorporation agents for each radionuclide. However, few drugs are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and many are off-label-use agents. Because many decontamination agents are drugs that have been available for a long time and have limited efficacy, the development of new, higher-efficacy drugs has been carried out mainly in the USA and France. In this article, in addition to an outline of decorporation agents for internal radioactive contamination, an outline of our research on decorporation agents for actinide (uranium and plutonium) contamination and for radio-cesium contamination is also presented.

  1. Accidental sulfur mustard exposure: A case report.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Annette; Steinritz, Dirk; Rudolf, Klaus-Dieter; Thiermann, Horst; Striepling, Enno

    2018-09-01

    The clinical progression following a sulfur mustard-induced skin exposure is well documented in the literature. Upon skin contact and a characteristic latency period, sulfur mustard (SM) causes erythema, blister formation and ulceration, which is associated with wound healing disorders that may require surgical treatment. Here, we present a case report of accidental exposure to SM in a laboratory setting which required surgical treatment of the skin. The case was illustrated at close intervals over a period of two years and underlines that exposure to SM has to be taken into account when typical clinical symptoms occur. Moreover skin grafts appear to be effective in SM-induced non healing skin ulcerations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. The accidental (acoustical) tourist

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Kirk, Wayne

    2002-11-01

    The acoustical phenomenon observed at an ancient temple in the Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza was described as ''little short of amazing--an ancient whispering gallery'' by Silvanus G. Morley, leader of the Carnegie Institute's archaeological team that excavated and restored these structures in the 1920s. Since then, many others have experienced the extraordinary acoustics at Chichen Itza and other Maya sites. Despite these reports, archaeologists and acousticians have until recently shown little interest in understanding these phenomena. After experiencing Chichen Itza's remarkable acoustics as a tourist in 1994, the author commenced collecting and disseminating information about acoustical phenomena there and at other Mayan sites, hoping to stimulate interest among archaeologists and acousticians. Were these designs accidental or intentional? If intentional, how was the knowledge obtained? How were acoustical features used? This paper highlights the author's collection of anecdotal reports of mysterious Mayan acoustics (http://http://www.ianlawton.com/pa1.htm<\\/A>), recommended reading for scientists and engineers who wish to pursue this fascinating study. Also recounted are some of the reactions of archaeologists-ranging from curious, helpful, and insightful to humorous and appalling--to outsiders' efforts to bring serious scientific attention to the new field of acoustical archaeology.

  3. Accidental overdose of insufflated colchicine.

    PubMed

    Baldwin, L R; Talbert, R L; Samples, R

    1990-01-01

    An accidental overdose of colchicine by nasal insufflation occurred when the colchicine was mistaken for methamphetamine. Colchicine insufflation is not believed to be a common practice among drug abusers; however, its physical appearance was similar enough to methamphetamine for it to be mistaken for that drug of abuse. In this case a 29-year-old White man presented to the emergency room 3 days after he 'snorted' approximately 200mg of colchicine powder. The colchicine was used as a 'root stimulator' in gardening by the patient's brother and stored in the same cabinet as the methamphetamine. Within 24 hours of exposure the patient began experiencing gastrointestinal distress and myalgia, which eventually prompted him to seek medical attention. The clinical course included hypocalcaemia (69 mg/L--day 5), hypophosphataemia (10 mg/L--day 5) and thrombocytopenia (19 X 10(3)/mm3 - day 8), all of which are consistent with colchicine toxicity. The patient improved with supportive care and electrolyte replacement, and was discharged after an 8-day hospitalisation.

  4. On the corrosion behavior of zircaloy-4 in spent fuel pools under accidental conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lavigne, O.; Shoji, T.; Sakaguchi, K.

    2012-07-01

    After zircaloy cladding tubes have been subjected to irradiation in the reactor core, they are stored temporarily in spent fuel pools. In case of an accident, the integrity of the pool may be affected and the composition of the coolant may change drastically. This was the case in Fukushima Daiichi in March 2011. Successive incidents have led to an increase in the pH of the coolant and to chloride contamination. Moreover, water radiolysis may occur owing to the remnant radioactivity of the spent fuel. In this study, we propose to evaluate the corrosion behavior of oxidized Zr-4 (in autoclave at 288 °C for 32 days) in function of the pH and the presence of chloride and radical forms. The generation of radicals is achieved by the sonolysis of the solution. It appears that the increase in pH and the presence of radicals lead to an increase in current densities. However, the current densities remain quite low (depending on the conditions, between 1 and 10 μA cm-2). The critical parameter is the presence of chloride ions. The chloride ions widely decrease the passive range of the oxidized samples (the pitting potential is measured around +0.6 V (vs. SCE)). Moreover, if the oxide layer is scratched or damaged (which is likely under accidental conditions), the pitting potential of the oxidized sample reaches the pitting potential of the non-oxidized sample (around +0.16 V (vs. SCE)), leaving a shorter stable passive range for the Zr-4 cladding tubes.

  5. Radium release mechanisms during hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus Shale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, M.; Landis, J. D.; Renock, D. J.

    2016-12-01

    Wastewater co-produced with methane from Devonian Marcellus Shale is hypersaline and enriched in Ra. Recent studies find that water injected during hydraulic fracturing can leach out significant quantities of Na, Ca, Ba and Sr from solid phases in the shale over just hours to days. Here, we show with water-rock leaching experiments that the measured 226Ra/228Ra ratios of Marcellus wastewater could also derive from rapid leaching of mineral and organic phases of the shale. Radium isotopes 226Ra (t1/2 = 1600 a) and 228Ra (t1/2 = 5.8 a) are produced through radioactive decay of 238U (t1/2 = 4.5 Ga) and 232Th (t1/2 = 14 Ga), respectively. In the absence of processes that fractionate U, Th and Ra from one another, the decay rates of each parent-daughter pair become identical over 5 half-lives of the daughter radionuclide reaching a condition of secular equilibrium. Water-rock interaction may induce pronounced deviations from secular equilibrium in the water phase, however. Such is the case during hydraulic fracturing, where Ra is soluble and mobile, and is orphaned from insoluble U and Th parents. Once 226Ra and 228Ra are mobilized no fractionation between these isotopes is expected during their transport to the surface. Thus the 226Ra/228Ra ratio in wastewater provides a fingerprint of Ra source(s). Leaching Marcellus Shale with pure water under anoxic conditions releases mainly 228Ra from clays; extraction of 228Ra from radiation damaged sites is likely the dominant contributing mechanism. Using a novel isotope dilution technique we find that 90% of the Ra released in pure water partitions back onto rock (possibly clays). In comparison, leaching with high ionic strength solutions induces the release of 226Ra from mainly organics; the breakdown of organic matter in these solutions may be the driving mechanism controlling 226Ra release in solution. Radium released by high ionic strength solutions strongly partitions into water and results in the development of leachates

  6. Impacts of initial temperature and cylindrical obstacles on the dispersing flammable limits of accidental methane releases in an LNG bunkering terminal.

    PubMed

    Choi, Byung Chul; Park, Kweon-Ha; Doh, Deog-Hee

    2018-05-16

    This paper presents a numerical study on the dispersing flammable limits with respect to the initial methane releases at T CH4,0  = -50 and -150 °C in the crosswind of ambient air according to the arrangement of (a) No Tank, (b) Tank I, (c) Tank II, and (d) Tank I and II on the ground. To provide a better physical insight on the dispersion behaviors of the methane releases, the spatial distributions of the quasi-averaged methane concentration and flow fields were mainly analyzed using 3-D large eddy simulations. Consequently, the results of both the parameters can be summarized in that the vortex characteristics of the rotating direction and vorticity generated by the interactions not only between the crosswind and cylindrical obstacles but also between the crosswind and releasing methane flows played important roles in determining the dispersing flammable limits depending on the mixing characteristics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Assessment of need for transport tubes when continuously monitoring for radioactive aerosols.

    PubMed

    Whicker, J J; Rodgers, J C; Lopez, R C

    1999-09-01

    Aerosol transport tubes are often used to draw aerosol from desirable sampling locations to nearby air sampling equipment that cannot be placed at that location. In many plutonium laboratories at Los Alamos National Laboratory, aerosol transport tubes are used to transport aerosol from the front of room ventilation exhaust registers to continuous air monitors (CAMs) that are mounted on nearby walls. Transport tubes are used because past guidance suggests that extraction of aerosol samples from exhaust locations provides the most sensitive and reliable detection under conditions where the rooms have unpredictable release locations and significant spatial variability in aerosol concentrations after releases, and where CAMs cannot be located in front of exhaust registers without blocking worker walkways. Despite designs to minimize particle loss in tubes, aerosol transport model predictions suggest losses occur lowering the sensitivity of CAMs to accidentally released plutonium aerosol. The goal of this study was to test the hypotheses that the reliability, speed, and sensitivity of aerosol detection would be equal whether the sample was extracted from the front of the exhaust register or from the wall location of CAMs. Polydisperse oil aerosols were released from multiple locations in two plutonium laboratories to simulate plutonium aerosol releases. Networked laser particle counters (LPCs) were positioned to simultaneously measure time-resolved aerosol concentrations at each exhaust register (representative of sampling with transport tubes) and at each wall-mounted CAM location (representative of sampling without transport tubes). Results showed no significant differences in detection reliability, speed, or sensitivity for LPCs positioned at exhaust locations when compared to LPCs positioned at the CAM wall location. Therefore, elimination of transport tubes would likely improve CAM performance.

  8. Self-reported incidence of accidental exposures to patients' blood and body fluids by resident doctors in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Olubuyide, I O; Olawuyi, F

    1995-08-01

    An anonymous survey of 149 resident doctors was conducted to estimate the extent of accidental exposures to blood and body fluids of patients over a one-year period. There was a total of 1142 exposures. Ninety-three percent of respondents reported one or more exposure incident(s). Analysis of events and procedures leading to accidental exposures revealed that recapping needles was involved in 17%, suturing accounted for 14%, setting up intravenous lines 11%, cuts with scalpel 9% and phlebotomy 9%. Surgical residents had a threefold greater risk of exposure compared with medicine residents. No trend was found for accidental exposures by level of residency training. Seventy-four percent of the residents used universal precautions 50% or less of the time. Only half of the doctors could recall formal instruction on correct course of action after exposure and 5% of them had as undergraduates hepatitis B vaccine prior to the commencement of venepuncture duties. All but one of the residents' exposures were not reported to the Staff Medical Services Department. The doctor who reported was neither tested for hepatitis B virus or human immunodeficiency virus nor was he properly treated. Only 5 (4.6%) of the contaminating patients were evaluated serologically for their status of these viruses. These data emphasize the need for increased efforts toward improved early and continuing education, prevention and correct management of accidental exposures to blood or body fluids of patients by resident doctors in Nigeria. No recent study exists that exclusively addresses this problem in doctors in tropical Africa.

  9. Local Integration of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center with Cities (LINC)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ermak, D L; Tull, J E; Mosley-Rovi, R

    The objective of the ''Local Integration of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center with Cities'' (LINC) program is to demonstrate the capability for providing local government agencies with an advanced operational atmospheric plume prediction capability, which can be seamlessly integrated with appropriate federal agency support for homeland security applications. LINC is a Domestic Demonstration and Application Program (DDAP) funded by the Chemical and Biological National Security Program (CBNP), which is part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). LINC will make use of capabilities that have been developed the CBNP, and integrated into the National Atmosphericmore » Release Advisory Center (NARAC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). NARAC tools services will be provided to pilot study cities and counties to map plumes from terrorism threats. Support to these local agencies will include training and customized support for exercises, special events, and general emergencies. NARAC provides tools and services that map the probable spread of hazardous material which have been accidentally or intentionally released into the atmosphere. Primarily supported by the DOE, NARAC is a national support and resource center for planning, real-time assessment and detailed studies of incidents involving a wide variety of hazards, including radiological, chemical, or biological releases. NARAC is a distributed system, providing modeling and geographical information tools for use on an end user's computer system, as well as real-time access to global meteorological and geographical databases and advanced three-dimensional model predictions.« less

  10. Legal update. Definition of accident--accidental death and dismemberment--alcohol-related automobile collision--foreseeability of death as result of driving while intoxicated.

    PubMed

    2011-01-01

    LaAsmar v. Phelps Dodge Corp. Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment & Dependent Life Ins. Plan, 605 F3d 789, 2010 WL 1794437(10th Cir. 2010). A death caused by an alcohol-related automobile collision qualifies as an "accident" that would require payment of accidental death and dismemberment plan benefits.

  11. 75 FR 8412 - Office of New Reactors: Interim Staff Guidance on Assessing Ground Water Flow and Transport of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-24

    ... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2010-0047] Office of New Reactors: Interim Staff Guidance on Assessing Ground Water Flow and Transport of Accidental Radionuclide Releases; Solicitation of Public... ground water flow and transport of accidental radionuclide releases necessary to demonstrate compliance...

  12. Review of medical findings in a Marshallese population twenty-six years after accidental exposure to radioactive fallout

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Conard, R.A.; Paglia, D.E.; Larsen, P.R.

    1980-01-01

    In March 1954, radioactive debris from a thermonuclear weapon test at Bikini Atoll deviated from predicted trajectories and contaminated several atolls in the northern Marshall Islands. As a result, 239 native inhabitants of these islands along with 28 American servicemen and 23 Japanese fishermen received variably severe exposures to diverse ionizing radiations. Fallout material consisted largely of mixed fission products with small amounts of neutron-induced radionuclides and minimal amounts of fissionable elements, producing a complex spectrum of electromagnetic and particulate radiation. Individuals were exposed to deeply penetrating, whole-body gamma irradiation, to internal radiation emitters assimilated either by inhalation or bymore » ingestion of contaminated water and food, and to direct radiation from material accumulating on body surfaces. That accident initiated a cascade of events, medical, social and political, which continue in varying forms to this day. Most of these have been discussed in the open medical literature and in periodic reports issued by the medical team headquartered at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This report attempts to summarize some of the principal findings of medical significnce that have been observed during the subsequent 26 years with particular emphasis on the last six years.« less

  13. Statistical discrimination of footwear: a method for the comparison of accidentals on shoe outsoles inspired by facial recognition techniques.

    PubMed

    Petraco, Nicholas D K; Gambino, Carol; Kubic, Thomas A; Olivio, Dayhana; Petraco, Nicholas

    2010-01-01

    In the field of forensic footwear examination, it is a widely held belief that patterns of accidental marks found on footwear and footwear impressions possess a high degree of "uniqueness." This belief, however, has not been thoroughly studied in a numerical way using controlled experiments. As a result, this form of valuable physical evidence has been the subject of admissibility challenges. In this study, we apply statistical techniques used in facial pattern recognition, to a minimal set of information gleaned from accidental patterns. That is, in order to maximize the amount of potential similarity between patterns, we only use the coordinate locations of accidental marks (on the top portion of a footwear impression) to characterize the entire pattern. This allows us to numerically gauge how similar two patterns are to one another in a worst-case scenario, i.e., in the absence of a tremendous amount of information normally available to the footwear examiner such as accidental mark size and shape. The patterns were recorded from the top portion of the shoe soles (i.e., not the heel) of five shoe pairs. All shoes were the same make and model and all were worn by the same person for a period of 30 days. We found that in 20-30 dimensional principal component (PC) space (99.5% variance retained), patterns from the same shoe, even at different points in time, tended to cluster closer to each other than patterns from different shoes. Correct shoe identification rates using maximum likelihood linear classification analysis and the hold-one-out procedure ranged from 81% to 100%. Although low in variance, three-dimensional PC plots were made and generally corroborated the findings in the much higher dimensional PC-space. This study is intended to be a starting point for future research to build statistical models on the formation and evolution of accidental patterns.

  14. RADIO-ACTIVE TRANSDUCER

    DOEpatents

    Wanetick, S.

    1962-03-01

    ABS>ure the change in velocity of a moving object. The transducer includes a radioactive source having a collimated beam of radioactive particles, a shield which can block the passage of the radioactive beam, and a scintillation detector to measure the number of radioactive particles in the beam which are not blocked by the shield. The shield is operatively placed across the radioactive beam so that any motion normal to the beam will cause the shield to move in the opposite direction thereby allowing more radioactive particles to reach the detector. The number of particles detected indicates the acceleration. (AEC)

  15. The Scotch Broom gall mite: Accidental introduction to classical biological control agent?

    Treesearch

    J. Andreas; T. Wax; E. Coombs; J. Gaskin; G. Markin; S. Sing

    2013-01-01

    The gall mite, Aceria genistae (Nal.) Castagnoli s.l., an accidentally introduced natural enemy of Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link), was first discovered in the Portland OR and Tacoma WA region in 2005. It has since been reported from southern British Columbia to southern Oregon. Observationally, the mite appears to reduce Scotch broom seed production and at...

  16. Risks of nuclear waste disposal in space. III - Long-term orbital evolution of small particle distribution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Friedlander, A. L.; Wells, W. C.

    1980-01-01

    A study of long term risks is presented that treats an additional pathway that could result in earth reentry, namely, small radioactive particles released in solar orbit due to payload fragmentation by accidental explosion or meteoroid impact. A characterization of such an event and of the initial mass size distribution of particles is given for two extremes of waste form strength. Attention is given to numerical results showing the mass-time distribution of material and the fraction of initial mass intercepted by earth. It is concluded that it appears that program planners need not be to concerned about the risks of this particular failure mechanism and return pathway.

