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Analysis of Air-Purifying Respirator (APR) and Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) Cartridge Performance Testing on a Hanford AP Tank Farm Exhauster Slipstream (Volume 1)

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) tested four types of chemical cartridges for use in air-purifying respirators (APR) and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR). These tests were undertaken to determine the period of time that the cartridges would provide adequate performance1 for APRs and PAPRs used to protect workers when exposed to a mixture of Chemicals of Potential Concern (COPC) from vapors exiting the Hanford AP tank farm exhauster slipstream. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers cartridge testing to be a valid approach for establishing cartridge change schedules. Testing commonly is applied in situations where mixtures of COPCs exist and where other approaches, such as manufacturer recommendations and modeling, are less reliable. The tests were designed and conducted to assure measurement and/or control of the key variables OSHA identified as important to estimate the cartridge service life, including temperature, humidity, COPC concentration, breathing rate, and cartridge adsorption capacity. Cartridge testing on a slipstream from the Hanford AP tank exhauster was conducted on March 23-24, 2018. This testing focused on both APR and PAPR cartridges. Previous testing of APR cartridges was conducted on the AP exhauster in June of 2016. However, an AP exhauster upgrade was completed in September 2016. In the most recent testing, slipstream vapors from the new AP exhauster were fed to two respirator cartridge test stands, one for the PAPR respirator cartridges and the other for the APR respirator cartridges. Both the APR and PAPR test stands were developed by WRPS in collaboration with HiLine Engineering (Richland, Washington). Multipurpose APR cartridges—SCOTT 7422-SD1 and SCOTT 7422-SC1 (SCOTT Safety, Monroe, North Carolina)—were assessed on separate days using the APR cartridge test stand. Multipurpose PAPR cartridges—MSA OptiFilter TL (MSA Safety Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and 3M FR-57 (3M Company, Maplewood, Minnesota)—were also tested consecutively over the same two days as the APR cartridge tests, using the PAPR cartridge test stand. Sample media (i.e., sorbent tubes) were used to collect samples of the vapor stream entering and exiting the respirator cartridges, and the samples then were analyzed for COPC concentrations. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was tasked with conducting an independent analysis of the analytical results and making recommendations based on the results for respiratory cartridge performance and service life. The key conclusions from the analysis are described below.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Analysis of Respirator Cartridge Performance Testing on the 702-AZ Primary Exhauster for the Hanford AY/AZ Tank Farms during a Waste-Disturbing Event

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) conducted tests using two types of chemical cartridges for use in air-purifying respirators (APR) to determine the period of time that the cartridges would provide adequate performance1 for APRs used to protect workers when exposed to a mixture of Chemicals of Potential Concern (COPC) from vapors exiting the 702-AZ Primary Exhauster for the Hanford AY-AZ tank farms. Unlike prior cartridge testing on the 702-AZ Primary Exhauster, the recent tests were performed during a waste-disturbing event. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies cartridge testing as a valid approach for establishing a cartridge change schedules. Testing is commonly applied in situations where mixtures of COPCs exist, and where other approaches, such as manufacturer recommendations and modeling, are less reliable. The tests were designed and conducted to assure measurement and/or control of the key variables OSHA identified as important to estimate the cartridge service life, including temperature, humidity, COPC concentration, breathing rate, and cartridge adsorption capacity. Testing was conducted from February 10–11, 2017, on a slipstream from the 702-AZ exhauster fed to a respirator cartridge test stand developed by WRPS in collaboration with HiLine Engineering (Richland, Washington). Multipurpose respirator cartridges, SCOTT 7422-SD1 and SCOTT 7422-SC1 (SCOTT Safety, Monroe, North Carolina), were assessed on separate days. Sample media (sorbent tubes) and canisters (e.g., Summa) sampling were used to collect samples of the vapor stream entering and exiting the respirator cartridge and were subsequently analyzed for COPC concentrations. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was tasked with conducting an independent analysis of the analytical results and making recommendations based on the results for respiratory cartridge performance and service life.

