| Building
Number/Name: Date prepared: Responsible Contractor: Contact: |
325 June 25, 2002, Updated February 7, 2003 PNNL A. L. Nicholson |
PAST OPERATIONS (Prior to 1988)
Beryllium brought in facility: YES
Form of beryllium: SOLID
Period of beryllium operations (dates): Start: 1960 End: Present
Location(s) in facility that contained beryllium materials: Ceramic Fuels Development Operations (CFDO) Lab and Shop; Lab 417 (possible acid etch in hood sink); Room 522 (cleaning beryllium rings in hood); Room 33 (high temperature furnace); Room 24 (exhaust duct).
Description of beryllium activities: The 325 Building, known as the Radiochemistry Building, was built in 1953 to safely house and handle multi-curie level chemical development with high activity substances. During 1959 to 1960, the High Level Radiochemistry wing was constructed. The building was transferred to PNL in 1987 and is now called the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL). Historic beryllium operations identified include machining and butt welding of pure beryllium in the ceramic fuels development operation in 1960s and beryllium ring storage, acid etching, and quality control in the 1970s. More recent activities include research that, on occasion, may involve small amounts of beryllium.
Building monitoring data summary: Air and/or swipe samples collected in 1961, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 77, and 79. Most swipes were less than 0.005 mg/in2 with a high value of 2.1 mg/in2 (32.6 mg/100 cm2) inside the butt-weld process vacuum chamber prior to cleaning.
Personnel monitoring data summary: General air samples collected during machining in 1960 ranged from <0.005 to 0.18 mg/m3 with approximately half of the samples around 0.1 mg/m3. Two air samples collected in 1968 had reported results of <0.002 and 0.0001 mg/m3. A laboratory hood was decontaminated for beryllium in November 1960. Five general air samples in during the decontamination ranged between 0.001 and 0.008 mg/m3 with a sixth general air sample result of 0.130 mg/m3. Personal air samples collected during the decontamination ranged between 0.001 and 1.32 mg/m3. During the decontamination tasks, personnel wore assault masks.
Specify Engineering/Administrative controls used during operations: Butt welding in the CFDO was performed in a vacuum chamber. A recommendation was made to move an acid etching and cleaning operation that was performed in a sink in the CFDO to a sink in a ventilated hood in Room 417. Gloves were generally worn during procedures. Assault masks were worn during decontamination activities. Lathe work on beryllium in the CFDO lab was on an 8 inch bench lathe inside a hood with a Lucite panel fitted with glove ports and face air velocity past the ends of 150 fpm.
Maximum Estimated Past Be
exposure: SIGNIFICANT through 1980, LOW after 1980
Basis for above
information: Stone and Webster report, publication WHC-MR-0388 and personnel
interviews.
CURRENT OPERATIONS (Since 1988)
Building still present: YES
Beryllium present: YES - CMS Chemical
inventory shows that liquid beryllium standards are present in Labs 302, 405
and 415; beryllium acetate in Lab 405; and beryllium pellets in Lab 55. These are present in laboratory quantities
that are controlled under the Lab Safety Standard.
Current building
occupancy/activity: Ongoing research activities occur in this
facility and beryllium is used on occasion.
2000 Characterization:
Statistical beryllium wipe sampling was conducted in this facility May 3 and 9, 2000 to characterize residual beryllium levels from past operations. All 118 samples taken had less than detectable levels of removable beryllium (<0.1 µg/100 cm2).Maximum Estimated Current Be exposure: LOW
Current Areas of Potential Exposure: The south portion of Room 45 (From between Rooms 30A and 31, to south of Room 35) where the CFDO lab and shop were located may contain beryllium contamination. While there is no removable beryllium in accessible areas of this area, there is the potential for pockets of contamination in inaccessible locations, based on the nature of the operations in the CFDO and the monitoring results at the time. Potential exposures could occur during invasive work such as remodeling and D&D. Work activities that expose interior areas of beryllium hoods or exhaust ductwork from present or past beryllium hoods may have residual beryllium contamination. Current use of dispersible beryllium standards and beryllium compounds may result in contamination of exhaust systems. Wipe sampling is recommended prior to work activities in hoods or associated ductwork where beryllium is or has been used.
Comments, including any additional information needed (specify): 1) Room 522 has been extensively renovated. 2) Lab 417 has been incorporated into Lab 419 so 417 no longer exists. A sink in a hood in Lab 417 was recommended in 1964 for an acid etch and cleaning operation of beryllium parts so the exhaust from this area may be contaminated. 3) The Ceramic Fuels Development Operations lab and shop area was located in what is currently the southern portion of Room 45 from between Rooms 30A and 31 to south of Room 35. Beryllium activities in this area were conducted intermittently from 1960 to 1964.
Basis for above information: Memo 3/20/98, “Monitoring Results – Beryllium” by FL Pfeiffer, PNNL IH Case # 814, 1531 and the CMS Inventory for 325, IH Case # 1653, Sample Event 4084.
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