  17. Analysis of hospital admissions due to accidental non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning in England, between 2001 and 2010.

    PubMed

    Ghosh, Rebecca E; Close, Rebecca; McCann, Lucy J; Crabbe, Helen; Garwood, Kevin; Hansell, Anna L; Leonardi, Giovanni

    2016-03-01

    Accidental non-fire-related (ANFR) carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a cause of fatalities and hospital admissions. This is the first study that describes the characteristics of ANFR CO hospital admissions in England. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) inpatient data for England between 2001 and 2010 were used. ANFR CO poisoning admissions were defined as any mention of ICD-10 code T58: toxic effect of CO and X47: accidental poisoning by gases or vapours, excluding ICD-10 codes potentially related to fires (X00-X09, T20-T32 and Y26). There were 2463 ANFR CO admissions over the 10-year period (annual rate: 0.49/100 000); these comprised just under half (48.7%) of all non-fire-related (accidental and non-accidental) CO admissions. There was seasonal variability, with more admissions in colder winter months. Higher admission rates were observed in the north of England. Just over half (53%) of ANFR admissions were male, and the highest rates of ANFR admissions were in those aged >80 years. The burden of ANFR CO poisoning is preventable. The results of this study suggest an appreciable burden of CO and highlight differences that may aid targeting of public health interventions. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.

  18. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the out-of-hospital evaluation and treatment of accidental hypothermia.

    PubMed

    Zafren, Ken; Giesbrecht, Gordon G; Danzl, Daniel F; Brugger, Hermann; Sagalyn, Emily B; Walpoth, Beat; Weiss, Eric A; Auerbach, Paul S; McIntosh, Scott E; Némethy, Mária; McDevitt, Marion; Dow, Jennifer; Schoene, Robert B; Rodway, George W; Hackett, Peter H; Bennett, Brad L; Grissom, Colin K

    2014-12-01

    To provide guidance to clinicians, the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the out-of-hospital evaluation and treatment of victims of accidental hypothermia. The guidelines present the main diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and provide recommendations for the management of hypothermic patients. The panel graded the recommendations based on the quality of supporting evidence and the balance between benefits and risks/burdens according the criteria published by the American College of Chest Physicians. The guidelines also provide suggested general approaches to the evaluation and treatment of accidental hypothermia that incorporate specific recommendations. Copyright © 2014 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Natural and Fukushima-derived radioactivity in macroalgae and mussels along the Japanese shoreline

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baumann, Z.; Casacuberta, N.; Baumann, H.; Masqué, P.; Fisher, N. S.

    2013-02-01

    Following the failure of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in March 2011, peer-reviewed publications describing radioactivity levels in organisms inhabiting coastal environments are scarce. This paper reports on elevated levels of 134Cs and 137Cs in macroalgae and mussels (up to ~ 800 Bq kg-1 dry wt.) in June 2011. Cs concentrations in biota sampled in early June 2011 were higher in areas south of Fukushima than sampled in the last third of the month north of Fukushima. Radioactivity from 134+137Cs in organisms south of Fukushima were comparable to or lower than that from the naturally occuring 40K in the same samples. While 210Pb and 210Po concentrations were generally lower than these other radionuclides, 210Po as an α-emitter is more significant from a radiological viewpoint than γ-emitters as it can inflict greater biological damage. By applying known bioconcentration factors of Cs in biota, measured biota concentrations of Cs were also used to estimate Cs concentraitons in coastal seawater to be in the range of 102-103 Bq m-3. These estimates show that 3 months after the accident and maximal release of radioactive Cs, levels of Cs persisted in coastal waters, although at levels that were two orders of magnitude lower than at the time of release. These June coastal seawater Cs levels were four orders of magnitude above Cs concentrations off Japan prior to the Fukushima disaster.

  20. Dynamic Radioactive Source for Evaluating and Demonstrating Time-dependent Performance of Continuous Air Monitors.

    PubMed

    McLean, Thomas D; Moore, Murray E; Justus, Alan L; Hudston, Jonathan A; Barbé, Benoît

    2016-11-01

    Evaluation of continuous air monitors in the presence of a plutonium aerosol is time intensive, expensive, and requires a specialized facility. The Radiation Protection Services Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed a Dynamic Radioactive Source, intended to replace plutonium aerosol challenge testing. The Dynamic Radioactive Source is small enough to be inserted into the sampler filter chamber of a typical continuous air monitor. Time-dependent radioactivity is introduced from electroplated sources for real-time testing of a continuous air monitor where a mechanical wristwatch motor rotates a mask above an alpha-emitting electroplated disk source. The mask is attached to the watch's minute hand, and as it rotates, more of the underlying source is revealed. The measured alpha activity increases with time, simulating the arrival of airborne radioactive particulates at the air sampler inlet. The Dynamic Radioactive Source allows the temporal behavior of puff and chronic release conditions to be mimicked without the need for radioactive aerosols. The new system is configurable to different continuous air monitor designs and provides an in-house testing capability (benchtop compatible). It is a repeatable and reusable system and does not contaminate the tested air monitor. Test benefits include direct user control, realistic (plutonium) aerosol spectra, and iterative development of continuous air monitor alarm algorithms. Data obtained using the Dynamic Radioactive Source has been used to elucidate alarm algorithms and to compare the response time of two commercial continuous air monitors.

  1. Dynamic Radioactive Source for Evaluating and Demonstrating Time-dependent Performance of Continuous Air Monitors

    DOE PAGES

    McLean, Thomas D.; Moore, Murray E.; Justus, Alan L.; ...

    2016-01-01

    Evaluation of continuous air monitors in the presence of a plutonium aerosol is time intensive, expensive, and requires a specialized facility. The Radiation Protection Services Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed a Dynamic Radioactive Source, intended to replace plutonium aerosol challenge testing. Furthermore, the Dynamic Radioactive Source is small enough to be inserted into the sampler filter chamber of a typical continuous air monitor. Time-dependent radioactivity is introduced from electroplated sources for real-time testing of a continuous air monitor where a mechanical wristwatch motor rotates a mask above an alpha-emitting electroplated disk source. The mask is attached tomore » the watch’s minute hand, and as it rotates, more of the underlying source is revealed. The alpha activity we measured increases with time, simulating the arrival of airborne radioactive particulates at the air sampler inlet. The Dynamic Radioactive Source allows the temporal behavior of puff and chronic release conditions to be mimicked without the need for radioactive aerosols. The new system is configurable to different continuous air monitor designs and provides an in-house testing capability (benchtop compatible). It is a repeatable and reusable system and does not contaminate the tested air monitor. Test benefits include direct user control, realistic (plutonium) aerosol spectra, and iterative development of continuous air monitor alarm algorithms. We also used data obtained using the Dynamic Radioactive Source to elucidate alarm algorithms and to compare the response time of two commercial continuous air monitors.« less

  2. Design and adaptation of a novel supercritical extraction facility for operation in a glove box for recovery of radioactive elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, V. Suresh; Kumar, R.; Sivaraman, N.; Ravisankar, G.; Vasudeva Rao, P. R.

    2010-09-01

    The design and development of a novel supercritical extraction experimental facility adapted for safe operation in a glove box for the recovery of radioactive elements from waste is described. The apparatus incorporates a high pressure extraction vessel, reciprocating pumps for delivering supercritical fluid and reagent, a back pressure regulator, and a collection chamber. All these components of the system have been specially designed for glove box adaptation and made modular to facilitate their replacement. Confinement of these materials must be ensured in a glove box to protect the operator and prevent contamination to the work area. Since handling of radioactive materials under high pressure (30 MPa) and temperature (up to 333 K) is involved in this process, the apparatus needs elaborate safety features in the design of the equipment, as well as modification of a standard glove box to accommodate the system. As a special safety feature to contain accidental leakage of carbon dioxide from the extraction vessel, a safety vessel has been specially designed and placed inside the glove box. The extraction vessel was enclosed in the safety vessel. The safety vessel was also incorporated with pressure sensing and controlling device.

  3. Accidental cut-throat injuries from the broken windshield of an auto rickshaw: Two unusual cases.

    PubMed

    Swain, Rajanikanta; Dhaka, Shivani; Sharma, Munish; Bakshi, Mantaran Singh; Murty, O P; Sikary, Asit Kumar

    2018-01-01

    Accidental cut-throat injuries are extremely rare and usually involve a sharp-edged weapon. In this paper, two cases of a cut-throat wound to two auto-rickshaw drivers are presented where the broken windshield of the auto-rickshaws was responsible for the wounds. In both the cases, fatal incised wounds were present over the neck, cutting the soft tissue along with the major vessels. The death occurred due to exsanguination caused by neck-vessel injury in one case and trachea along with neck-vessel injury in the second case. Although the wounds on the neck initially suggested homicide, they were found to have occurred accidentally as a result of a road traffic accident involving a head-on collision of auto rickshaws. The injuries were inflicted by the shattered glass of the windshield.

  4. Isotopic signature of atmospheric xenon released from light water reactors.

    PubMed

    Kalinowski, Martin B; Pistner, Christoph

    2006-01-01

    A global monitoring system for atmospheric xenon radioactivity is being established as part of the International Monitoring System to verify compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The isotopic activity ratios of (135)Xe, (133m)Xe, (133)Xe and (131m)Xe are of interest for distinguishing nuclear explosion sources from civilian releases. Simulations of light water reactor (LWR) fuel burn-up through three operational reactor power cycles are conducted to explore the possible xenon isotopic signature of nuclear reactor releases under different operational conditions. It is studied how ratio changes are related to various parameters including the neutron flux, uranium enrichment and fuel burn-up. Further, the impact of diffusion and mixing on the isotopic activity ratio variability are explored. The simulations are validated with reported reactor emissions. In addition, activity ratios are calculated for xenon isotopes released from nuclear explosions and these are compared to the reactor ratios in order to determine whether the discrimination of explosion releases from reactor effluents is possible based on isotopic activity ratios.

  5. Accidental strangulation of a mentally retarded patient by a clothing collar: a case report.

    PubMed

    Hitosugi, Masahito; Yokoyama, Tomoko; Kido, Masahito; Kawato, Hitoshi; Matsushima, Kazumi; Nagai, Toshiaki; Tokudome, Shogo

    2006-07-01

    A 40-year-old mentally retarded woman died of accidental strangulation in a nursing home. She was found in a kneeling position with her hands on her knees and the collar of her clothing compressing the front and sides of the neck. Before the accident, a nurse had dressed the patient in one-piece overall-style pyjamas put on back to front so that she could not remove the garment herself. The post-mortem findings and reconstruction of the scene of death suggested that the patient had been strangled by the collar of her backward-facing clothing while in a kneeling position. Because patients with psychiatric illnesses may have a limited ability to recognize or communicate symptoms of physical danger, they must be closely monitored by knowledgeable medical and nursing staff. This case highlights the importance of preventing the accidental deaths of mentally retarded patients in nursing homes.

  6. Accidental ingestion of BiTine ring and a note on inefficient ring separation forceps.

    PubMed

    Baghele, Om Nemichand; Baghele, Mangala Om

    2011-01-01

    Accidental ingestion of medium-to-large instruments is relatively uncommon during dental treatment but can be potentially dangerous. A case of BiTine ring ingestion is presented with a note on inefficient ring separation forceps. A 28-year-old male patient accidentally ingested the BiTine ring (2 cm diameter, 0.5 cm outward projections) while it was being applied to a distoproximal cavity in tooth # 19. The ring placement forceps were excessively flexible; bending of the beaks towards the ring combined with a poor no-slippage mechanism led to sudden disengagement of the ring and accelerated movement towards the pharynx. We followed the patient with bulk forming agents and radiographs. Fortunately the ring passed out without any complications. Checking equipment and methods is as important as taking precautions against any preventable medical emergency. It is the responsibility of the clinician to check, verify and then use any instrument/equipment.

  7. An unconventional adaptation of a classical Gaussian plume dispersion scheme for the fast assessment of external irradiation from a radioactive cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pecha, Petr; Pechova, Emilie

    2014-06-01

    This article focuses on derivation of an effective algorithm for the fast estimation of cloudshine doses/dose rates induced by a large mixture of radionuclides discharged into the atmosphere. A certain special modification of the classical Gaussian plume approach is proposed for approximation of the near-field dispersion problem. Specifically, the accidental radioactivity release is subdivided into consecutive one-hour Gaussian segments, each driven by a short-term meteorological forecast for the respective hours. Determination of the physical quantity of photon fluence rate from an ambient cloud irradiation is coupled to a special decomposition of the Gaussian plume shape into the equivalent virtual elliptic disks. It facilitates solution of the formerly used time-consuming 3-D integration and provides advantages with regard to acceleration of the computational process on a local scale. An optimal choice of integration limit is adopted on the basis of the mean free path of γ-photons in the air. An efficient approach is introduced for treatment of a wide range of energetic spectrum of the emitted photons when the usual multi-nuclide approach is replaced by a new multi-group scheme. The algorithm is capable of generating the radiological responses in a large net of spatial nodes. It predetermines the proposed procedure such as a proper tool for online data assimilation analysis in the near-field areas. A specific technique for numerical integration is verified on the basis of comparison with a partial analytical solution. Convergence of the finite cloud approximation to the tabulated semi-infinite cloud values for dose conversion factors was validated.

  8. How long do natural waters “remember” release incidents of Marcellus Shale waters: a first order approximation using reactive transport modeling

    DOE PAGES

    Cai, Zhang; Li, Li

    2016-12-13

    Natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale formation has significantly changed energy landscape in recent years. Accidental release, including spills, leakage, and seepage of the Marcellus Shale flow back and produced waters can impose risks on natural water resources. With many competing processes during the reactive transport of chemical species, it is not clear what processes are dominant and govern the impacts of accidental release of Marcellus Shale waters (MSW) into natural waters. Here we carry out numerical experiments to explore this largely unexploited aspect using cations from MSW as tracers with a focus on abiotic interactions between cations releasedmore » from MSW and natural water systems. Reactive transport models were set up using characteristics of natural water systems (aquifers and rivers) in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Results show that in clay-rich sandstone aquifers, ion exchange plays a key role in determining the maximum concentration and the time scale of released cations in receiving natural waters. In contrast, mineral dissolution and precipitation play a relatively minor role. The relative time scales of recovery τ rr, a dimensionless number defined as the ratio of the time needed to return to background concentrations over the residence time of natural waters, vary between 5 and 10 for Na, Ca, and Mg, and between 10 and 20 for Sr and Ba. In rivers and sand and gravel aquifers with negligible clay, τrr values are close to 1 because cations are flushed out at approximately one residence time. These values can be used as first order estimates of time scales of released MSW in natural water systems. This work emphasizes the importance of clay content and suggests that it is more likely to detect contamination in clay-rich geological formations. As a result, this work highlights the use of reactive transport modeling in understanding natural attenuation, guiding monitoring, and predicting impacts of contamination for risk

  9. How long do natural waters “remember” release incidents of Marcellus Shale waters: a first order approximation using reactive transport modeling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cai, Zhang; Li, Li

    Natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale formation has significantly changed energy landscape in recent years. Accidental release, including spills, leakage, and seepage of the Marcellus Shale flow back and produced waters can impose risks on natural water resources. With many competing processes during the reactive transport of chemical species, it is not clear what processes are dominant and govern the impacts of accidental release of Marcellus Shale waters (MSW) into natural waters. Here we carry out numerical experiments to explore this largely unexploited aspect using cations from MSW as tracers with a focus on abiotic interactions between cations releasedmore » from MSW and natural water systems. Reactive transport models were set up using characteristics of natural water systems (aquifers and rivers) in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Results show that in clay-rich sandstone aquifers, ion exchange plays a key role in determining the maximum concentration and the time scale of released cations in receiving natural waters. In contrast, mineral dissolution and precipitation play a relatively minor role. The relative time scales of recovery τ rr, a dimensionless number defined as the ratio of the time needed to return to background concentrations over the residence time of natural waters, vary between 5 and 10 for Na, Ca, and Mg, and between 10 and 20 for Sr and Ba. In rivers and sand and gravel aquifers with negligible clay, τrr values are close to 1 because cations are flushed out at approximately one residence time. These values can be used as first order estimates of time scales of released MSW in natural water systems. This work emphasizes the importance of clay content and suggests that it is more likely to detect contamination in clay-rich geological formations. As a result, this work highlights the use of reactive transport modeling in understanding natural attenuation, guiding monitoring, and predicting impacts of contamination for risk

  10. A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area, TAN647 and TAN648. Plot ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area, TAN-647 and TAN-648. Plot plan, fencing details. Relationship to hot shop and railroad turntable. Ralph M. Parsons 1480-7-ANP/GE-3-102. Date: November 19958. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INEEL index no. 034-0100-00-693-107447 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

  11. Kinetics of killing Listeria monocytogenes by macrophages: correlation of /sup 3/H-DNA release from labeled bacteria and changes in numbers of viable organisms by mathematical model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davies, W.A.