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Assessment of Molybdate Based Corrosion Inhibitor for use at the Savannah River Tank Farm Cooling Water System

The Savannah River Site (SRS) has relied on 51 underground storage tanks, many dating back to the 1950s, to store radioactive liquid waste generated from nuclear processing and radionuclide production. These tanks use carbon steel cooling coils, cooled by soft, acidic water, to dissipate the decayed heat produced by radioactive waste. For decades, following historical industry practices, chromate has been added to the cooling water (~450 ppm at pH 9-11) to effectively inhibit corrosion, ensuring cooling coil longevity. Inspections of failed coils reveal that chromate-treated surfaces are generally well-preserved.

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Iodine Speciation Basis and Gap Analysis for Hanford Tank Farm Inventory and during Processing

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is providing baseline technical support to Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) for the One System River Protection Project (RPP) Integrated Flowsheet team. This report documents the evaluation of the technical bases available to support iodine speciation and distribution within Hanford wastes and subsequent waste streams generated during direct feed low-activity waste (DFLAW) pretreatment operations (specifically, waste retrievals and staging, and particle filtration and cesium decontamination using crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange [in the tank side cesium removal (TSCR) system]. The task performed a literature survey of information related to iodine species in environments analogous to Hanford tank waste and the subsequent waste streams to define a technical basis for the possible iodine speciation in Hanford waste. In doing so it can be determined how likely laboratory studies on iodine speciation in tank waste are to be universally relevant across the Hanford tanks. The task evaluated iodide and iodate as the primary species of interest with a focus on organo-iodine where appropriate.

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Evaluation of Thermolytic Production of Hydrogen from Glycolate and Common Tank Farm Organics in Simulated Waste

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has performed testing to investigate the thermolytic production of hydrogen gas from organic species present in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF). SRNL designed an experimental apparatus to measure the timedependent concentration of hydrogen in the headspace over a reacting mixture of simulated caustic waste media and organic compounds as well as a methodology to calculate a steady-state hydrogen generation rate (HGR) from this data. Special focus was given to glycolate, which is not currently present in CSTF waste but will be contained in the recycle stream from the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) under the upcoming alternate reductant flowsheet.

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Characterization results for the 2020 tank farm 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples

The 2020 annual 2H and 3H Evaporator overhead samples were received at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) on December 22, 2020. The delivered samples were analyzed for concentration of cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), strontium-90 (90 Sr) and iodine-129 ( 129 I) to validate compliance with the Effluent Treatment Project Waste Acceptance Criteria (ETP WAC, Rev. 7). The concentration of all three radionuclides, 137 Cs, 90 Sr, and 129 I, in the 2H Evaporator overhead sample were found to be less than the corresponding ETP WAC limits. Radiochemical analysis of the 3H Evaporator overhead sample indicated a 137 Cs content about an order of magnitude higher than the acceptable threshold value, and 90 Sr and 129 I concentrations within the acceptance limits.

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Characterization Results for the March 2022 Tank Farm 3H Evaporator Overhead Sample

On an annual basis, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) provides 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples to Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) to be analyzed per Section 5.2 of the Effluent Treatment Project (ETP) Waste Compliance Plan (WCP) and the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). This report presents characterization results for the March 2022 3H evaporator overhead sample. The sample was clear and colorless with no visible solids. The results provide measurements for cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), strontium-90 ( 90 Sr), and iodine-129 ( 129 I) with the radionuclide concentration limits specified by the WAC. These analyses were performed on a single sample replicate. A summary of the analytical results for the 3H evaporator overhead sample includes the following. The measured cesium-137 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample is 4.59E+02 dpm/mL which is above the ETP WAC limit of 3.28E+02 dpm/mL. The strontium-90 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample is <2.95E+01 dpm/mL. This is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.76E+02 dpm/mL. The iodine-129 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample is <1.92E-02 dpm/mL. This is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.00E+00 dpm/mL.

