ML20236M949

Guidelines for Bioassay Requirements for Tritium

ML20236M949
Person / Time
Issue date:	08/03/1977
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
To:
Shared Package
ML20236M546	List: ML20236M949
References
2034, NUDOCS 8708110307
Download: ML20236M949 (7)

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GUIDELINES FOR BI0 ASSAY

, REQUIREMENTS FOR TRITIUM s

a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety 20-19858-01 l

y. g 9 BI0 ASSAY REQUIREMENTS FOR TRITIUM I. Conditions Recuirino- Bioassay A. . Routine Bioassay is required when quantities processed by an individual .at any one time, or total amount processed per month, c

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exceed those for the' respective forms of tritium as shown in the attached -Table 1.

B. Above 0.1 of the levels in Table 1,' routine bioassay is required unless a written justification is submitted for not performing bioassays; C.. After protective devices, suits, hoods, or gloves are used to prevent exposure of a worker to concentrations of airborne tritium.

that would subject an unprotected worker to an intake of 6.3 mci 1

~in tone calendar quarter, bicassay is required.

D. Bicassay is not required for process quantities less than 0.1 of those in Table 1.  !

l II. Who'Should Participate All workers involved in the- processing of tritium, under conditions specified in I.A or I.B above, or sufficiently close that intake is possible, should participate.

III. What Tyoes of Bioassays should be Performed A. Baseline, Pre-employment, or Pre-operational Urinalysis (not more than one month prior to beginning work with tritium requiring bioassay under Section I. above).  !

E. Routine Urinalysis, i

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'C. Post-operational. Within one month of'last possible exposure to I

tritium.

D. Diagnostic. Within one week of any sample exceeding levels given as action points in Section V. below. See V.2.(d).

-IV. How Often -

A. Initial Routine Samolec j Within.'48 hours5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br /> following entry of an individual into an area  !

where operations require bioassay according to Section I. A.

and B. above, and then every two weeks or more frequently thereafter as long as the individual is working with 3 g, B. After 3 Months The sampling frequency selected in accordance with Section IV.A above may: be changed to quarterly if, after 3 months, the following 3 conditions-are met:

(1) The average urinary tritium concentration from specimens obtained during the 3-month p .,od does not exceed 3 pCi/1, and

.(2) The average concentration of tritium in air (pci/ml), multiplied by the factor 6.3 x 10 8m1, does not exceed 0.8 mci; if ;he time (t hours / week) of exposure.is not equal to 40 hours4.62963e-4 days <br />0.0111 hours <br />6.613757e-5 weeks <br />1.522e-5 months <br /> / week, the.0.8-mci' criterion may be adjusted by the factor 40/t; I

(3) The. working conditions during the 3-month period, with respect l to the potential for tritium exposure, are representative of r

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- working conditions during the period in which a quarterly urinalysis frequency is employed, and there is no reasonable

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expectation that the criteria given in (1) and (2) above ,

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will be exceeded.

V. Action points-and Corresponding' Actions I

A. . Bi-Weekly or More Frecuent Samoling

1. If urinary. excretion rates exceed.5 pci/ liter, but are less 1

than 50 pCi/ liter, .the following course of action should be taken:

'(a) a survey of the operations involved, including' air  :

and area monitoring,.should be carried out to determine the cause(s) of expo:;ure and evaluate potential for further larger exposures.

(b) Implement any reasonable corrective actions indicated in the survey that may lower the potential. for further exposures., -

(c) A repeat urine sample should be taken within one week of.the previous sample and should be evaluted within a week after collection.

(d). Any evidence from (a) or (b) indicating that further work in'the area might result in an employee receiving a dose corrrnitment in excess of the limits established in 120.101.

for whole-body exposure should serve as cause to remove the l' i

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employee from work in this operation until the source of exposure is discovered and corrected.

2. If urinary excretion rates exceed 50 pCi/ liter, the following course of action should be taken:

(a) Carry out all steps as in 1.(a) to (d) above.

(b) If the projected body water dose conmitment exceeds 5 rems, report the incident to the NRC in accordance with 520.403 of 10 CFR part 20.

(c) Refer the case to appropriate medical / health physics consultation for recommendations regarding therapeutic procedures which may be carried out to accelerate removal of tritium from the body and reduce the dose to ALARA levels.

(d) Carry out repeated sampling (urine collections of at least 100 ml each) at approximately one-week intervals, at least until samples show an excretion rate less than 5 pCi/ liter, If there is a possibility of long-term organic compr; "ments of tritium that require evaluation, continue sampling as long as necessary to ensure that appreciable exposures to these other compartments do not go undetected.

(e) provide, as a condition of the license, that written reports on any therapy, and dose commitment estimates prior to and following therapy, be provided to Nr.C.

These reports should contain a description of the

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o processes and quantities ~of tritium involved that led to the exposure.

B. Quarterly Samoling Carry out actions at levels as indicated under A. above, and, if the excretion rate continues to exceed 5 pCi/ liter, also reinstitute biweekly (or more frequent) sampling for at least the next 6-month period, even when urinary excretion falls below 5 pCi/ liter.

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