    1982-12-01

    Conventional methods of assessing antibacterial activities of macrophages by viable counting are limited by the precision of the statistics and are difficult to interpret quantitatively because of unrestrained extracellular growth of bacteria. An alternative technique based on the release of radioactive DNA from labeled bacteria has been offered as overcoming these drawbacks. To assess it for use with macrophages I have made a correlation with the conventional viable counting method using a mathematical model. Opsonized Listeria monocytogenes labeled with /sup 3/H-thymidine were exposed to rat macrophages for periods up to 4 hr. Numbers of viable bacteria determined after sonication increasedmore » exponentially in the absence of live cells and this growth rate was progressively inhibited by increasing numbers of macrophages. After a lag period of 30-60 min soluble /sup 3/H appeared in the supernatant, the amount increasing with time and numbers of macrophages. To correlate these data I developed a mathematical model that considered that changes in numbers of viable organisms were due to the difference between rates of 1) growth of extracellular bacteria and 2) killing within the macrophage. On the basis of this model curves of best fit to the viable counts data were used to predict the release of radioactivity, assuming that death of a bacterium led to the total release of its label. These predictions and the experimental data agreed well, the lag period of 30-60 min between death of the bacterium and release of radioactivity being consistent with intracellular digestion. Release of soluble radioactivity appears to be an accurate reflection of the number of bacteria killed within the macrophage.« less

  12. [Accidental injection of sodium hypochlorite in inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia].

    PubMed

    Hongyan, Li; Jian, Xu; Baorong, Zhang; Yue, Jia; Minhua, Liu; Yilang, Luo; Jing, Zhao

    2016-12-01

    Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) has been widely used in clinical practice as one of the most efficient root canal irrigants. Its properties include broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and ability to dissolve necrotic tissues. However, when used improperly, NaClO can cause a series of adverse reactions, such as mucosal inflammation, irritation, or injury. This paper presents a case of accidental injection of NaClO in inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia.

  13. A study of marine pollution caused by the release of metals into seawater following acid spills.

    PubMed

    Cabon, Jean-Yves; Giamarchi, Philippe; Le Floch, Stephane

    2010-07-01

    This study examined the potential metal pollution induced by the accidental spill of different acids into seawater. The acids sink to the bottom according to their densities and subsequently react with marine sediments. The acids selected for this study were acetic, hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acids; the metallic elements selected were Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. The sediment was collected in Brest Harbour. The percentages of metals released from this sediment in the presence of various concentrations of acids in seawater were important; concentrations of approximately 7 mg L(-1) for Mn and 60 mg L(-1) for Zn were observed under our experimental conditions. We also examined the rate of release of these metals from the sediment into the seawater in the presence of the different acids and under different experimental conditions. We found that most of the metallic elements were released from the sediments into the seawater during the first fifteen minutes of exposure. After this time, a high degree of pollution was induced if acids leached into seawater were not rapidly diluted. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. No clinically relevant effects in children after accidental ingestion of Panaeolina foenisecii (lawn mower's mushroom).

    PubMed

    Schenk-Jaeger, Katharina M; Hofer-Lentner, Katharina E; Plenert, Bettina; Eckart, Dagmar; Haberl, Bettina; Schulze, Gabriele; Borchert-Avalone, Janine; Stedtler, Uwe; Pfab, Rudolph

    2017-03-01

    Panaeolina foenisecii is one of the most common and widely distributed lawn mushrooms in Europe and North America, and frequently involved in accidental mushroom ingestion, mainly in children. Nevertheless, there is contradictory information regarding the toxicity profile of P. foenisecii in the literature. Objective of the study was to assess clinical effects with particular attention on psychoactive properties of P. foenisecii in case of accidental oral exposure. This observational case series is based on prospectively collected data on mushroom poisoning using a structured data collection form, and it was performed in seven poisons centres in Germany and Switzerland. Inclusion criteria were accidental ingestion of at least one cap of P. foenisecii identified by a mycologist, and a follow up of at least 4 hours. Nineteen cases met all inclusion criteria, and only children were involved with a mean age of 3 years. They ingested 1-2 mushrooms in 14 cases and 3-5 mushrooms in five cases. Three patients received a single dose of activated charcoal. Sixteen out of 19 cases did not develop any symptoms, 2/19 complained of minor abdominal discomfort. One child was temporarily mildly hyperactive, and this was the only patient observed in a hospital for 12 hours. None of the children showed signs of hallucinations. This multicentre study demonstrates that the typically small amounts of P. foenisecii ingested by children probably do not lead to clinically significant symptoms.

  15. Accidental poisoning in childhood: five year urban population study with 15 year analysis of fatality.

    PubMed Central

    Pearn, J; Nixon, J; Ansford, A; Corcoran, A

    1984-01-01

    Patterns of accidental poisoning in children are changing dramatically. A five year population study (1977-81) was undertaken in urban children from Brisbane (population 1 000 000). A total of 2098 children were poisoned during this period with only one fatality, which represents a dramatic reduction in mortality. Over the past 15 years (1968-82) 13 children have died from accidental poisoning from this population, and two were murdered with drugs. A study of secular trends has indicated that peak incidence occurred in 1979, and the rate has been falling progressively since. The current age corrected rate of poisoning is 393 per 100 000 children per year (0-5 year olds). The rank order of poisons, drugs, and chemicals causing hospital admission and death is: petroleum distillates 13%; antihistamines 9%; benzodiazepines 9%; bleach and detergents 7%; and aspirin 6%. The ratio of fatalities to ingestions requiring hospital admission was calculated to give an index of a practical danger of noxious agents to which children are currently exposed and the rank order is: cardiotoxic drugs, one fatality to 25 ingestions; tricyclic antidepressants, one to 44; sympathomimetic drugs, one to 54; caustic soda, one to 68; aspirin, one fatality to 350 ingestions. Accidental poisoning of children leading to death has been reduced because patterns of drug prescriptions have changed, packaging of dangerous drugs has been made safer, and substances such as kerosene have been coloured blue. PMID:6140065

  16. Sequestration of radioactive iodine in silver-palladium phases in commercial spent nuclear fuel

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buck, Edgar C.; Mausolf, Edward J.; McNamara, Bruce K.

    Radioactive iodine is the Achilles’ heel in the design for the safe geological disposal of spent UO2 nuclear fuel. Iodine’s high solubility and anticipated instant release during waste package compromise jeopardize performance assessment calculations. However, dissolution studies have indicated that the instant release fraction (IRF) of radioiodine (I) does not correlate with increasing fuel burn-up. In fact, there is a peak in the release iodine at around 50-60 Mwd/kgU and with increasing burn-up the instant release of iodine decreases. Detailed electron microscopy analysis of high burn-up fuel (~80 MWd/kgU) has revealed the presence of (Pd,Ag)(I,Br) nano-particles. As UO2 fuels aremore » irradiated, the Ag and Pd content increases, from 239Pu fission, enabling radioiodine to be retained. The occurrence of these phases in nuclear fuels may have significant implications for the long-term behavior of iodine.« less

  17. Accidental Discovery of Information on the User-Defined Social Web: A Mixed-Method Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Chi-Jung

    2012-01-01

    Frequently interacting with other people or working in an information-rich environment can foster the "accidental discovery of information" (ADI) (Erdelez, 2000; McCay-Peet & Toms, 2010). With the increasing adoption of social web technologies, online user-participation communities and user-generated content have provided users the…

  18. Creatin-kinase elevation after accidental ingestion of almotriptan in an 18-month-old girl.

    PubMed

    Castagno, E; Lupica, M; Viola, S; Savino, F; Miniero, R

    2014-02-01

    Few studies have been published to demonstrate tolerability and efficacy of almotriptan in adolescents and children with migraine, particularly in the first years of life, though preliminary results are favorable. We report the case of an 18-month-old infant with elevation of serum levels of creatin-kinase after the accidental ingestion of almotriptan. A previously healthy 18-month-old girl (weight: 13 kg) was admitted to our Department four hours after the accidental ingestion of 6.25 mg of almotriptan (0.48 mg/kg), without any specific symptom. The performed investigations showed high serum levels of creatin-kinase (CK) (527 IU/L; normal values: 24-170 IU/L). Transaminase, creatinine, aldolase, myoglobin and troponin T serum levels were normal. The electrocardiogram proved negative. Initial management consisted of parenteral rehydration with saline solution. CK levels lowered significantly at 12 hours (455 IU/L) and at 65 hours (188 IU/L) after the ingestion. No symptoms were observed before discharge and on follow-up.

  19. Radiation Spill at Hanford: The Anatomy of an Accident

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillette, Robert

    1973-01-01

    Describes the circumstances leading to a recent spill of radioactive wastes at the Atomic Energy Commission's Hanford Reservation in Washington. Also briefly discusses previous accidental leaks and plans for safer storage of radioactive waste materials in the future. (JR)

  20. Demolition and removal of radioactively contaminated concrete soil: Aerosol control and monitoring

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newton, G.J.; Hoover, M.D.; Grace, A.C. III

    1995-12-01

    From 1963 to 1985, two concrete-lined ponds were used to reduce the volume of radioactive liquids from the Institute`s research programs. Following withdrawal of the {open_quotes}hot ponds{close_quotes} from active use, the residual sludges and plastic liners of the ponds were removed and shipped to a radioactive waste disposal site. From 1987 to 1994, the concrete structures remained undisturbed pending environmental restoration on the site. Restoration began in 1994 and was completed in 1995. Restoration involved mechanical breakup and removal of the concrete structures and removal of areas of contaminated soils from the site. This report describes the design and resultsmore » of the aerosol control and monitoring program that was conducted to ensure protection of workers and the environment during the restoration process. The aerosol control and monitoring strategy developed for remediation of the ITRI hot ponds was successful both in preventing dispersion of radioactive dusts and in demonstrating that exposures of workers and offsite releases were within statutory limits.« less

  1. The 5th National Audit Project (NAP5) on accidental awareness during general anaesthesia: patient experiences, human factors, sedation, consent and medicolegal issues.

    PubMed

    Cook, T M; Andrade, J; Bogod, D G; Hitchman, J M; Jonker, W R; Lucas, N; Mackay, J H; Nimmo, A F; O'Connor, K; O'Sullivan, E P; Paul, R G; Palmer, J H MacG; Plaat, F; Radcliffe, J J; Sury, M R J; Torevell, H E; Wang, M; Hainsworth, J; Pandit, J J

    2014-10-01

    The 5th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland into accidental awareness during general anaesthesia yielded data related to psychological aspects from the patient, and the anaesthetist, perspectives; patients' experiences ranged from isolated auditory or tactile sensations to complete awareness. A striking finding was that 75% of experiences were for < 5 min, yet 51% of patients (95% CI 43-60%) experienced distress and 41% (95% CI 33-50%) suffered longer-term adverse effect. Distress and longer-term harm occurred across the full range of experiences but were particularly likely when the patient experienced paralysis (with or without pain). The patient's interpretation of what is happening at the time of the awareness seemed central to later impact; explanation and reassurance during suspected accidental awareness during general anaesthesia or at the time of report seemed beneficial. Quality of care before the event was judged good in 26%, poor in 39% and mixed in 31%. Three quarters of cases of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia (75%) were judged preventable. In 12% of cases of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia, care was judged good and the episode not preventable. The contributory and human factors in the genesis of the majority of cases of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia included medication, patient and education/training. The findings have implications for national guidance, institutional organisation and individual practice. The incidence of 'accidental awareness' during sedation (~1:15 000) was similar to that during general anaesthesia (~1:19 000). The project raises significant issues about information giving and consent for both sedation and anaesthesia. We propose a novel approach to describing sedation from the patient's perspective which could be used in communication and consent. Eight (6%) of the patients had resorted

  2. Risk of hydrocyanic acid release in the electroplating industry.

    PubMed

    Piccinini, N; Ruggiero, G N; Baldi, G; Robotto, A

    2000-01-07

    This paper suggests assessing the consequences of hydrocyanic acid (HCN) release into the air by aqueous cyanide solutions in abnormal situations such as the accidental introduction of an acid, or the insertion of a cyanide in a pickling bath. It provides a well-defined source model and its resolution by methods peculiar to mass transport phenomena. The procedure consists of four stages: calculation of the liquid phase concentration, estimate of the HCN liquid-vapour equilibrium, determination of the mass transfer coefficient at the liquid-vapour interface, evaluation of the air concentration of HCN and of the damage distances. The results show that small baths operating at high temperatures are the major sources of risk. The building up of lethal air concentrations, on the other hand, is governed by the values of the mass transfer coefficient, which is itself determined by the flow dynamics and bath geometry. Concerning the magnitude of the risk, the fallout for external emergency planning is slight in all the cases investigated.

  3. Successful Thrombolysis and Spasmolysis of Acute Leg Ischemia after Accidental Intra-arterial Injection of Dissolved Flunitrazepam Tablets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Radeleff, B., E-mail: Boris_radeleff@med.uni-heidelberg.de; Stampfl, U.; Sommer, C.-M.

    2011-10-15

    A 37-year-old man with known intravenous drug abuse presented in the surgical ambulatory care unit with acute leg ischemia after accidental intra-arterial injection of dissolved flunitrazepam tablets into the right femoral artery. A combination of anticoagulation, vasodilatation, and local selective and superselective thrombolysis with urokinase was performed to salvage the leg. As a result of the severe ischemia-induced pain, the patient had to be monitored over the complete therapy period on the intensive care unit with permanent administration of intravenous fluid and analgetics. We describe the presenting symptoms and the interventional technique, and we discuss the recent literature regarding themore » management of accidental intra-arterial injection of dissolved flunitrazepam tablets.« less

  4. Clinical perspectives on osteogenesis imperfecta versus non-accidental injury.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Elaine Maria

    2015-12-01

    Although non-accidental injuries (NAI) are more common in cases of unexplained fractures than rare disorders such as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), ruling out OI and other medical causes of fracture is always indicated. The majority of OI patients can be diagnosed with the help of family history, physical examination, and radiographic findings. In particular, there are a few radiological findings which are seen more commonly in NAI than in OI which may help guide clinician considerations regarding the probability of either of these diagnoses. At the same time, molecular testing still merits careful consideration in cases with unexplained fractures without obvious additional signs of abuse. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Radioactive plume from the Three Mile Island accident: xenon-133 in air at a distance of 375 kilometers.

    PubMed

    Wahlen, M; Kunz, C O; Matuszek, J M; Mahoney, W E; Thompson, R C

    1980-02-08

    The transit of an air mass containing radioactive gas released from the Three Mile Island reactor was recorded in Albany, New York, by measuring xenon-133. These measurements provide an evaluation of Three Mile Island effluents to distances greater than 100 kilometers. Two independent techniques identified xenon-133 in ambient air at concentrations as high as 3900 picocuries per cubic meter. The local gamma-ray whole-body dose from the passing radioactivity amounted to 0.004 millirem, or 0.004 percent of the annual dose from natural sources.

  6. Effect of a multi-level education intervention model on knowledge and attitudes of accidental injuries in rural children in Zunyi, Southwest China.

    PubMed

    Cao, Bo-Ling; Shi, Xiu-Quan; Qi, Yong-Hong; Hui, Ya; Yang, Hua-Jun; Shi, Shang-Peng; Luo, Li-Rong; Zhang, Hong; Wang, Xin; Yang, Ying-Ping

    2015-04-08

    To explore the effect of a school-family-individual (SFI) multi-level education intervention model on knowledge and attitudes about accidental injuries among school-aged children to improve injury prevention strategies and reduce the incidence of pediatric injuries. The random sample of rural school-aged children were recruited by using a multistage, stratified, cluster sampling method in Zunyi, Southwest China from 2012 to 2014, and 2342 children were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Then children answered a baseline survey to collect knowledge and attitude scores (KAS) of accidental injuries. In the intervention group, children, their parents/guardians and the school received a SFI multi-level education intervention, which included a children's injury-prevention poster at schools, an open letter about security instruction for parents/guardians and multiple-media health education (Microsoft PowerPoint lectures, videos, handbooks, etc.) to children. Children in the control group were given only handbook education. After 16 months, children answered a follow-up survey to collect data on accidental injury types and accidental injury-related KAS for comparing the intervention and control groups and baseline and follow-up data. The distribution of gender was not significantly different while age was different between the baseline and follow-up survey. At baseline, the mean KAS was lower for the intervention than control group (15.37 ± 3.40 and 18.35 ± 5.01; p < 0.001). At follow-up, the mean KAS was higher for the intervention than control group (21.16 ± 3.05 and 20.02 ± 3.40; p < 0.001). The increase in KAS in the intervention and control groups was significant (p < 0.001; KAS: 5.79 vs. 1.67) and suggested that children's injury-related KAS improved in the intervention group. Moreover, the KAS between the groups differed for most subtypes of incidental injuries (based on International Classification of Diseases 10, ICD-10) (p < 0.05). Before

  7. Increased brain radioactivity by intranasal 32P-labeled siRNA dendriplexes within in situ-forming mucoadhesive gels

    PubMed Central

    Perez, Ana Paula; Mundiña-Weilenmann, Cecilia; Romero, Eder Lilia; Morilla, Maria Jose

    2012-01-01

    Background Molecules taken up by olfactory and trigeminal nerve neurons directly access the brain by the nose-to-brain pathway. In situ-forming mucoadhesive gels would increase the residence time of intranasal material, favoring the nose-to-brain delivery. In this first approach, brain radioactivity after intranasal administration of 32P-small interference RNA (siRNA) complexed with poly(amidoamine) G7 dendrimers (siRNA dendriplexes) within in situ-forming mucoadhesive gels, was determined. Materials 32P-siRNA dendriplexes were incorporated into in situ-forming mucoadhesive gels prepared by blending thermosensitive poloxamer (23% w/w) with mucoadhesive chitosan (1% w/w, PxChi) or carbopol (0.25% w/w, PxBCP). Rheological properties, radiolabel release profile, and local toxicity in rat nasal mucosa were determined. The best-suited formulation was intranasally administered to rats, and blood absorption and brain distribution of radioactivity were measured. Results The gelation temperature of both formulations was 23°C. The PxChi liquid showed non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior of high consistency and difficult manipulation, and the gel retained 100% of radiolabel after 150 minutes. The PxCBP liquid showed a Newtonian behavior of low viscosity and easy manipulation, while in the gel phase showed apparent viscosity similar to that of the mucus but higher than that of aqueous solution. The gel released 35% of radiolabel and the released material showed silencing activity in vitro. Three intranasal doses of dendriplexes in PxCBP gel did not damage the rat nasal mucosa. A combination of 32P-siRNA complexation with dendrimers, incorporation of the dendriplexes into PxCBP gel, and administration of two intranasal doses was necessary to achieve higher brain radioactivity than that achieved by intravenous dendriplexes or intranasal naked siRNA. Conclusion The increased radioactivity within the olfactory bulb suggested that the combination above mentioned favored the

  8. [Study on occupational safety climate in different types of enterprises and its relationship with occupational accidental injury].