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Characterization Results for the April 2022 Tank Farm 2H Evaporator Overhead Sample

On an annual basis, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) provides 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples to Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) to be analyzed per Section 5.2 of the Effluent Treatment Project (ETP) Waste Compliance Plan (WCP) and the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). This report presents characterization results for the April 2022 2H evaporator overhead sample. The sample was clear and colorless with no visible solids. The results provide measurements for cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), strontium-90 ( 90 Sr), and iodine-129 ( 129 I) with the radionuclide concentration limits specified by the WAC.

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Characterization Results for the March 2023 Tank Farm 2H Evaporator Overhead Sample

On an annual basis, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) provides 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples to Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) to be analyzed per Section 5.2 of the Effluent Treatment Project (ETP) Waste Compliance Plan (WCP) and the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). This report presents characterization results for the March 2023 2H evaporator overhead sample. The sample was clear and colorless with no visible solids. The results provide measurements for cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), strontium-90 ( 90 Sr), and iodine-129 ( 129 I) with the radionuclide concentration limits specified by the WAC.

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Characterization Results for the September 2023 Tank Farm 3H Evaporator Overhead Sample

On an annual basis, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) provides 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples to Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) to be analyzed per Section 5.2 of the Effluent Treatment Project (ETP) Waste Compliance Plan (WCP) and the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). This report presents the average characterization results for the September 2023 3H evaporator overhead sample. The sample was clear and colorless with no visible solids. The results provide measurements for cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), strontium-90 ( 90 Sr), and iodine-129 ( 129 I) with the radionuclide concentration limits specified by the WAC. These analyses were performed in duplicate, and all three measured radionuclide concentrations were within ETP WAC limits. A summary of the analytical results for this 3H evaporator overhead sample includes the following: The measured cesium-137 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged 5.70E+01 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.30E+03 dpm/mL. As seen through historical results, Cs-137 continues to present a decreasing activity since 2020. The strontium-90 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged <2.16E00 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.76E+02 dpm/mL. The iodine-129 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged <9.08E-02 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.00E+00 dpm/mL

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Characterization Results for the October 2024 Tank Farm 3H Evaporator Overhead Sample

On an annual basis, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) provides 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples to Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) to be analyzed per Section 5.2 of the Effluent Treatment Project (ETP) Waste Compliance Plan (WCP) and the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). This report presents characterization results for the October 2024 3H evaporator overhead sample. The sample was clear and colorless with no visible solids. The results provide measurements for cesium-137 (137Cs), strontium-90 (90Sr), and iodine-129 (129I) with the radionuclide concentration limits specified by the WAC. These analyses were performed in duplicate, and a summary of the analytical results for this 3H evaporator overhead sample includes the following: The measured cesium-137 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged 6.72E+01 dpm/mL, (3.90E+00 %RSD), which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.30E+03 dpm/mL. The strontium-90 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged <2.72E+00 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.76E+02 dpm/mL. The iodine-129 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged <1.63E-01 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.00E+00 dpm/mL.

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Characterization Results for the August 2025 Tank Farm 2H Evaporator Overhead Sample

On an annual basis, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) provides 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples to Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) to be analyzed per Section 5.2 of the Effluent Treatment Project (ETP) Waste Compliance Plan (WCP) and the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). This report presents the average characterization results for the August 2025 2H evaporator overhead sample. The sample was clear and colorless with no visible solids. The results provide measurements for cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), strontium-90 ( 90 Sr), and iodine-129 ( 129 I) with the radionuclide concentration limits specified by the WAC. These analyses were performed in duplicate, and all three measured radionuclide concentrations were within ETP WAC limits. A summary of the analytical results for this 2H evaporator overhead sample includes the following: The measured cesium-137 activity in the 2H evaporator overhead sample averaged 3.02E+02 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.30E+03 dpm/mL. The strontium-90 activity in the 2H evaporator overhead sample averaged 3.33E+00 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.76E+02 dpm/mL. The iodine-129 activity in the 2H evaporator overhead sample averaged 1.20E-01 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.00E+00 dpm/mL. Although the measurements for Cs-137 and Sr-90 are lower compared to previous years, the results remain within a similar range to past measurements and are well below the WAC limits. Iodine-129 indicates detectable results compared to previous years, which can be attributed to recent salt batch processing trending close to the WAC limit for saltstone production. However, these results are still below the ETP WAC limit.

