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Page Title:
Modes of Exposure and Treatment |
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|  Radiological Safety Training for Plutonium Facilities
DOEHDBK11452001
Student's Guide
V. Modes of Exposure and Treatment
A. Modes of exposure
Plutonium may enter the body by the following
modes:
1. Inhalation (breathing)
For plutonium (and many other radionuclides,
as well) inhalation is the most common route of
intake into the body. To determine the level of
airborne radioactivity that workers are exposed
to occupationally, air samples are routinely
collected and analyzed at DOE plutonium
facilities. The resulting concentration (in units
of activity per volume) is compared to a
guideline value known as the derived air
concentration (DAC). If a worker were to
breathe one Pu-238 DAC (2E-12 uCi/ml for
class W) for one working year (2000 hours), at
the end of the year, the committed dose
equivalent (summed over 50 years) would be
50 rem to the critical organ (bone surfaces).
This would equate to a committed effective
dose equivalent of 1.5 rem, if the smaller doses
to the other organs are neglected.
An occupied area containing airborne
concentrations of radioactivity that exceed or
are likely to exceed the DAC values provided in
Appendices A and C of 10 CFR 835 or if an
individual could receive an intake exceeding 12
DAC-hours in a week must be posted as an
"Airborne Radioactivity Area" according to 10
CFR 835 and the RadCon Standard. Posting
the area would, in turn, necessitate a
consideration of respiratory protection.
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