    PubMed

    Liu, Xinxia; Huang, Guoxian; Wang, Shuyu; Guo, Zhiping; Zhou, Yuchao; Chen, Weiqing

    2014-04-01

    To evaluate the occupational safety climate in different types of enterprises and its relationship with occupational accidental injury. A cross-sectional survey based on self-report questionnaires was performed among 3311 front-line workers from 54 medium and small-sized manufacturing enterprises of different types in Zhongshan, China to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics, safety climate experience in workplace, and incidence of occupational accidental injury in the past year. Analysis of the data revealed that employees in different types of companies perceived different levels of safety climate, according to the scores on four subscales; the European and American enterprises had significantly better safety climate than the Hong Kong and Chinese private enterprises (P < 0.01). The self-reported rates of occupational injury were 3.38%, 4.76%, and 6.72%, respectively, for European and American, Hong Kong, and Chinese private enterprises (χ(2) = 6.78, P < 0.05). After control of such factors as age, sex, income, education level, and marriage, the logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of occupational accidental injury in the European and American enterprises was significantly lower than that in the Chinese private enterprises (OR = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.35-0.91). The type of enterprise influences the occupational safety climate and incidence of occupational injury among workers.

  9. Youth versus adult "weightlifting" injuries presenting to United States emergency rooms: accidental versus nonaccidental injury mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Myer, Gregory D; Quatman, Carmen E; Khoury, Jane; Wall, Eric J; Hewett, Timothy E

    2009-10-01

    Resistance training has previously been purported to be unsafe and ineffective in children. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate resistance training-related injuries presenting to U.S. emergency rooms by age, type, and mechanism of injury. We hypothesized that older athletes would sustain greater percentages of joint sprains and muscle strains, whereas younger athletes would sustain a greater percentage of accidental injuries that would result in an increased percentage of fractures in youths. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried from 2002 to 2005 using the CPSC code for "Weightlifting." Subjects between the ages of 8 and 30 were grouped by age categories 8 to 13 (elementary/middle school age), 14 to 18 (high school), 19 to 22 (college), and 23 to 30 (adult). Injuries were classified as "accidental" if caused by dropped weight or improper equipment use. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare accidental injuries between age groups. The sample consisted of 4,111 patients. Accidental injuries decreased (p < 0.05) with age: 8 to 13 > 14 to 18 > 19 to 22 years = 23 to 30 years. Conversely, sprain/strain injuries increased in each successive age group (p < 0.05). Evaluation of only the nonaccidental injuries (n = 2,565) showed that the oldest categories (19-22 and 23-30 yr) demonstrated a greater percentage of sprains and strains relative to younger age categories (p < 0.001). Two thirds of the injuries sustained in the 8 to 13 group were to the hand and foot and were most often related to "dropping" and "pinching" in the injury descriptions, and there was an increased percentage of fractures in the 8 to 13 group relative to all other groups (p < 0.001). The study findings indicate that children have lower risk of resistance training-related joint sprains and muscle strains than adults. The majority of youth resistance training injuries are the result of accidents that are

  10. Population dose commitments due to radioactive releases from nuclear power plant sites in 1987

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D.A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1987. Fifty-year dose commitments for a one-year exposure from both liquid and atmospheric releases were calculated for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each of 70 reactor sites. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both water and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for reach of the sites is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 kmmore » around each site receiving various average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The site average individual dose commitment from all pathways ranged from a low of 2 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} mrem to a high of 0.009 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites. However, licensee calculation of doses to the maximally exposed individual at some sites indicated values of up to approximately 100 times average individual doses (on the order of a few millirem per year). 2 refs., 2 figs., 7 tabs.« less

  11. Atmospheric transport and deposition of radionuclides released after the Fukushima Dai-chi accident and resulting effective dose

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marzo, Giuseppe A.

    2014-09-01

    On 11 March 2011 an earthquake off the Pacific coast of the Fukushima prefecture generated a tsunami that hit Fukushima Dai-ichi and Fukushima Da-ini Nuclear Power Plants. From 12 March a significant amount of radioactive material was released into the atmosphere and dispersed worldwide. Among the most abundant radioactive species released were iodine and cesium isotopes. By means of an atmospheric dispersion Lagrangian code and publicly available meteorological data, the atmospheric dispersion of 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs have been simulated for three months after the event with a spatial resolution of 0.5° × 0.5° globally. The simulation has been validated by comparison to publicly available measurements collected in 206 locations worldwide. Sensitivity analysis shows that release height of the radionuclides, wet deposition velocity, and source term are the parameters with the most impact on the simulation results. The simulation shows that the radioactive plume, consisting of about 200 PBq by adding contributions from 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs, has been transported over the entire northern hemisphere depositing up to 1.2 MBq m-2 nearby the NPPs to less than 20 Bq m-2 in Europe. The consequent effective dose to the population over a 50-year period, calculated by considering both external and internal pathways of exposure, is found to be about 40 mSv in the surroundings of Fukushima Dai-ichi, while other countries in the northern hemisphere experienced doses several orders of magnitude lower suggesting a small impact on the population health elsewhere.

  12. Radioactive Waste Management and Environmental Contamination Issues at the Chernobyl Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Napier, Bruce A.; Schmieman, Eric A.; Voitsekhovitch, Oleg V.

    2007-11-01

    The destruction of the Unit 4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant resulted in the generation of radioactive contamination and radioactive waste at the site and in the surrounding area (referred to as the Exclusion Zone). In the course of remediation activities, large volumes of radioactive waste were generated and placed in temporary near surface waste-storage and disposal facilities. Trench and landfill type facilities were created from 1986 to 1987 in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone at distances 0.5 to 15 km from the NPP site. This large number of facilities was established without proper design documentation, engineered barriers, ormore » hydrogeological investigations and they do not meet contemporary waste-safety requirements. Immediately following the accident, a Shelter was constructed over the destroyed reactor; in addition to uncertainties in stability at the time of its construction, structural elements of the Shelter have degraded as a result of corrosion. The main potential hazard of the Shelter is a possible collapse of its top structures and release of radioactive dust into the environment. A New Safe Confinement (NSC) with a 100-years service life is planned to be built as a cover over the existing Shelter as a longer-term solution. The construction of the NSC will enable the dismantlement of the current Shelter, removal of highly radioactive, fuel-containing materials from Unit 4, and eventual decommissioning of the damaged reactor. More radioactive waste will be generated during NSC construction, possible Shelter dismantling, removal of fuel containing materials, and decommissioning of Unit 4. The future development of the Exclusion Zone depends on the future strategy for converting Unit 4 into an ecologically safe system, i.e., the development of the NSC, the dismantlement of the current Shelter, removal of fuel containing material, and eventual decommissioning of the accident site. To date, a broadly accepted strategy for radioactive

  13. Acute hazardous substance releases resulting in adverse health consequences in children: Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance system, 1996-2003.

    PubMed

    Wattigney, Wendy A; Kaye, Wendy E; Orr, Maureen F

    2007-11-01

    Because of their small size and ongoing organ development, children may be more susceptible than adults to the harmful effects of toxic chemicals. The objective of the study reported here was to identify frequent locations, released substances, and factors contributing to short-term chemical exposures associated with adverse health consequences experienced by children. The study examined the Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system data from 1996-2003. Eligible events involved the acute release of a hazardous substance associated with at least one child being injured. The study found that injured children were predominantly at school, home, or a recreational center when events took place. School-related events were associated with the accidental release of acids and the release of pepper spray by pranksters. Carbon monoxide poisonings occurring in the home, retail stores, entertainment facilities, and hotels were responsible for about 10 percent of events involving child victims. Chlorine was one of the top chemicals harmful to children, particularly at public swimming pools. Although human error contributed to the majority of releases involving child victims, equipment failure was responsible for most chlorine and ammonia releases. The authors conclude that chemical releases resulting in injury to children occur mostly in schools, homes, and recreational areas. Surveillance of acute hazardous chemical releases helped identify contributing causes and can guide the development of prevention outreach activities. Chemical accidents cannot be entirely prevented, but efforts can be taken to provide safer environments in which children can live, learn, and play. Wide dissemination of safety recommendations and education programs is required to protect children from needless environmental dangers.

  14. [Radioactivity and food].

    PubMed

    Olszyna-Marzys, A E

    1990-03-01

    Two topics relating to radioactivity and food are discussed: food irradiation for preservation purposes, and food contamination from radioactive substances. Food irradiation involves the use of electromagnetic energy (x and gamma rays) emitted by radioactive substances or produced by machine in order to destroy the insects and microorganisms present and prevent germination. The sanitary and economic advantages of treating food in this way are discussed. Numerous studies have confirmed that under strictly controlled conditions no undesirable changes take place in food that has been irradiated nor is radioactivity induced. Reference is made to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station, which aroused public concern about irradiated food. The events surrounding the accident are reviewed, and its consequences with regard to contamination of different foods with radioactive substances, particularly iodine-131 and cesium-137, are described. Also discussed are the steps that have been taken by different international organizations to set limits on acceptable radioactivity in food.

  15. Chronic nicotine administration differentially affects neurotransmitter release from rat striatal slices.

    PubMed

    Yu, Z J; Wecker, L

    1994-07-01

    The objective of these experiments was to determine whether the chronic administration of nicotine, at a dose regimen that increases the density of nicotine binding sites, alters the nicotine-induced release of [3H]-dopamine ([3H]DA), [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE), [3H]-serotonin ([3H]5-HT), or [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) from rat striatal slices. For these experiments, rats received subcutaneous injections of either saline or nicotine bitartrate [1.76 mg (3.6 mumol)/kg, dissolved in saline] twice daily for 10 days, and neurotransmitter release was measured following preloading of the tissues with [3H]DA, [3H]NE, [3H]5-HT, or [3H]choline. Chronic nicotine administration did not affect the accumulation of tritium by striatal slices, the basal release of radioactivity, or the 25 mM KCl-evoked release of neurotransmitter. Superfusion of striatal slices with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine increased [3H]DA release in a concentration-dependent manner, and release from slices from nicotine-injected animals was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than release from saline-injected controls; release from the former increased to 132, 191, and 172% of release from the controls following superfusion with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine, respectively. Similarly, [3H]5-HT release increased in a concentration-related manner following superfusion with nicotine, and release from slices from nicotine-injected rats was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that from controls. [3H]5-HT release from slices from nicotine-injected rats evoked by superfusion with 1 and 10 microM nicotine increased to 453 and 217%, respectively, of release from slices from saline-injected animals. The nicotine-induced release of [3H]NE from striatal slices was also concentration dependent but was unaffected by chronic nicotine administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  16. Source Term Estimation of Radioxenon Released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Reactors Using Measured Air Concentrations and Atmospheric Transport Modeling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eslinger, Paul W.; Biegalski, S.; Bowyer, Ted W.

    2014-01-01

    Systems designed to monitor airborne radionuclides released from underground nuclear explosions detected radioactive fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March 2011. Atmospheric transport modeling (ATM) of plumes of noble gases and particulates were performed soon after the accident to determine plausible detection locations of any radioactive releases to the atmosphere. We combine sampling data from multiple International Modeling System (IMS) locations in a new way to estimate the magnitude and time sequence of the releases. Dilution factors from the modeled plume at five different detection locations were combined with 57 atmospheric concentration measurements of 133-Xe taken from Marchmore » 18 to March 23 to estimate the source term. This approach estimates that 59% of the 1.24×1019 Bq of 133-Xe present in the reactors at the time of the earthquake was released to the atmosphere over a three day period. Source term estimates from combinations of detection sites have lower spread than estimates based on measurements at single detection sites. Sensitivity cases based on data from four or more detection locations bound the source term between 35% and 255% of available xenon inventory.« less

  17. SU-G-IeP4-05: Experience with a Practical Approach to the Release of Radioactive Patients from Radiation Safety Isolation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wendt, R; Erwin, W; Fisher, A

    Purpose: The radioactive patient releases of the nuclear medicine department in a large cancer center were analyzed to compare the estimated doses to others to the regulatory limit and institutional targets and to gauge how onerous the patients’ instructions were. Methods: In-house software that implements the NUREG 1556 approach and further considers fellow travelers, children and pregnant women and members of the public following Siegel, et al., is used to calculate release timing and to provide patients with individualized instructions. A retrospective analysis of the 218 releases in 2015 that required instructions included all I-131 and Lu-177 treatments. Results: Theremore » were 87 male and 131 female patients. They were 45.5±16.5 (8-84) years old, weighed 83.3±21.8 kg and stood 168±10 cm tall with a body mass index of 29.3±6.7 kg/m2. 195 patients received 2.96±2.23 GBq of I-131-NaI for differentiated thyroid carcinoma and eight received 636±231 MBq of I-131-NaI for hyperthyroidism. There were eight administrations of 18.5 GBq of I-131-mIBG and seven administrations of 7.4 GBq of Lu-177-DOTATATE. The dose to the most exposed person was 1.67±1.05 (mode=0.60, median=1.15) mSv. The dose to a fellow traveler was 0.31±0.31 (mode=0.1, median=0.17) mSv. The dose to children and pregnant women was 0.51±0.34 (mode=1.0, median=0.42) mSv. The duration of isolation was 7.7±17.3 (mode=2, median=1.7) hours. The duration of sleeping alone was 60.4±127 (mode=0, median=15.5) hours. The time to delay traveling was 12.2±11 (mode=median=0) hours. The time to completely avoid children and pregnant women was 23.3±26.5 (0–254, mode=median=24) hours followed by limited contact for 20.6±68.1 (0–491, mode=median=0) hours. The time to avoid others (e.g., to wait to return to work) was 12.1±101 (0–1465, mode=median=0) hours. Conclusion: The estimated doses to others were often well below the limits set by regulation, 5 mSv, or prudent practice, 1 mSv. Most

  18. Radiological effluents released from US continental tests, 1961 through 1992. Revision 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schoengold, C.R.; DeMarre, M.E.; Kirkwood, E.M.

    1996-08-01

    This report documents all continental tests from September 15, 1961, through September 23, 1992, from which radioactive effluents were released. The report includes both updated information previously published in the publicly available May, 1990 report, DOE/NV-317, ``Radiological Effluents Released from Announced US Continental Tests 1961 through 1988``, and effluent release information on formerly unannounced tests. General information provided for each test includes the date, time, location, type of test, sponsoring laboratory and/or agency or other sponsor, depth of burial, purpose, yield or yield range, extent of release (onsite only or offsite), and category of release (detonation-time versus post-test operations). Wheremore » a test with simultaneous detonations is listed, location, depth of burial and yield information are given for each detonation if applicable, as well as the specific source of the release. A summary of each release incident by type of release is included. For a detonation-time release, the effluent curies are expressed at R+12 hours. For a controlled releases from tunnel-tests, the effluent curies are expressed at both time of release and at R+12 hours. All other types are listed at the time of the release. In addition, a qualitative statement of the isotopes in the effluent is included for detonation-time and controlled releases and a quantitative listing is included for all other types. Offsite release information includes the cloud direction, the maximum activity detected in the air offsite, the maximum gamma exposure rate detected offsite, the maximum iodine level detected offsite, and the maximum distance radiation was detected offsite. A release summary incudes whatever other pertinent information is available for each release incident. This document includes effluent release information for 433 tests, some of which have simultaneous detonations. However, only 52 of these are designated as having offsite releases.« less

  19. Effects of low molecular weight organic acids on (137)Cs release from contaminated soils.

    PubMed

    Chiang, Po Neng; Wang, Ming Kuang; Huang, Pan Ming; Wang, Jeng Jong

    2011-06-01

    Radio pollutant removal is one of several priority restoration strategies for the environment. This study assessed the effect of low molecular weight organic acid on the lability and mechanisms for release of (137)Cs from contaminated soils. The amount of (137)Cs radioactivity released from contaminated soils reacting with 0.02 M low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) specifically acetic, succinic, oxalic, tartaric, and citric acid over 48 h were 265, 370, 760, 850, and 1002 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The kinetic results indicate that (137)Cs exhibits a two-step parabolic diffusion equation and a good linear relationship, indicating that the parabolic diffusion equation describes the data quite well, as shown by low p and high r(2) values. The fast stage, which was found to occur within a short period of time (0.083-3 h), corresponds to the interaction of LMWOAs with the surface of clay minerals; meanwhile, during the slow stage, which occurs over a much longer time period (3-24 h), desorption primarily is attributed to inter-particle or intra-particle diffusion. After a fifth renewal of the LMWOAs, the total levels of (137)Cs radioactivity released by acetic, succinic, oxalic, tartaric, and citric acid were equivalent to 390, 520, 3949, 2061, and 4422 Bq kg(-1) soil, respectively. H(+) can protonate the hydroxyl groups and oxygen atoms at the broken edges or surfaces of the minerals, thereby weakening Fe-O and Al-O bonds. After protonation of H(+), organic ligands can attack the OH and OH(2) groups in the minerals easily, to form complexes with surface structure cations, such as Al and Fe. The amounts of (137)Cs released from contaminated soil treated with LMWOAs were substantially increased, indicating that the LMWOAs excreted by the roots of plants play a critical role in (137)Cs release. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The biological impacts of ingested radioactive materials on the pale grass blue butterfly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nohara, Chiyo; Hiyama, Atsuki; Taira, Wataru; Tanahara, Akira; Otaki, Joji M.