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Volume Change from Solidification Correlation for Hanford Tank Waste.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Hanford Field Office’s primary mission is to safely and effectively treat Hanford’s tank waste and deliver environmental remediation. Mixed radioactive waste is stored in the underground tanks at the Hanford Site. It was recently estimated that retrieval of the waste in the 200 West Area underground tanks in the SY, S, SX, and U Tank Farms will result in about 41 million gallons of mixed low-level waste (MLLW) (RPP-RPT-65147, Rev. 1). The current plan is to retrieve at least 22 S, SX, and U Farm tanks and pretreat1 to produce pretreated tank waste (PTW) which will be further treated (including solidification /immobilization) for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Land Disposal Restriction (LDR) organics and inorganics before being transferred to an offsite out-of-state facility for disposal (RPP-PLAN-66135, Rev. 2). In addition, solidified PTW from the 200 East Area may also be transferred to an offsite out-of-state facility for disposal to ensure availability of critical Double-Shell Tank space, meet retrieval obligations, and optimize 200 East Area operations.

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Hanford Tank Vapors in Worker Breathing Zones - Source, Dispersion, and Receptor Data - 20373

A wide range of organic and inorganic chemicals from historical Hanford Site processes are now stored in 177 underground storage tanks at the Hanford tank farms. Workers at the Hanford tank farms have expressed concerns about chemical vapor exposures for many years. During the spring of 2014, worker reports of chemical odors and/or symptoms prompted the development of the Savannah River National Laboratory Hanford Tank Vapor Assessment Team (TVAT) and their resulting independent assessment and recommendations concerning tank farm worker reports of vapors. The Tank Vapor Assessment report included a hypothesis that 'vapors coming out of tanks in high concentration (bolus) plumes sporadically intersected with the breathing zones of workers, resulting in brief but intense exposures to some workers.' The focus of this effort is to present current knowledge to describe the mechanisms by which workers may experience short duration vapor concentrations above background in the tank farms environment. The TVAT hypothesis that workers have experienced concentrations approaching 80% of the tank headspace up to 3 meters (10 feet) from tank sources is not supported by sampling data or modeling results. Modeling indicates that concentrations are quickly reduced from the source, and that the upper end of predicted concentrations at worker breathing zones are a factor of 10 or more lower than source concentrations. Area measurements corroborate the fact that worker breathing zone concentrations are 10 to 100 times lower than source concentrations, and events with elevated concentrations are rare. These reduced vapor concentration levels may result in detectable odors or irritation, depending on a worker's specific odor threshold and sensitivity to the chemical species. Short-duration vapor events may be mitigated by evaluating daily atmospheric conditions in conjunction with planned tank farm activities. Monitoring changing conditions related to tank vapors concentrations at the source and within worker breathing zone is also an important step to protect workers from short duration elevated concentration events. (authors)

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Waste Retrieval Enhancements to Achieve Preliminary Cease Waste Removal in Savannah River Site Liquid Waste Tanks 9H and 10H – 25348

The Liquid Waste (LW) contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC). The LW Mission is tasked with processing legacy nuclear waste stored in underground waste tanks for final disposition. The Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF) contain 43 active waste tanks and 8 closed waste tanks between the two tank farms, F-Area Tank Farm (FTF) and H-Area Tank Farm (HTF). The first steps in the Waste Retrieval and Tank Closure (WRTC) process are the waste removal campaigns, consisting of either salt dissolution or sludge mobilization. Two tanks that are rapidly approaching the final closure determination and have demonstrated considerable success with salt dissolution are Tanks 9 and 10. The closure of these tanks is a high priority for the LW Mission due to the greater environmental risk they pose since both tanks reside within the water table and contain active leak sites from the primary tank to the annulus space. Tanks 9 and 10 have each recently completed their respective salt dissolution campaigns and achieved the Preliminary Cease Waste Removal (PCWR) milestone.

Stetson, Jacqueline G.↗