US EPA

1435111 

Journal Article 

In Vivo Radiobioassay and Research Facility 

Lynch, TP 

2011 

Yes 

Health Physics
ISSN: 0017-9078
EISSN: 1538-5159 

100 

2 

S35-S40 

10.1097/HP.0b013e3181edaad2 

WOS:000286169000006 

Bioassay monitoring for intakes of radioactive material is
an essential part of the internal dosimetry program for radiation workers at the Department of
Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site. This monitoring program includes direct measurements of
radionuclides in the body by detecting photons that exit the body and analyses of radionuclides
in excreta samples. The specialized equipment and instrumentation required to make the direct
measurements of radionuclides in the body are located at the In Vivo Radiobioassay and Research
Facility (IVRRF). The construction of the IVRRF was completed in January 1959 and was designed
expressly for the in vivo measurement of radioactive material in Hanford workers. The IVRRF is
located in Richland, WA, in the southeastern corner of the state. Most routine in vivo
measurements are performed annually and special measurements are performed as needed. The primary
source terms at the Hanford Site include fission and activation products (primarily Cs-137 and
Sr-90), uranium, uranium progeny, and transuranic radionuclides. The facility currently houses
five shielded counting systems, men's and women's change rooms, and an instrument maintenance
and repair shop. These systems are used to perform an average of 7,000 measurements annually.
This includes approximately 5,000 whole body measurements analyzed for fission and activation
products and 2,000 lung measurements analyzed for americium and uranium. Various other types of
measurements are performed periodically to estimate activity in wounds, the thyroid, the liver,
and the skeleton. The staff maintains the capability to detect and quantify activity in
essentially any tissue or organ. The in vivo monitoring program that utilizes the facility is
accredited by the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program for direct radiobioassay.
This manuscript provides an overview of the facilities and equipment at the IVRRF and the in vivo
measurement methods used to monitor workers with a potential for an occupational intake of
radioactive material. Health Phys. 100(Supplement 1):S35-S40; 2011 

operational topics; bioassay; detector, radiation; whole body counting