    2014-05-01

    A massive amount of radioactive materials has been released into the environment by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, but its biological impacts have rarely been examined. Here, we have quantitatively evaluated the relationship between the dose of ingested radioactive cesium and mortality and abnormality rates using the pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha. When larvae from Okinawa, which is likely the least polluted locality in Japan, were fed leaves collected from polluted localities, mortality and abnormality rates increased sharply at low doses in response to the ingested cesium dose. This dose-response relationship was best fitted by power function models, which indicated that the half lethal and abnormal doses were 1.9 and 0.76 Bq per larva, corresponding to 54,000 and 22,000 Bq per kilogram body weight, respectively. Both the retention of radioactive cesium in a pupa relative to the ingested dose throughout the larval stage and the accumulation of radioactive cesium in a pupa relative to the activity concentration in a diet were highest at the lowest level of cesium ingested. We conclude that the risk of ingesting a polluted diet is realistic, at least for this butterfly, and likely for certain other organisms living in the polluted area.

  1. The biological impacts of ingested radioactive materials on the pale grass blue butterfly.

    PubMed

    Nohara, Chiyo; Hiyama, Atsuki; Taira, Wataru; Tanahara, Akira; Otaki, Joji M

    2014-05-15

    A massive amount of radioactive materials has been released into the environment by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, but its biological impacts have rarely been examined. Here, we have quantitatively evaluated the relationship between the dose of ingested radioactive cesium and mortality and abnormality rates using the pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha. When larvae from Okinawa, which is likely the least polluted locality in Japan, were fed leaves collected from polluted localities, mortality and abnormality rates increased sharply at low doses in response to the ingested cesium dose. This dose-response relationship was best fitted by power function models, which indicated that the half lethal and abnormal doses were 1.9 and 0.76 Bq per larva, corresponding to 54,000 and 22,000 Bq per kilogram body weight, respectively. Both the retention of radioactive cesium in a pupa relative to the ingested dose throughout the larval stage and the accumulation of radioactive cesium in a pupa relative to the activity concentration in a diet were highest at the lowest level of cesium ingested. We conclude that the risk of ingesting a polluted diet is realistic, at least for this butterfly, and likely for certain other organisms living in the polluted area.

  2. [Investigation of radioactivity measurement of medical radioactive waste].

    PubMed

    Koizumi, Kiyoshi; Masuda, Kazutaka; Kusakabe, Kiyoko; Kinoshita, Fujimi; Kobayashi, Kazumi; Yamamoto, Tetsuo; Kanaya, Shinichi; Kida, Tetsuo; Yanagisawa, Masamichi; Iwanaga, Tetsuo; Ikebuchi, Hideharu; Kusama, Keiji; Namiki, Nobuo; Okuma, Hiroshi; Fujimura, Yoko; Horikoshi, Akiko; Tanaka, Mamoru

    2004-11-01

    To explore the possibility of which medical radioactive wastes could be disposed as general wastes after keeping them a certain period of time and confirming that their radioactivity reach a background level (BGL), we made a survey of these wastes in several nuclear medicine facilities. The radioactive wastes were collected for one week, packed in a box according to its half-life, and measured its radioactivity by scintillation survey meter with time. Some wastes could reach a BGL within 10 times of half-life, but 19% of the short half-life group (group 1) including 99mTc and 123I, and 8% of the middle half-life group (group 2) including 67Ga, (111)In, and 201Tl did not reach a BGL within 20 times of half-life. A reason for delaying the time of reaching a BGL might be partially attributed to high initial radiation dose rate or heavy package weight. However, mixing with the nuclides of longer half-life was estimated to be the biggest factor affecting this result. When disposing medical radioactive wastes as general wastes, it is necessary to avoid mixing with radionuclide of longer half-life and confirm that it reaches a BGL by actual measurement.

  3. Population dose commitments due to radioactive releases from nuclear-power-plant sites in 1978

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peloquin, R.A.; Schwab, J.D.; Baker, D.A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1978. Fifty-year dose commitments from a one-year exposure were calculated from both liquid and atmospheric releases for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each site. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both liquid and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for each site is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 km around each site receiving variousmore » average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The total dose commitment from both liquid and airborne pathways ranged from a high of 200 person-rem to a low of 0.0004 person-rem with an arithmetic mean of 14 person-rem. The total population dose for allsites was estimated at 660 person-rem for the 93 million people considered at risk. The average individual dose commitment from all pathways on a site basis ranged from a low of 3 x 10/sup -6/ mrem to a high of 0.08 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites.« less

  4. Population dose commitments due to radioactive releases from Nuclear-Power-Plant Sites in 1979

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D.A.; Peloquin, R.A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1979. Fifty-year dose commitments from a one-year exposure were calculated from both liquid and atmospheric releases for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each site. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both liquid and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for each site is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 km around each site receiving variousmore » average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The total dose commitment from both liquid and airborne pathways ranged from a high of 1300 person-rem to a low of 0.0002 person-rem with an arithmetic mean of 38 person-rem. The total population dose for all sites was estimated at 1800 person-rem for the 94 million people considered at risk. The average individual dose commitment from all pathways on a site basis ranged from a low of 2 x 10/sup -6/ mrem to a high of 0.7 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites.« less

  5. Population Dose Commitments Due to Radioactive Releases from Nuclear Power Plant Sites in 1977

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D. A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1977. Fifty-year dose commitments from a one-year exposure were calculated from both liquid and atmospheric releases for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each site. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both liquid and airborne pathways for each age group and organ, Also included for each site is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 km around each site receiving variousmore » average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The total dose commitment from both liquid and airborne pathways ranged from a high of 220 person-rem to a low of 0.003 person-rem with an arithmetic mean of 16 person-rem. The total population dose for all sites was estimated at 700 person-rem for the 92 million people considered at risk. The average individual dose commitment from all pathways on a site basis ranged from a low of 2 x 10{sup -5} mrem to a high of 0.1 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites.« less

  6. Isotopic evidence of plutonium release into the environment from the Fukushima DNPP accident

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Jian; Tagami, Keiko; Watanabe, Yoshito; Uchida, Shigeo; Aono, Tatsuo; Ishii, Nobuyoshi; Yoshida, Satoshi; Kubota, Yoshihisa; Fuma, Shoichi; Ihara, Sadao

    2012-01-01

    The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (DNPP) accident caused massive releases of radioactivity into the environment. The released highly volatile fission products, such as 129mTe, 131I, 134Cs, 136Cs and 137Cs were found to be widely distributed in Fukushima and its adjacent prefectures in eastern Japan. However, the release of non-volatile actinides, in particular, Pu isotopes remains uncertain almost one year after the accident. Here we report the isotopic evidence for the release of Pu into the atmosphere and deposition on the ground in northwest and south of the Fukushima DNPP in the 20–30 km zones. The high activity ratio of 241Pu/239+240Pu (> 100) from the Fukushima DNPP accident highlights the need for long-term 241Pu dose assessment, and the ingrowth of 241Am. The results are important for the estimation of reactor damage and have significant implication in the strategy of decontamination. PMID:22403743

  7. Environmental assessment proposed license renewal of Nuclear Metals, Inc. Concord, Massachusetts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, R.L.; Easterly, C.E.; Lombardi, C.E.

    1997-02-01

    The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate environmental issues associated with the renewal of licenses issued by NRC for facilities operated by Nuclear Metals, Inc. (NMI) in Concord, Massachusetts. By renewing the licenses, NRC proposes to allow the continuation of ongoing operations involving radioactive materials at NMI`s facilities. This EA focuses on the potential impacts related to air emissions at NMI during normal (incident-free) operations and accidental releases. Findings indicate that there are only two areas of potential concern. First, modeling results for sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emissions from the boilers during normalmore » operations indicate that the potential exists for exceeding the short-term National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). NMI is prepared to undertake mitigative action to prevent potential exceedances of the short-term SO{sub 2} NAAQS, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is prepared to resolve the issue via a permit/approval change or through a Consent Order. Second, in the unlikely event of a severe fire, predicted sulfuric acid (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) concentrations based on conservative (upper bound) modeling exceed the Emergency Response Planning Guideline (ERPG) levels. NMI has committed to NRC to give a briefing for local emergency response officials regarding the potential for an accidental H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} release.« less

  8. Reporting a sudden death due to accidental gasoline inhalation.

    PubMed

    Martínez, María Antonia; Ballesteros, Salomé; Alcaraz, Rafael

    2012-02-10

    The investigation of uncertain fatalities requires accurate determination of the cause of death, with assessment of all factors that may have contributed to it. Gasoline is a complex and highly variable mixture of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons that can lead to cardiac arrhythmias due to sensitization of the myocardium to catecholamines or acts as a simple asphyxiant if the vapors displace sufficient oxygen from the breathing atmosphere. This work describes a sudden occupational fatality involving gasoline. The importance of this petroleum distillate detection and its quantitative toxicological significance is discussed using a validated analytical method. A 51 year-old Caucasian healthy man without significant medical history was supervising the repairs of the telephone lines in a manhole near to a gas station. He died suddenly after inhaling gasoline vapors from an accidental leak. Extensive blistering and peeling of skin were observed on the skin of the face, neck, anterior chest, upper and lower extremities, and back. The internal examination showed a strong odor of gasoline, specially detected in the respiratory tract. The toxicological screening and quantitation of gasoline was performed by means of gas chromatography with flame ionization detector and confirmation was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Disposition of gasoline in different tissues was as follows: heart blood, 35.7 mg/L; urine, not detected; vitreous humor, 1.9 mg/L; liver, 194.7 mg/kg; lung, 147.6 mg/kg; and gastric content, 116,6 mg/L (2.7 mg total). Based upon the toxicological data along with the autopsy findings, the cause of death was determined to be gasoline poisoning and the manner of death was accidental. We would like to alert on the importance of testing for gasoline, and in general for volatile hydrocarbons, in work-related sudden deaths involving inhalation of hydrocarbon vapors and/or exhaust fumes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

  9. Silver oxide nanocrystals anchored on titanate nanotubes and nanofibers: promising candidates for entrapment of radioactive iodine anions.

    PubMed

    Yang, Dongjiang; Liu, Hongwei; Liu, Long; Sarina, Sarina; Zheng, Zhanfeng; Zhu, Huaiyong

    2013-11-21

    Iodine radioisotopes are released into the environment by the nuclear industry and medical research institutions using radioactive materials. The (129)I(-) anion is one of the more mobile radioactive species due to a long half-life, and it is a great challenge to design long-term management solutions for such radioactive waste. In this study, a new adsorbent structure with the potential to efficiently remove radioactive iodine anions (I(-)) from water is devised: silver oxide (Ag2O) nanocrystals firmly anchored on the surface of titanate nanotubes and nanofibers via coherent interfaces between Ag2O and titanate phases. I(-) anions in fluids can easily access the Ag2O nanocrystals and be efficiently trapped by forming AgI precipitate that firmly attaches to the adsorbent. Due to their one-dimensional morphology, the new adsorbents can be readily dispersed in liquids and easily separated after purification; and the adsorption beds loaded with the adsorbents can permit high flux. This significantly enhances the adsorption efficiency and reduces the separation costs. The proposed structure reveals a new direction in developing efficient adsorbents for the removal of radioactive anions from wastewater.

  10. Racial Differences in Accidental and Violent Deaths Among U.S. Navy Personnel

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-10-01

    for accidental injuries than whites; i O bjective The objective of this study was to examine the death rates of black and white enlisted personnel...pre-servIce soclo- cultural factors may play a role in accounting for the high death rates among older black .males. It is suggested, however, that...all deaths of personnel diagnosed as having injuries due to accidents, poisonings and violence (ICDA-8 codes 800.0 -. 999.9). Death rates were

  11. Estimation of internal radiation dose from both immediate releases and continued exposures to contaminated materials.

    PubMed

    Napier, Bruce

    2012-03-01

    A brief description is provided of the basic concepts related to 'internal dose' and how it differs from doses that result from radioactive materials and direct radiation outside of the body. The principles of radiation dose reconstruction, as applied to both internal and external doses, are discussed on the basis of a recent publication prepared by the US National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Finally, ideas are introduced related to residual radioactive contamination in the environment that has resulted from the releases from damaged reactors and also to the management of wastes that may be generated in both regional cleanup and decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

  12. Brugada syndrome unmasked by accidental inhalation of gasoline vapors.

    PubMed

    Kranjcec, Darko; Bergovec, Mijo; Rougier, Jean-Sébastien; Raguz, Miroslav; Pavlovic, Sonja; Jespersen, Thomas; Castella, Vincent; Keller, Dagmar I; Abriel, Hugues

    2007-10-01

    Loss-of-function mutations in the gene SCN5A can cause Brugada syndrome (BrS), which is an inherited form of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation. We report the case of a 46-year-old patient, with no previous medical history, who had ventricular fibrillation after accidental inhalation of gasoline vapors. His electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a typical type-1 BrS pattern that persisted after the acute event. Genetic investigations allowed the identification of a novel SCN5A mutation leading to a frame-shift and early termination of the channel protein. Biochemical and cellular electrophysiology experiments confirmed the loss-of-function of the mutant allele. The patient was implanted with a cardioverter/defibrillator.

  13. Accidental low velocity atypical missile injury to the head.

    PubMed

    Chattopadhyay, Saurabh

    2008-12-01

    Missile injuries on the head are mostly due to firearms. Atypical missiles may be encountered in case of shrapnel of bomb explosions but rarely because of stones. The present case is a rare case where a stone propelled by the pressure from the rear wheel of a speeding truck on the highway, struck the head of a 7-year-old girl resulting in fatality. Reconstruction of the incident on the basis of history and postmortem findings throws some light on the mechanism. The case is unique as it is the first reported case of an accidental missile injury to the head resulting in fatality without any direct human involvement for propulsion of the projectile.

  14. Spontaneous hematologic recovery from bone marrow aplasia after accidental tenfold overdosage with radiophosphorus

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gmuer, J.; Bischof, B.; Coninx, S.

