The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is a former nuclear weapons facility that fabricated plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons; it is currently being decontaminated and decommissioned for possible industrial use in the future. The weapons production processes exposed workers to plutonium, gamma photons, neutrons, beryllium, asbestos, and several hazardous chemical agents, including chlorinated hydrocarbons and heavy metals. We are using databases developed for cohort mortality studies and a job exposure matrix (JEM) to notify workers of past exposures to toxic chemicals, and to make recommendations for medical screening tests. The JEM includes estimates of exposures to 10 chemical agents in 20 buildings for 120 different job categories for a production history spanning 34 years. With the JEM, we were able to estimate lifetime chemical exposures for about 11,500 of the 15,000 former production workers who are still alive.
With epidemiologic databases, we can clarify past health risks for workers, prioritize medical screening with criteria based on exposure levels and health risks, evaluate and correct our exposure estimates with feedback from ndividual workers, assess results of screening tests based on levels of exposures to specific agents, and assess participation rates based on levels of exposure and other variables associated with work history.
The notification and medical screening effort began in January, 2000. We present preliminary findings for participation rates, accuracy of JEM exposure estimates, and medical findings. We use these data to estimate the resources needed for providing notification and screening to all former workers, and for the cohort stratified by levels of exposure and risk.
Learning Objectives: NA
Keywords: Occupational Exposure, Surveillance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: USDOE
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.