Re: 60 Minutes story on Savannah River Laboratory

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

> There were claims of plutonium in the body and urine of at least one worker,
> but no quantitative numbers or units were given.

The only quantification stated was that the one individual received a 
"lifetime" limit based on his internal uptake of plutonium. Then the 
story said that the individual was put back to work in the plutonium 
cell. This doesn't make sense. If the individual received a lifetime 
burden, I expect that he wouldn't be out back to work. Under NRC 
regulations, an individual who receives an internal dose, the 50 year 
committed dose is assumed to take place in the year it was received. 
After the year passes, the individual is once again, permitted to 
receive radiation exposure as an occupational worker. How is this 
treated by DOE?

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Biomedicals, Inc.				E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          
Costa Mesa, CA 92626                                      

Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/scperle
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html