    1983-04-01

    Two patients with polycythemia vera received intravenously an accidental tenfold overdosage of radiophosphorus therapy (60 and 50 mCi 32P, respectively). In both patients, the occurrence of hemorrhagic complications 3 wk after the 32P medication led to detection of the error and referral to our hospital. Upon admission they showed an agranulocytosis, severe thrombocytopenia, and bone marrow aplasia. In both cases, spontaneous recovery of the hematopoiesis was observed from day 40 posttreatment onward. In one patient, a slow but ultimately complete normalization of blood counts and marrow morphology took place, whereas in the other, a mild thrombocytopenia persists. Nearly 5 yrmore » after the accidental overdosage, both patients are clinically well. Symptoms of polycythemia vera have not reappeared up to now. Attempts were made to evaluate the radiation dose absorbed by the bone marrow. In the first patient, the daily 32P excretion was determined from day 22 to day 60, whereas in the other patient a whole body count was performed on day 78 after administration. From these results, an approximate cumulative bone marrow dose of 10 Sv (1000 rem) could be calculated.« less

  15. Gas Retention, Gas Release, and Fluidization of Spherical Resorcinol-Formaldehyde (sRF) Ion Exchange Resin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gauglitz, Phillip A.; Rassat, Scot D.; Linn, Diana

    The Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) is being developed to provide treated supernatant liquid from the Hanford tank farms directly to the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Vitrification Facility at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The design and development of the LAWPS is being conducted by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC. A key process in LAWPS is the removal of radioactive Cs in ion exchange (IX) columns filled with spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde (sRF) resin. When loaded with radioactive Cs, radiolysis of water in the LAW liquid will generate hydrogen gas. In normal operations, the generated hydrogen is expected to remainmore » dissolved in the liquid and be continuously removed by liquid flow. One accident scenario being evaluated is the loss of liquid flow through the sRF resin bed after it has been loaded with radioactive Cs and hydrogen gas is being generated by radiolysis. For an accident scenario with a loss of flow, hydrogen gas can be retained within the IX column both in the sRF resin bed and below the bottom screen that supports the resin within the column, which creates a hydrogen flammability hazard. Because there is a potential for a large fraction of the retained hydrogen to be released over a short duration as a gas release event, there is a need to quantify the size and rate of potential gas release events. Due to the potential for a large, rapid gas release event, an evaluation of mitigation methods to eliminate the hydrogen hazard is also needed. One method being considered for mitigating the hydrogen hazard during a loss of flow accident is to have a secondary flow system, with two redundant pumps operating in series, that re-circulates liquid upwards through the bed and into a vented break tank where hydrogen gas is released from the liquid and removed by venting the headspace of the break tank. The mechanism for inducing release of gas from the sRF bed is to fluidize the bed, which should allow

  16. Non-Accidental Head Injury in New Zealand: The Outcome of Referral to Statutory Authorities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Patrick; MacCormick, Judith; Strange, Rebecca

    2009-01-01

    Objectives: To describe the outcome of referral to the statutory authorities for infants under 2 years with non-accidental head injury (NAHI), and to establish whether the authorities held sufficient information to develop a risk profile for these cases. Methods: Retrospective review of cases admitted to hospital in Auckland, New Zealand from 1988…

  17. Marine oil spill risk mapping for accidental pollution and its application in a coastal city.

    PubMed

    Lan, Dongdong; Liang, Bin; Bao, Chenguang; Ma, Minghui; Xu, Yan; Yu, Chunyan

    2015-07-15

    Accidental marine oil spill pollution can result in severe environmental, ecological, economic and other consequences. This paper discussed the model of Marine Oil Spill Risk Mapping (MOSRM), which was constructed as follows: (1) proposing a marine oil spill risk system based on the typical marine oil spill pollution accidents and prevailing risk theories; (2) identifying suitable indexes that are supported by quantitative sub-indexes; (3) constructing the risk measuring models according to the actual interactions between the factors in the risk system; and (4) assessing marine oil spill risk on coastal city scale with GIS to map the overall risk. The case study of accidental marine oil spill pollution in the coastal area of Dalian, China was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model. The coastal areas of Dalian were divided into three zones with risk degrees of high, medium, and low. And detailed countermeasures were proposed for specific risk zones. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Incorporating radioactive decay into charging and coagulation of multicomponent radioactive aerosols

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Yong-ha; Yiacoumi, Sotira; Nenes, Athanasios

    Compositional changes by the decay of radionuclides in radioactive aerosols can influence their charging state, coagulation frequency and size distribution throughout their atmospheric lifetime. The importance of such effects is unknown as they have not been considered in microphysical and global radioactivity transport studies to date. Here, we explore the effects of compositional changes on the charging efficiency and coagulation rates of aerosols using a set of kinetic equations that couple all relevant processes (decay, charging and coagulation) and their evolution over time. Compared to a coupled aggregation-tracer model for the prediction of the radioactive composition of particulates undergoing coagulation,more » our kinetic approach can provide similar results using much less central processing unit time. Altogether with other considerations, our approach is computational efficient enough to allow implementation in 3D atmospheric transport models. The decay of radionuclides and the production of decay products within radioactive aerosols may significantly affect the aerosol charging rates, and either hinder or promote the coagulation of multicomponent radioactive aerosols. Our results suggest that radiological phenomena occurring within radioactive aerosols, as well as subsequent effects on aerosol microphysics, should be considered in regional and global models to more accurately predict radioactivity transport in the atmosphere in case of a nuclear plant accident.« less

  19. Incorporating radioactive decay into charging and coagulation of multicomponent radioactive aerosols

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Yong-ha; Yiacoumi, Sotira; Nenes, Athanasios; ...

    2017-09-29

    Compositional changes by the decay of radionuclides in radioactive aerosols can influence their charging state, coagulation frequency and size distribution throughout their atmospheric lifetime. The importance of such effects is unknown as they have not been considered in microphysical and global radioactivity transport studies to date. Here, we explore the effects of compositional changes on the charging efficiency and coagulation rates of aerosols using a set of kinetic equations that couple all relevant processes (decay, charging and coagulation) and their evolution over time. Compared to a coupled aggregation-tracer model for the prediction of the radioactive composition of particulates undergoing coagulation,more » our kinetic approach can provide similar results using much less central processing unit time. Altogether with other considerations, our approach is computational efficient enough to allow implementation in 3D atmospheric transport models. The decay of radionuclides and the production of decay products within radioactive aerosols may significantly affect the aerosol charging rates, and either hinder or promote the coagulation of multicomponent radioactive aerosols. Our results suggest that radiological phenomena occurring within radioactive aerosols, as well as subsequent effects on aerosol microphysics, should be considered in regional and global models to more accurately predict radioactivity transport in the atmosphere in case of a nuclear plant accident.« less

  20. Population dose commitments due to radioactive releases from nuclear power plant sites in 1985

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D.A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commericial power reactors operating during 1985. Fifty-year dose commitments from a one-year exposure were calculated from both liquid and atmospheric releases for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each of 61 sites. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both liquid and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for each of the sites is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 km aroundmore » each site receiving various average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The total dose commitments (from both liquid and airborne pathways) for each site ranged from a high of 73 person-rem to a low of 0.011 person-rem for the sites with plants operating throughout the year with an arithmetic mean of 3 person-rem. The total population dose for all sites was estimated at 200 person-rem for the 110 million people considered at risk. The site average individual dose commitment from all pathways ranged from a low of 5 /times/ 10/sup /minus/6/ mrem to a high of 0.02 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites.« less

  1. Population dose commitments due to radioactive releases from nuclear power plant sites in 1984

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D.A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1984. Fifty-year dose commitments from a one-year exposure were calculated from both liquid and atmospheric releases for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each of 56 sites. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both liquid and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for each of the sites is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 km aroundmore » each site receiving various average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The total dose commitments (from both liquid and airborne pathways) for each site ranged from a high of 110 person-rem to a low of 0.002 person-rem for the sites with plants operating throughout the year with an arithmetic mean of 5 person-rem. The total population dose for all sites was estimated at 280 person-rem for the 100 million people considered at risk. The site average individual dose commitment from all pathways ranged from a low of 6 x 10/sup -6/ mrem to a high of 0.04 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites.« less

  2. Population dose commitments due to radioactive releases from nuclear power plant sites in 1986

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D.A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1986. Fifty-year dose commitments for a one-year exposure from both liquid and atmospheric releases were calculated for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each of 66 reactor sites. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both water and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for each of the sites is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 kmmore » around each site receiving various average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The total dose commitments (from both liquid and airborne pathways) for each site ranged from a high of 31 person-rem to a low of 0.0007 person-rem for the sites with plants operating throughout the year with an arithmetic mean of 1.7 person-rem. The total population dose for all sites was estimated at 110 person-rem for the 140 million people considered at risk. The site average individual dose commitment from all pathways ranged from a low of 2 {times} 10{sup -6} mrem to a high of 0.02 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites. 12 refs.« less

  3. Characterization of uranium carbide target materials to produce neutron-rich radioactive beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tusseau-Nenez, Sandrine; Roussière, Brigitte; Barré-Boscher, Nicole; Gottberg, Alexander; Corradetti, Stefano; Andrighetto, Alberto; Cheikh Mhamed, Maher; Essabaa, Saïd; Franberg-Delahaye, Hanna; Grinyer, Joanna; Joanny, Loïc; Lau, Christophe; Le Lannic, Joseph; Raynaud, Marc; Saïd, Abdelhakim; Stora, Thierry; Tougait, Olivier

    2016-03-01

    In the framework of a R&D program aiming to develop uranium carbide (UCx) targets for radioactive nuclear beams, the Institut de Physique Nucléaire d'Orsay (IPNO) has developed an experimental setup to characterize the release of various fission fragments from UCx samples at high temperature. The results obtained in a previous study have demonstrated the feasibility of the method and started to correlate the structural properties of the samples and their behavior in terms of nuclear reaction product release. In the present study, seven UCx samples have been systematically characterized in order to better understand the correlation between their physicochemical characteristics and release properties. Two very different samples, the first one composed of dense UC and the second one of highly porous UCx made of multi-wall carbon nanotubes, were provided by the ActILab (ENSAR) collaboration. The others were synthesized at IPNO. The systems for irradiation and heating necessary for the release studies have been improved with respect to those used in previous studies. The results show that the open porosity is hardly the limiting factor for the fission product release. The homogeneity of the microstructure and the pore size distribution contributes significantly to the increase of the release. The use of carbon nanotubes in place of traditional micrometric graphite particles appears to be promising, even if the homogeneity of the microstructure can still be enhanced.

  4. Subseabed storage of radioactive waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, Peter M.

    The subject of the storage of nuclear wastes products incites emotional responses from the public, and thus the U.S. Subseabed Disposal Program will have to make a good case for waste storage beneath the ocean floor. The facts attendant, however, describe circumstances necessitating cool-headed analysis to achieve a solution to the growing nuclear waste problem. Emotion aside, a good case indeed is being made for safe disposal beneath the ocean floor.The problems of nuclear waste storage are acute. A year ago, U.S. military weapons production had accumulated over seventy-five million gallons of high-level radioactive liquid waste; solid wastes, such as spent nuclear fuel rods from reactors, amounted to more than 12,000 tons. These wastes are corrosive and will release heat for 1000 years or more. The wastes will remain dangerously radioactive for a period of 10,000 years. There are advantages in storing the wastes on land, in special underground repositories, or on the surface. These include the accessibility to monitor the waste and the possibility of taking action should a container rupture occur, and thus the major efforts to determine suitable disposal at this time are focused on land-based storage. New efforts, not to be confused with ocean dumping practices of the past, are demonstrating that waste containers isolated in the clays and sediments of the ocean floor may be superior (Environ. Sci. Tech., 16, 28A-37A 1982).

  5. PM₁₀ exposure and non-accidental mortality in Asian populations: a meta-analysis of time-series and case-crossover studies.

    PubMed

    Park, Hye Yin; Bae, Sanghyuk; Hong, Yun-Chul

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the association between particulate matter less than 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀) exposure and non-accidental mortality in Asian populations by meta-analysis, using both time-series and case-crossover analysis. Among the 819 published studies searched from PubMed and EMBASE using key words related to PM₁₀ exposure and non-accidental mortality in Asian countries, 8 time-series and 4 case-crossover studies were selected for meta-analysis after exclusion by selection criteria. We obtained the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of non-accidental mortality per 10 µg/m³ increase of daily PM₁₀ from each study. We used Q statistics to test the heterogeneity of the results among the different studies and evaluated for publication bias using Begg funnel plot and Egger test. Testing for heterogeneity showed significance (p<0.001); thus, we applied a random-effects model. RR (95% CI) per 10 µg/m³ increase of daily PM₁₀ for both the time-series and case-crossover studies combined, time-series studies relative risk only, and case-crossover studies only, were 1.0047 (1.0033 to 1.0062), 1.0057 (1.0029 to 1.0086), and 1.0027 (1.0010 to 1.0043), respectively. The non-significant Egger test suggested that this analysis was not likely to have a publication bias. We found a significant positive association between PM₁₀ exposure and non-accidental mortality among Asian populations. Continued investigations are encouraged to contribute to the health impact assessment and public health management of air pollution in Asian countries.

  6. Radioactive Wastes.

    PubMed

    Choudri, B S; Charabi, Yassine; Baawain, Mahad; Ahmed, Mushtaque

    2017-10-01

    Papers reviewed herein present a general overview of radioactive waste related activities around the world in 2016. The current reveiw include studies related to safety assessments, decommission and decontamination of nuclear facilities, fusion facilities, transportation. Further, the review highlights on management solutions for the final disposal of low and high level radioactive wastes (LLW and HLW), interim storage and final disposal options for spent fuel (SF), and tritiated wastes, with a focus on environmental impacts due to the mobility of radionuclides in ecosystem, water and soil alongwith other progress made in the management of radioactive wastes.

  7. An atypical case of successful resuscitation of an accidental profound hypothermia patient, occurring in a temperate climate.

    PubMed

    Coleman, E; Doddakula, K; Meeke, R; Marshall, C; Jahangir, S; Hinchion, J

    2010-03-01

    Cases of accidental profound hypothermia occur most frequently in cold, northern climates. We describe an atypical case, occurring in a temperate climate, where a hypothermic cardiac-arrested patient was successfully resuscitated using extracorporeal circulation (ECC).

  8. Radioactivity in the environment; a case study of the Puerco and Little Colorado River basins, Arizona and New Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wirt, Laurie

    1994-01-01

    This report, written for the nontechnical reader, summarizes the results of a study from 1988-91 of the occurrence and transport of selected radionuclides and other chemical constituents in the Puerco and Little Colorado River basins, Arizona and New Mexico. More than two decades of uranium mining and the 1979 failure of an earthen dam containing mine tailings released high levels of radionuclides and other chemical constituents to the Puerco River, a tributary of the Little Colorado River. Releases caused public concern that ground water and streamflow downstream from mining were contaminated. Study findings show which radioactive elements are present, how these elements are distributed between water and sediment in the environment, how concentrations of radioactive elements vary naturally within basins, and how levels of radioactivity have changed since the end of mining. Although levels of radioactive elements and other trace elements measured in streamflow commonly exceed drinking-water standards, no evidence was found to indicate that the high concentrations were still related to uraniurn mining. Sediment radioactivity was higher at sample sites on streams that drain the eastern part of the Little Colorado River basin than that of samples from the western part. Radioactivity of suspended sediment measured in this study, therefore, represents natural conditions for the streams sampled rather than an effect of mining. Because ground water beneath the Puerco River channel is shallow, the aquifer is vulnerable to contamination. A narrow zone of ground water beneath the Puerco River containing elevated uranium concentrations was identified during the study. The highest concentrations were nearest the mines and in samples collected in the first few feet beneath the streambed. Natuxal radiation levels in a few areas of the underlying sedimentary aquifer not connected to the Puerco River also exceeded water quality standards. Water testing would enable those residents

  9. Accidental introduction into Italy and establishment of Aprostocetus fukutai (Hym.: Eulophidae) in citrus longhorned beetle infestations

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Citrus longhorned beetle, Anoplophora chinensis (CLB), was accidentally introduced from Asia into 11 European countries, putting at risk a wide range of broadleaf trees. It was eradicated in 9 countries, but Italy still has residual populations. The gregarious egg parasitoid Aprostocetus fukutai, wh...

  10. Accidental versus operational oil spills from shipping in the Baltic Sea: risk governance and management strategies.

    PubMed

    Hassler, Björn

    2011-03-01

    Marine governance of oil transportation is complex. Due to difficulties in effectively monitoring procedures on vessels en voyage, incentives to save costs by not following established regulations on issues such as cleaning of tanks, crew size, and safe navigation may be substantial. The issue of problem structure is placed in focus, that is, to what degree the specific characteristics and complexity of intentional versus accidental oil spill risks affect institutional responses. It is shown that whereas the risk of accidental oil spills primarily has been met by technical requirements on the vessels in combination with Port State control, attempts have been made to curb intentional pollution by for example increased surveillance and smart governance mechanisms such as the No-Special-Fee system. It is suggested that environmental safety could be improved by increased use of smart governance mechanisms tightly adapted to key actors' incentives to alter behavior in preferable directions.

  11. Marine Radioactivity Studies in the Suez Canal, Part II: Field Experiments and a Modelling Study of Dispersion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abril, J. M.; Abdel-Aal, M. M.; Al-Gamal, S. A.; Abdel-Hay, F. A.; Zahar, H. M.

    2000-04-01

    In this paper we take advantage of the two field tracing experiments carried out under the IAEA project EGY/07/002, to develop a modelling study on the dispersion of radioactive pollution in the Suez Canal. The experiments were accomplished by using rhodamine B as a tracer, and water samples were measured by luminescence spectrometry. The presence of natural luminescent particles in the canal waters limited the use of some field data. During experiments, water levels, velocities, wind and other physical parameters were recorded to supply appropriate information for the modelling work. From this data set, the hydrodynamics of the studied area has been reasonably described. We apply a 1-D-Gaussian and 2-D modelling approaches to predict the position and the spatial shape of the plume. The use of different formulations for dispersion coefficients is studied. These dispersion coefficients are then applied in a 2-D-hydrodynamic and dispersion model for the Bitter Lake to investigate different scenarios of accidental discharges.

