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Depleted Uranium Awareness Training: Jefferson Proving Ground

Learn how to respond safely to depleted uranium exposure at Jefferson Proving Ground. Identify protective measures and routes of exposure.

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Depleted Uranium Awareness Training: Jefferson Proving Ground

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  1. Depleted Uranium General Awareness Training JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  2. Learning Objectives: At the completion of this lesson, you will • Be able to respond safely and effectively to depleted uranium (DU) on the Jefferson Proving Ground • Initiate communications with the JPG Fish and Wildlife Service office JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  3. Learning Objectives, cont.: • Recognize when additional protective measures are in order to keep exposures as low as reasonably achievable JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  4. DU Composition: Depleted uranium (DU) is • a heavy metal, almost twice as dense as lead • produced by refining and processing natural uranium • 40% less radioactive than natural uranium JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  5. Radioisotopes of Depleted Uranium • Uranium-234 Half Life is 247,000 yrs. • Uranium-235 Half Life is 710,000,000 yrs. • Uranium-238 Half Life is 4,500,000,000 yrs. JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  6. Routes of Exposure: Regulatory safety standards may potentially be exceeded if DU is internalized into the human body: • Accidental inhalation. Example: when near actively burning fires that involve DU contamination areas JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  7. Routes of Exposure: • Regulatory safety standards may potentially be exceeded if DU is internalized into the human body: • Accidental ingestion. For example, if contaminated vegetation is consumed • Accidental contamination of wound with DU JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  8. Operational Guidance: • Personnel exposure to DU is not expected as long as the penetrators are not handled or disturbed in any way • Avoid known sites of DU contamination JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  9. Operational Guidance • When finding a penetrator or parts of a penetrator, leave the penetrator alone and notify the NFWS Office of its location • When near actively burning fires that involve the restricted area, stay at least 50 meters away JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  10. Operational Guidance: • If a person is inadvertantly exposed to a DU fragment while in the wildlife refuge notify the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge Telephone (812) 273-0783 JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  11. Questions? JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  12. Size of Contaminated Areas Amount of DU in Each Area(Mixed with UXO) JPG: 70,000 kilograms (77 tons) located within approximately 2000 acres JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  13. JPG Background Information DU Operational Guidance and Conclusions JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  14. Jefferson Proving Ground DU AREA JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  15. JPG Impact Area Spent DU Penetrators JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  16. UXO Vegetation Impedes Recovery in Impact Areas. (Area Shown at JPG.) Personnel are Exposed to UXO Hazards. DU JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  17. DU PENETRATOR IN JPG IMPACT AREA JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  18. Potential Health Risks • Models, developed by National Laboratories, using Environmental Radiological Monitoring data show no significant potential health risks JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  19. Conclusions • Soil contamination in limited areas is above NRC guidelines for unrestricted use • Monitoring to date indicates minimal DU migration • More study is needed to determine how DU behaves in the environment JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

  20. Health Risk Conclusion • Groundwater at JPG was analyzed; no DU was detected. • While there are no data that can be used directly to establish human cancer risk to low level radiation. • There is general agreement that radiation exposure models do not underestimate the risk. • Source:Health and Environmental Consequences of Depleted Uranium Use in the Army:Technical Report, U.S. Army Environmental Policy Institute, June 1995. JPG TRNG 5-8 June 2000

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