Estimating historic exposures at the European Gaseous Diffusion plants

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_AE300AE3F872
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Estimating historic exposures at the European Gaseous Diffusion plants
Journal
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
Author(s)
Guseva Canu Irina, Faust Ségolène, Knieczak Eric, Carles Michel, Samson Eric, Laurier Dominique
ISSN
1618-131X (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1438-4639
Publication state
Published
Issued date
07/2013
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
216
Number
4
Pages
499-507
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Historical Article ; Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
This paper describes the methods and results of an occupational exposure assessment covering 30 years of operation of the EURODIF establishment (1978-2008). The exposure assessment includes radiological, physical and chemical hazards, and takes into account of organizational changes at the establishment. Furthermore, it includes efforts to better quantify the levels of exposures using available industrial hygiene and health physics data. In total, 227 workers participated in the assessment of 26 different occupational exposures in 102 general workstations through 1978-2008. Only 7% of exposure levels were rectified by experts for internal consistency reasons. Noise, heat, trichloroethylene and soluble uranium compounds were the most prevalent exposures at the plant although their levels tended to decrease across time. Assessments of occupational exposure to noise based on JEM exposure levels were fairly well correlated with noise measurement data (Spearman's correlation coefficient, ρ=0.43) while JEM-based assessments of uranium exposure were not well correlated with uranium atmospheric measurements. This study demonstrates the importance of non-radiological exposure in the nuclear fuel industry and highlights the difficulties in managing the risks arising from these exposures. Occupational exposures remain difficult to quantify due to the scarcity of reliable monitoring data and the absence of binding occupational exposure limits for some of considered hazards.

Keywords
Air Pollutants, Occupational/analysis, Air Pollutants, Occupational/history, Carcinogens/analysis, Carcinogens/history, Dust/analysis, Environmental Monitoring, France, History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, Hot Temperature, Humans, Metallurgy/history, Mutagens/analysis, Mutagens/history, Noise, Occupational Exposure/analysis, Occupational Exposure/history, Radiation Dosage, Teratogens/analysis, Teratogens/history, Uranium/analysis, Uranium/history
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
12/09/2017 14:14
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:18
Usage data