  12. Mass Casualty Decontamination in a Chemical or Radiological/Nuclear Incident with External Contamination: Guiding Principles and Research Needs

    PubMed Central

    Cibulsky, Susan M; Sokolowski, Danny; Lafontaine, Marc; Gagnon, Christine; Blain, Peter G.; Russell, David; Kreppel, Helmut; Biederbick, Walter; Shimazu, Takeshi; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Saito, Tomoya; Jourdain, Jean- René; Paquet, Francois; Li, Chunsheng; Akashi, Makoto; Tatsuzaki, Hideo; Prosser, Lesley

    2015-01-01

    Hazardous chemical, radiological, and nuclear materials threaten public health in scenarios of accidental or intentional release which can lead to external contamination of people.  Without intervention, the contamination could cause severe adverse health effects, through systemic absorption by the contaminated casualties as well as spread of contamination to other people, medical equipment, and facilities.  Timely decontamination can prevent or interrupt absorption into the body and minimize opportunities for spread of the contamination, thereby mitigating the health impact of the incident.  Although the specific physicochemical characteristics of the hazardous material(s) will determine the nature of an incident and its risks, some decontamination and medical challenges and recommended response strategies are common among chemical and radioactive material incidents.  Furthermore, the identity of the hazardous material released may not be known early in an incident.  Therefore, it may be beneficial to compare the evidence and harmonize approaches between chemical and radioactive contamination incidents.  Experts from the Global Health Security Initiative’s Chemical and Radiological/Nuclear Working Groups present here a succinct summary of guiding principles for planning and response based on current best practices, as well as research needs, to address the challenges of managing contaminated casualties in a chemical or radiological/nuclear incident. PMID:26635995

  13. Transmutation effects on long-term Cs retention in phyllosilicate minerals from first principles.

    PubMed

    Sassi, Michel; Okumura, Masahiko; Machida, Masahiko; Rosso, Kevin M

    2017-10-11

    The accidental release and incorporation of radiocesium into soil minerals represents a massive environmental, technical and social challenge. Accurately forecasting the evolving distribution and fate of long- and medium-lived isotopes such as 137 Cs and 134 Cs over decadal time scales is essential. The cesium cation has long been modeled as a strongly and selectively sorbed species into clay mineral interlayers; however, because of the time scales involved by the radioisotopes half-lives, the effects of radioactive decay on Cs retention have been unknown. We report density functional theory (DFT) simulations of transmutation effects of radiocesium on long-term Cs retention in phlogopite. The calculations show that the progressive appearance of daughter product Ba 2+ is accompanied by a proportional increase in thermodynamic driving force to preferentially discharge remaining Cs, both radioactive and stable, back into aqueous solution. Based on thermodynamic analysis, the findings indicate that radiocesium transmutation provides a mean to weaken the binding of Cs in phyllosilicate minerals, therefore potentially involving a premature re-release of Cs back into the environment. In the case where radiogenic Ba 2+ ions accumulate in the mineral, collateral effects would ultimately be an increase in the overall interlayer binding energy and a lower resorption capacity.

  14. Acute exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by accidental kerosene ingestion in an elderly patient with dementia: a case report.

    PubMed

    Gotanda, Hiroshi; Kameyama, Yumi; Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro; Ishii, Masaki; Hanaoka, Yoko; Yamamoto, Hiroshi; Ogawa, Sumito; Iijima, Katsuya; Akishita, Masahiro; Ouchi, Yasuyoshi

    2013-01-01

    Acute exogenous lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon condition caused by aspiration of oil-based substances, occurring mainly in children. Here, we report the case of an 83-year-old patient with Alzheimer's disease who presented with coughing and hypoxia. The diagnosis of acute exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by accidental kerosene ingestion was made on the basis of the patient's clinical history, and typical radiological and cytological findings. The patient's cognitive impairment and an unsafe environment, in which the patient's 91-year-old husband stored kerosene in an old shochu bottle, were responsible for the accidental ingestion. Acute exogenous lipoid pneumonia should be considered in the differential diagnosis for acute respiratory disorders in the rapidly aging population. © 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  15. Joint release rate estimation and measurement-by-measurement model correction for atmospheric radionuclide emission in nuclear accidents: An application to wind tunnel experiments.

    PubMed

    Li, Xinpeng; Li, Hong; Liu, Yun; Xiong, Wei; Fang, Sheng

    2018-03-05

    The release rate of atmospheric radionuclide emissions is a critical factor in the emergency response to nuclear accidents. However, there are unavoidable biases in radionuclide transport models, leading to inaccurate estimates. In this study, a method that simultaneously corrects these biases and estimates the release rate is developed. Our approach provides a more complete measurement-by-measurement correction of the biases with a coefficient matrix that considers both deterministic and stochastic deviations. This matrix and the release rate are jointly solved by the alternating minimization algorithm. The proposed method is generic because it does not rely on specific features of transport models or scenarios. It is validated against wind tunnel experiments that simulate accidental releases in a heterogonous and densely built nuclear power plant site. The sensitivities to the position, number, and quality of measurements and extendibility of the method are also investigated. The results demonstrate that this method effectively corrects the model biases, and therefore outperforms Tikhonov's method in both release rate estimation and model prediction. The proposed approach is robust to uncertainties and extendible with various center estimators, thus providing a flexible framework for robust source inversion in real accidents, even if large uncertainties exist in multiple factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Posttraumatic growth within the first three months after accidental injury in China: the role of self-disclosure, cognitive processing, and psychosocial resources.

    PubMed

    Dong, Chaoqun; Gong, Shumei; Jiang, Liping; Deng, Guanghui; Liu, Xiaohong

    2015-01-01

    The primary goals of this study, were to identify the posttraumatic growth (PTG) level of accidentally injured Chinese patients shortly after an accident occurred and to determine whether cognitive processing, self-disclosure, and psychosocial resources predicted PTG. A total of 232 patients were recruited from two public hospitals in Shanghai within the first three months of an accidental injury. Patients completed self-report questionnaires to assess severity of injury, cognitive processing, self-disclosure, psychosocial resources, and PTG. Patients reported a mid-low level of PTG (M = 50.38, SD = 18.12) in the short length of time post-injury. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that subjective accident severity, deliberate rumination, perceived social support, and attitude towards disclosure were strong predictors of PTG. A moderating role of self-disclosure between intrusive rumination and PTG was identified. These findings support an interaction effect of rumination and self-disclosure on PTG and have implications for early intervention of accidentally injured patients.

  17. Understanding Release from Actinide Targets -- Recent Results from RIB Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kronenberg, Andreas; Carter, H. K.; Spejewski, E. H.; Stracener, D. W.

    2006-10-01

    Development of ion beams of short-lived isotopes is crucial for modern nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics. The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory uses the ISOL (Isotope Separation Online) technique to provide radioactive ion beams. So far, uranium carbide has been used as a target to produce neutron-rich fission fragments. Thermodynamic calculations indicate the possibility of in-situ chemical side band formations of volatile species of refractory metals, such as V and Re. These elements release out of oxide targets after production in a nuclear reaction, and can occur only through in-situ formation of their volatile oxide. These have been confirmed experimentally. The results from recent, more detailed investigations of ThO2, UB4 and other actinide targets as well as conclusions from systematic studies will be presented. This research was sponsored by the NNSA under Stewardship Science Academic Alliance program through DOE Cooperative Agreement # DE-FC03-3NA00143.

  18. Assessment of DOE radioactive scrap metal disposition options

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Butler, C.R.; Kasper, K.M.; Bossart, S.J.

    1997-02-01

    The DOE has amassed a large amount of radioactively-contaminated scrap metal (RSM) as a result of past operations and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) projects. The volume of RSM will continue to increase as a result of the D&D of more than 6,000 surplus facilities and many of the 14,000 operating facilities in the DOE complex. RSM can be either surface contaminated or volumetrically contaminated, or both, with varying amounts of radioactivity. Several options exist for the disposition of this RSM, including disposal as radioactive waste, recycling by decontamination and free-release for unrestricted use, or recycling for restricted reuse inside amore » DOE controlled area. The DOE Office of Science and Technology (EM-50) has been actively investing in technology and strategy development in support of restricted-reuse RSM recycling for the past several years. This paper will assess the nature of the RSM recycling issue, review past investment by DOE to develop technologies and strategies to recycle RSM, and then discuss some recommendations concerning future investments in support of RSM management. Available information on the supply of RSM will be presented in Section II. The regulatory and policy framework concerning recycling RSM will be presented in Section III. A review of DOE investment in RSM recycling technology and current programs will be presented in Section IV. The current and projected industrial capacity will be described in Section V. And, finally, a discussion of issues and recommendations regarding DOE technology development interests in RSM recycling will be presented in Section VI and VII, respectively.« less

  19. 76 FR 58566 - Proposed Information Collection (Report of Accidental Injury in Support of Claim for Compensation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0104] Proposed Information Collection (Report of Accidental Injury in Support of Claim for Compensation or Pension/Statement of Witness to Accident... for Compensation or Pension/Statement of Witness to Accident, VA Form 21- 4176. OMB Control Number...

  20. Reconstruction of long-lived radionuclide intakes for Techa riverside residents: 137Cs.

    PubMed

    Tolstykh, E I; Degteva, M O; Peremyslova, L M; Shagina, N B; Vorobiova, M I; Anspaugh, L R; Napier, B A

    2013-05-01

    Radioactive contamination of the Techa River (Southern Urals, Russia) occurred from 1949-1956 due to routine and accidental releases of liquid radioactive wastes from the Mayak Production Association. The long-lived radionuclides in the releases were Sr and Cs. Contamination of the components of the Techa River system resulted in chronic external and internal exposure of about 30,000 residents of riverside villages. Data on radionuclide intake with diet are used to estimate internal dose in the Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS), which was elaborated for the assessment of radiogenic risk for Techa Riverside residents. The Sr intake function was recently improved, taking into account the recently available archival data on radionuclide releases and in-depth analysis of the extensive data on Sr measurements in Techa Riverside residents. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the dietary intake of Cs by Techa Riverside residents. The Cs intake with river water used for drinking was reconstructed on the basis of the Sr intake-function and the concentration ratio Cs-to-Sr in river water. Intake via Cs transfer from floodplain soil to grass and cows' milk was evaluated for the first time. As a result, the maximal Cs intake level was indicated near the site of releases in upper-Techa River settlements (8,000-9,000 kBq). For villages located on the lower Techa River, the Cs intake was significantly less (down to 300 kBq). Cows' milk was the main source of Cs in diet in the upper-Techa River region.

  1. Remote sensing applications for diagnostics of the radioactive pollution of the ground surface and in the atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pulinets, Sergey; Ouzounov, Dimitar; Boyarchuk, Kirill; Laverov, Nikolay

    2013-04-01

    Radioactive pollution due to its air ionization activity can drastically change the atmospheric boundary layer conductivity (what was experimentally proved during period of nuclear tests in atmosphere) and through the global electric circuit produce anomalous variations in atmosphere. As additional effect the ions created due to air ionization serve as centers of water vapor condensation and nucleation of aerosol-size particles. This process is accompanied by latent heat release. Both anomalies (ionospheric and thermal) can be controlled by remote sensing technique both from satellites (IR sensors and ionospheric probes) and from ground (GPS receivers, ground based ionosondes, VLF propagation sounding, ground measurements of the air temperature and humidity). We monitored the majority of transient events (Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power plant emergencies) and stationary sources such as Gabon natural nuclear reactor, sites of underground nuclear tests, etc. and were able to detect thermal anomalies and for majority of cases - the ionospheric anomalies as well. Immediately after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan we started to continuously survey the long-wavelength energy flux (10-13 microns) measurable at top of the atmosphere from POES/NOAA/AVHRR polar orbit satellites. Our preliminary results show the presence of hot spots on the top of the atmosphere over the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) and due to their persistence over the same region they are most likely not of meteorological origin. On March 14 and 21 we detected a significant increase in radiation at the top of the atmosphere which also coincides with a reported radioactivity gas leaks from the FDNPP. After March 21 the intensity of energy flux in atmosphere started to decline, which has been confirmed by ground radiometer network. We were able to detect with ground based ionosonde the ionospheric anomaly associated with the largest radioactive release on March

  2. RADIOACTIVE IODINE IN THE LYMPH LEAVING THE THYROID GLAND

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Daniel, R.M.; Gale, M.M.; Pratt, O.E.

    1963-04-01

    Very high levels of I/sup 131/ were found in lymph of vessels draining the thyroid gland of animals injected with the isotope. The lymph was collected from the draining lymphatics 2-6 days after subcutaneous injection of 50-100 mu C in rabbits and cats and 200 mu C in sheep. Thyroid lymph contained a concentration of radioactivity considerably higher than that in either thyroid venous plasma or systemic blood plasma. This was found in all three species both before and after giving thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Almost all the radioactivity in the lymph was due to organic I/sup 131/. When tie thyroidmore » gland was excised postmortem, a count showed that the proportion of I/sup 131/ which had been injected and which rernained in the gland at the end of the experiment varied considerably. Estimates of the radiation dose varied between 30 and 200 rad. There was no obvious relation between this dose the lymph/plasma I/sup 131/ ratio, which indicates that the radiation dose was not so high as to produce damage to the gland. The radiation dose to the thyroid in these experiments was not greater than is customarily given in studies of hormone release from the thyroid and the dosage used gives a lower level of radiation than that thought to cause radiation damage to the gland. Since, therefore, damage to the thyroid can be discounted as a cause for the release of iodinated protein, it seems likely that a significart proportion of organic iodine leaves the gland under normal conditions via the lymphatic pathway both before and after the administration of TSH and that this pathway should be taken into account in all studies of thyroid secretion. Gentle massage of the gland, which increases the flow of lymph, did not lead to an increase in the output of radioactivity. Movement of lymph in the thyroid vessels is relatively rapid and since the concentration of I/sup 131/ in thyroid lymph is high, the amount of thyroid hormones leaving the gland by this pathway must be

  3. The importance of surgeon involvement in the evaluation of non-accidental trauma patients.

    PubMed

    Larimer, Emily L; Fallon, Sara C; Westfall, Jaimee; Frost, Mary; Wesson, David E; Naik-Mathuria, Bindi J

    2013-06-01

    Non-Accidental Trauma (NAT) is a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality, causing 50% of trauma-related deaths at our institution. Our purpose was to evaluate the necessity of primary surgical evaluation and admission to the trauma service for children presenting with NAT. We reviewed all NAT patients from 2007-2011. Injury types, demographic data, and hospitalization information were collected. Comparisons to accidental trauma (AT) patients were made using Wilcoxon rank sum and Student's t tests. We identified 267 NAT patients presenting with 473 acute injuries. Injuries in NAT patients were more severe than in AT patients, and Injury Severity Scores, ICU admission rates, and mortality were all significantly (p<0.001) higher. The majority suffered from polytrauma. Multiple areas of injury were seen in patients with closed head injuries (72%), extremity fractures (51%), rib fractures (82%), and abdominal/thoracic trauma (80%). Despite these complex injury patterns, only 56% received surgical consults, resulting in potential delays in diagnosis, as 24% of abdominal CT scans were obtained >12 hours after hospitalization. Given the high incidence of polytrauma in NAT patients, prompt surgical evaluation is necessary to determine the scope of injury. Admission to the trauma service and a thorough tertiary survey should be considered for all patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Patterns and trends in accidental poisoning death rates in the US, 1979-2014.

    PubMed

    Buchanich, Jeanine M; Balmert, Lauren C; Pringle, Janice L; Williams, Karl E; Burke, Donald S; Marsh, Gary M

    2016-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine US accidental poisoning death rates by demographic and geographic factors from 1979 to 2014, including High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. Crude and age-adjusted death rates were formed for age group, race, sex, and county for accidental poisonings (ICD 9th revision: E850-E869; ICD 10th revision: X40-X49) from 1979 to 2014 using the Mortality and Population Data System housed at the University of Pittsburgh. Rate ratios were calculated comparing rates from 2014 to 1979, overall, by sex, age group, race, and county. Joinpoint regression detected changes in trends and calculated the average annual percentage change (AAPC) as a summary measure of trend. Drug poisoning mortality rates have risen an average of 6% per year since 1979. Increases are occurring in all ages 15+, and in all race-sex groups. HIDTA counties with the highest mortality rates were in Appalachia and New Mexico. Many of the HIDTA border counties had lower rates of mortality. The drug poisoning mortality epidemic is continuing to grow. While HIDTA resources are appropriately targeted at many areas in the US most affected, rates are also rapidly rising in some non-HIDTA areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Non-accidental carbon monoxide poisoning from burning charcoal in attempted combined homicide-suicide.

    PubMed

    Lee, A C W; Ou, Y; Lam, S Y; So, K T; Kam, C W

    2002-10-01

    To describe an emerging form of serious child abuse in combined homicide-suicide in Hong Kong. This is a retrospective hospital chart review in a regional hospital in Hong Kong from January to December 2000. Eight children, with a mean age of 7.8 years (range 0.5-11 years), from four families were admitted to hospital because of non-accidental exposure to carbon monoxide when their parents attempted suicide by burning charcoal. A 7-year-old boy died on arrival. His 5.6-year-old sister and another 6-month-old boy had cerebral hypoxia on admission. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was used in both cases, with rapid improvement, although there were persistent neurological deficits in the girl. The other children in the present study were asymptomatic and none had delayed neurological sequelae. Concomitant use of sedatives was also detected in three of the surviving patients. Non-accidental poisoning with carbon monoxide appears to be a new means of child abuse with potentially serious consequences. Concomitant intoxication with psychotropic drugs is common in such cases. The reason for parents killing their own children under such circumstances was unclear, but a desire to exact revenge on an estranged partner was suggested.

  6. Anomalies in Proposed Regulations for the Release of Redundant Material from Nuclear and Non-nuclear Industries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Menon, S.

    Now that increasing numbers of nuclear power stations are reaching the end of their commercially useful lives, the management of the large quantities of very low level radioactive material that arises during their decommissioning has become a major subject of discussion, with very significant economic implications. Much of this material can, in an environmentally advantageous manner, be recycled for reuse without radiological restrictions. Much larger quantities--2-3 orders of magnitude larger--of material, radiologically similar to the candidate material for recycling from the nuclear industry, arise in non-nuclear industries like coal, fertilizer, oil and gas, mining, etc. In such industries, naturally occurringmore » radioactivity is artificially concentrated in products, by-products or waste to form TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material). It is only in the last decade that the international community has become aware of the prevalence of T ENORM, specially the activity levels and quantities arising in so many nonnuclear industries. The first reaction of international organizations seems to have been to propose ''double'' standards for the nuclear and non-nuclear industries, with very stringent release criteria for radioactive material from the regulated nuclear industry and up to a hundred times more liberal criteria for the release/exemption of TENORM from the as yet unregulated non-nuclear industries. There are, however, many significant strategic issues that need to be discussed and resolved. An interesting development, for both the nuclear and non-nuclear industries, is the increased scientific scrutiny that the populations of naturally high background dose level areas of the world are being subject to. Preliminary biological studies have indicated that the inhabitants of such areas, exposed to many times the permitted occupational doses for nuclear workers, have not shown any differences in cancer mortality, life

  7. Non-accidental properties, metric invariance, and encoding by neurons in a model of ventral stream visual object recognition, VisNet.

    PubMed

    Rolls, Edmund T; Mills, W Patrick C

    2018-05-01

    When objects transform into different views, some properties are maintained, such as whether the edges are convex or concave, and these non-accidental properties are likely to be important in view-invariant object recognition. The metric properties, such as the degree of curvature, may change with different views, and are less likely to be useful in object recognition. It is shown that in a model of invariant visual object recognition in the ventral visual stream, VisNet, non-accidental properties are encoded much more than metric properties by neurons. Moreover, it is shown how with the temporal trace rule training in VisNet, non-accidental properties of objects become encoded by neurons, and how metric properties are treated invariantly. We also show how VisNet can generalize between different objects if they have the same non-accidental property, because the metric properties are likely to overlap. VisNet is a 4-layer unsupervised model of visual object recognition trained by competitive learning that utilizes a temporal trace learning rule to implement the learning of invariance using views that occur close together in time. A second crucial property of this model of object recognition is, when neurons in the level corresponding to the inferior temporal visual cortex respond selectively to objects, whether neurons in the intermediate layers can respond to combinations of features that may be parts of two or more objects. In an investigation using the four sides of a square presented in every possible combination, it was shown that even though different layer 4 neurons are tuned to encode each feature or feature combination orthogonally, neurons in the intermediate layers can respond to features or feature combinations present is several objects. This property is an important part of the way in which high capacity can be achieved in the four-layer ventral visual cortical pathway. These findings concerning non-accidental properties and the use of neurons in

  8. Management of Ir-192 Disused Sealed Sources with Long-Lived Radioactive Contaminants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dellamano, Jose Claudio; Ferreira, Robson de Jesus; Potiens, Ademar Jose Jr.

    2015-07-01

    Iridium-192 sealed sources are the most widely used sealed source in industrial applications in Brazil. They are not recyclable and in the end of the useful life, they are discarded as radioactive waste. The recommended management strategy of this waste is decay in storage and disposal as exempt waste because the half-life is only 73.8 days. Presently, thousands of Ir- 192 sources are under storage waiting release. Surprisingly, sources that were under storage for more than ten years and for which no measurable contact dose rate was expected still present significant remaining radioactivity. The examination of the gamma spectra ofmore » these sources showed the presence of Co-60 and the gamma emission lines from the Ir-192m2 isomer, the metastable isotope with half-life of 241 years, which is also formed by the irradiation of natural iridium. The aim of the study reported in this paper is to characterize the Ir-192 disused sources under interim storage at the Radioactive Waste Management Department, considering the presence of minor contaminants in the irradiated iridium and the fraction of the total initial activity of the sources that is attributable to that metastable isotope. The radioactive inventories at the end of the irradiation and after the decay period were predicted using the Scale 6.0 code and the results were compared with activity measurements of the disused sources by gamma spectrometry. (authors)« less

  9. 76 FR 73021 - Agency Information Collection (Report of Accidental Injury in Support of Claim for Compensation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0104] Agency Information Collection (Report of Accidental Injury in Support of Claim for Compensation or Pension/Statement of Witness to Accident... of Claim for Compensation or Pension/Statement of Witness to Accident, VA Form 21- 4176. OMB Control...

  10. Massive cisplatin overdose by accidental substitution for carboplatin. Toxicity and management.

    PubMed

    Chu, G; Mantin, R; Shen, Y M; Baskett, G; Sussman, H

    1993-12-15

    Unlike the related drug carboplatin, cisplatin is highly nephrotoxic and must be given with vigorous intravenous hydration at a much lower dose. As the result of an accidental substitution of cisplatin for carboplatin, a 68-year-old woman received a massive overdose of cisplatin without intravenous hydration. Laboratory documentation included measurements of platinum concentrations by atomic absorption spectroscopy and of xeroderma pigmentosum group E (XPE) binding factor, a protein that is involved in the recognition step of DNA repair. Toxicities included severe emesis, myelosuppression, renal failure, and deafness, which are well known. Other toxicities were seizures, hallucinations, loss of vision, and hepatic toxicity, which were unusual and may have been caused by the magnitude of the overdose. As late as day 19, there was a continued cellular response from cisplatin, as evidenced by decreased levels of XPE binding factor in extracts from the patient's peripheral blood lymphocytes. Plasmapheresis was effective in lowering the platinum concentration from greater than 2900 ng/ml to 200 ng/ml and appeared to be of clinical benefit. Even after the onset of renal failure, hydration to increase urine volume resulted in increased urinary excretion of platinum. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was used to ameliorate myelosuppression. The patient received a transplanted kidney from her monozygotic twin sister and survived with no clinically significant deficit except for deafness. No previous reports exist of survival after such a high dose of cisplatin without intravenous hydration. In the future, patients may benefit from similar management and heightened awareness of the possibility of accidental substitution.

  11. Accidental deep field bias in CMB T and SNe z correlation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Friday, Tracey; Clowes, Roger G.; Raghunathan, Srinivasan; Williger, Gerard M.

    2018-05-01

    Evidence presented by Yershov, Orlov and Raikov apparently showed that the WMAP/Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) pixel-temperatures (T) at supernovae (SNe) locations tend to increase with increasing redshift (z). They suggest this correlation could be caused by the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect and/or by some unrelated foreground emission. Here, we assess this correlation independently using Planck 2015 SMICA R2.01 data and, following Yershov et al., a sample of 2783 SNe from the Sternberg Astronomical Institute. Our analysis supports the prima facie existence of the correlation but attributes it to a composite selection bias (high CMB T × high SNe z) caused by the accidental alignment of seven deep survey fields with CMB hotspots. These seven fields contain 9.2 per cent of the SNe sample (256 SNe). Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient indicates the correlation present in the whole sample (ρs = 0.5, p-value =6.7 × 10-9) is insignificant for a sub-sample of the seven fields together (ρs = 0.2, p-value =0.2) and entirely absent for the remainder of the SNe (ρs = 0.1, p-value =0.6). We demonstrate the temperature and redshift biases of these seven deep fields, and estimate the likelihood of their falling on CMB hotspots by chance is at least ˜ 6.8 per cent (approximately 1 in 15). We show that a sample of 7880 SNe from the Open Supernova Catalogue exhibits the same effect and we conclude that the correlation is an accidental but not unlikely selection bias.

  12. Risk factors for unnatural death: Fatal accidental intoxication, undetermined intent and suicide: Register follow-up in a criminal justice population with substance use problems.

    PubMed

    Olsson, Martin O; Bradvik, Louise; Öjehagen, Agneta; Hakansson, Anders

    2016-05-01

    Risk factors for suicide and fatal accidental intoxication are extensively studied, while risk factors for intoxications/injuries of undetermined intent are less well known. The latter have shown an overlap with suicides, but also with fatal accidental intoxications. The objective was to analyze potential differences and similarities in the patterns of risk factors for accidental intoxications, injuries/intoxications with undetermined intent, and suicides, respectively. A follow-up register study was conducted, using data from ASI interviews with clients in the criminal justice system in Sweden (n=6744), followed in the National Causes of Death Register. A set of risk factors from the ASI interview were tested in bivariate analysis with the respective cause of death, yielding significant risk factors further analyzed in three Cox regression models. In Cox regression analyses, death from fatal accidental intoxication was associated with male gender (HR 4.09), use of heroin (HR 2.86), and use of cannabis (HR 1.94), and death from intoxication/injury of undetermined intent was associated with use of heroin (HR 3.48), binge drinking of alcohol (HR 2.46) and previous psychiatric hospitalization (HR 2.41), while negatively associated with depression (HR 0.33). Death from suicide was associated with previous suicide attempts (HR 2.78) and use of sedatives (HR 2.17). In this population of criminal justice clients with reported substance use problems, fatal injuries/intoxications with undetermined intent - like fatal accidental intoxications - appear to be associated with substance use variables, and cannot readily be assumed to represent the same background factors as suicide. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  13. Population dose commitments due to radioactive releases from nuclear power plant sites in 1988

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D.A.

    Population radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1988. Fifty-year commitments for a one-year exposure from both liquid and atmospheric releases were calculated for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each of 71 reactor sites. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both water and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for each of the sites is a histogram showing the fraction of the total population within 2 to 80 km aroundmore » each site receiving various average dose commitments from the airborne pathways. The total collective dose commitments (from both liquid and airborne pathways) for each site ranged from a high of 16 person-rem to a low of 0.0011 person-rem for the sites with plants operating throughout the year with an arithmetic mean of 1.1 person-rem. The total population dose for all sites was estimated at 75 person-rem for the 150 million people considered at risk. The site average individual dose commitment from all pathways ranged from a low of 3 {times} 10{sup {minus}7} mrem to a high of 0.02 mrem. No attempt was made in this study to determine the maximum dose commitment received by any one individual from the radionuclides released at any of the sites. However, licensee calculation of doses to the maximally exposed individual at some sites indicated values of up to approximately 100 times average individual doses (on the order of a few millirem per year).« less

  14. Accidental degeneracy in k-space, geometrical phase, and the perturbation of π by spin-orbit interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allen, Philip B.; Pickett, Warren E.

    2018-06-01

    Since closed lines of accidental electronic degeneracies were demonstrated to be possible, even frequent, by Herring in 1937, no further developments arose for eight decades. The earliest report of such a nodal loop in a real material - aluminum - is recounted and elaborated on. Nodal loop semimetals have become a focus of recent activity, with emphasis on other issues. Band degeneracies are, after all, the origin of topological phases in crystalline materials. Spin-orbit interaction lifts accidental band degeneracies, with the resulting spectrum being provided here. The geometric phase γ(C) = ± π for circuits C surrounding a line of such degeneracy cannot survive completely unchanged. The change depends on how the spin is fixed during adiabatic evolution. For spin fixed along the internal spin-orbit field, γ(C) decreases to zero as the circuit collapses around the line of lifted degeneracy. For spin fixed along a perpendicular axis, the conical intersection persists and γ(C) = ± π is unchanged.

  15. A probabilistic model for accidental cargo oil outflow from product tankers in a ship-ship collision.

    PubMed

    Goerlandt, Floris; Montewka, Jakub

    2014-02-15

    In risk assessment of maritime transportation, estimation of accidental oil outflow from tankers is important for assessing environmental impacts. However, there typically is limited data concerning the specific structural design and tank arrangement of ships operating in a given area. Moreover, there is uncertainty about the accident scenarios potentially emerging from ship encounters. This paper proposes a Bayesian network (BN) model for reasoning under uncertainty for the assessment of accidental cargo oil outflow in a ship-ship collision where a product tanker is struck. The BN combines a model linking impact scenarios to damage extent with a model for estimating the tank layouts based on limited information regarding the ship. The methodology for constructing the model is presented and output for two accident scenarios is shown. The discussion elaborates on the issue of model validation, both in terms of the BN and in light of the adopted uncertainty/bias-based risk perspective. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  16. Dose commitments due to radioactive releases from nuclear power plant sites in 1989

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, D.A.

    Population and individual radiation dose commitments have been estimated from reported radionuclide releases from commercial power reactors operating during 1989. Fifty-year dose commitments for a one-year exposure from both liquid and atmospheric releases were calculated for four population groups (infant, child, teen-ager and adult) residing between 2 and 80 km from each of 72 reactor sites. This report tabulates the results of these calculations, showing the dose commitments for both water and airborne pathways for each age group and organ. Also included for each of the sites is an estimate of individual doses which are compared with 10 CFR Partmore » 50, Appendix I design objectives. The total collective dose commitments (from both liquid and airborne pathways) for each site ranged from a high of 14 person-rem to a low of 0.005 person-rem for the sites with plants in operation and producing power during the year. The arithmetic mean was 1.2 person-rem. The total population dose for all sites was estimated at 84 person-rem for the 140 million people considered at risk. The individual dose commitments estimated for all sites were below the Appendix I design objectives.« less

  17. Monitoring Cs-134 and 137 released by Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in ground, soil, and stream waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsujimura, Maki; Onda, Yuichi; Hada, Manami; Ishwar, Pun; Abe, Yutaka

    2013-04-01

    Due to Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear power plant accident occurred in March 2011, large amount of radionuclides was released into the atmosphere and was fallen onto ground by rainfall. Few researches have monitored radioactive cesium dynamics in whole hydrological cycle system such as groundwater, soil water, spring water and stream water. Thus, the purpose of this study is to monitor concentration of radioactive cesium in those waters in time series in the headwaters. We have performed an intensive monitoring at three small mountainous catchments in Yamakiya district, Kawamata town, Fukushima prefecture, locating 35 km northwest from Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant since June 2011, also we consider the movement of radioactive cesium and its relation with the hydrological cycle.

  18. Accidental Predissociation: A Special Case of Photo-Induced Isotope Fractionation Effect and Possible Occurrence in Nature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakraborty, S.; Thiemens, M. H.

    2009-12-01

    Photo-Induced Isotope Fractionation Effects (PHIFE) are known to produce isotopic frac-tionation in some photo-dissociating molecules (1-2). The PHIFE formalism is based on the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and the Reflection Principle. The isotopic fractionation arises principally from the spectral shift induced by the small difference in zero point energy between isotopologues and the contraction of the wave function due to isotopic substitution, consequently, the associated isotopic fractionations depends on the reduced mass of the isotopically substi-tuted species. The PHIFE formalism is only applicable to the molecules which undergo direct photo-dissociation that possess continuous absorption spectra. Simple molecules (N2, O2, CO) however do not follow a direct dissociation pathway and dissociate through an indirect process termed predissociation, which occurs when the molecule is excited to a quasi-bound state energetically above the dissociation continuum. The PHIFE formalism is not applicable when the absorption spectra are discrete. The assumption that the lightest isotopologues are preferentially predissociated is only valid for restricted predissociation cases. There is a special case of predissociation known as ‘accidental predissociation’ (3), which takes place through an intermediate bound state in two steps (i) leakage to an intermediate bound state (coupled through spin orbit interaction) and, (ii) predissociation to a third quasi-bound state from the intermediate state. Line broadening at an accidental predissociation is a function of the magnitude of coupling matrix elements and the linewidths are strongly influenced by isotopic substitution (4). An anomalous isotopic effect in accidental predissociation was spectroscopically observed in CO (5), N2 (4) and BeH (6). We measured the isotopic fractionation for the first time in two accidental predissociating states of CO through VUV photodissociation using the 9.0.2 beamline at ALS (7-8). In

  19. Accidental hydroxychloroquine overdose resulting in neurotoxic vestibulopathy.

    PubMed

    Chansky, Peter B; Werth, Victoria P

    2017-04-12

    Hydroxychloroquine is an oral antimalarial medication commonly used off-label for a variety of rheumatological conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome and dermatomyositis. We present a case of a 64-year-old woman who presented with acute onset headache, bilateral tinnitus, and left-sided facial numbness and tingling in the setting of accidentally overdosing on hydroxychloroquine. By the next morning, the patient began to experience worsening in the tingling sensation and it eventually spread to her left arm, thigh and distal extremities. The patient also complained of new onset blurring of her peripheral vision and feeling 'off balance.' Despite a complete neurological and ophthalmological work-up with unremarkable imaging and blood work, the patient has had no improvement in her tinnitus, left-sided paresthesias, visual disturbance or ataxia. This is a unique case of hydroxychloroquine overdose resulting in permanent neurotoxic vestibulopathy. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. Non-accidental health impacts of wildfire smoke.

    PubMed

    Youssouf, Hassani; Liousse, Catherine; Roblou, Laurent; Assamoi, Eric-Michel; Salonen, Raimo O; Maesano, Cara; Banerjee, Soutrik; Annesi-Maesano, Isabella

    2014-11-14

    Wildfires take a heavy toll on human health worldwide. Climate change may increase the risk of wildfire frequency. Therefore, in view of adapted preventive actions, there is an urgent need to further understand the health effects and public awareness of wildfires. We conducted a systematic review of non-accidental health impacts of wildfire and incorporated lessons learned from recent experiences. Based on the literature, various studies have established the relationship between one of the major components of wildfire, particulate matter (particles with diameter less than 10 µm (PM10) and less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5)) and cardiorespiratory symptoms in terms of Emergency Rooms visits and hospital admissions. Associations between wildfire emissions and various subclinical effects have also been established. However, few relationships between wildfire emissions and mortality have been observed. Certain segments of the population may be particularly vulnerable to smoke-related health risks. Among them, people with pre-existing cardiopulmonary conditions, the elderly, smokers and, for professional reasons, firefighters. Potential action mechanisms have been highlighted. Overall, more research is needed to better understand health impact of wildfire exposure.