Development of occupational exposure limits for the Hanford tank farms.

Production of plutonium for the United States' nuclear weapons program from the 1940s to the 1980s generated 53 million gallons of radioactive chemical waste, which is stored in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford site in southeastern Washington State. Recent attempts to begin the retrieval and treatment of these wastes require moving the waste to more modern tanks and result in potential exposure of the workers to unfamiliar odors emanating from headspace in the tanks. Given the unknown risks involved, workers were placed on supplied air respiratory protection.

Effect of method of euthanasia on sperm motility of mature Sprague-Dawley rats.

Euthanasia is one of the most commonly performed procedures in laboratory animal settings. The method of euthanasia may affect experimental results in studies using animals and must be compatible with research objectives including subsequent tissue analyses. Our present study was performed to evaluate the effects of 7 euthanasia methods on sperm motility in mature rats.

Disposition and pharmacokinetics of a lubricant contaminant, 2,6-di-tert-butyl 4-nitrophenol, in grafted human skin.

Disposition and uptake/elimination profiles of topical 2,6-di-t-butyl, 4-nitrophenol (DBNP), the nitrated metabolite of an antioxidant additive of lubricant and hydraulic fluids was quantified in human skin grafted on athymic mice after a single topical 75 microg dose in corn oil. DBNP was quantified throughout the stratum corneum (SC), epidermis (E) and dermis (D) in punch biopsies collected from treated skin 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h after application.

Evaluation of the effect of implanted depleted uranium on male reproductive success, sperm concentration, and sperm velocity.

Depleted uranium (DU) projectiles have been used in battle in Iraq and the Balkans and will continue to be a significant armor-penetrating munition for the US military. As demonstrated in the Persian Gulf War, battle injury from DU projectiles and shrapnel is a possibility, and removal of embedded DU fragments from the body is not always practical because of their location in the body or their small size. Previous studies in rodents have demonstrated that implanted DU mobilizes and translocates to the gonads, and natural uranium may be toxic to spermatazoa and the male reproductive tract.

Disposition of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-nitrophenol (DBNP), a submarine atmosphere contaminant, in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

The phenol 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-nitrophenol (DBNP) is a contaminant found onboard submarines and is formed by the nitration of an antioxidant present in turbine lubricating oil TEP 2190. DBNP has been found on submarine interior surfaces, on eating utensils and dishes, and on the skin of submariners. DBNP exposure is a potential health concern because it is an uncoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.

Assessment of the aquatic and terrestrial toxicity of five biodegradable polymers.

Radiofrequency countermeasures (i.e., chaff) may be released by fighter jets during tactical countermeasures training.

Analysis of rat testicular protein expression following 91-day exposure to JP-8 jet fuel vapor.

We analyzed protein expression in preparations from whole testis in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed for 6 h/d for 91 consecutive days to jet propulsion fuel-8 (JP-8) in the vapor phase (0, 250, 500, or 1000 mg/m(3) +/- 10%), simulating a range of possible human occupational exposures. Whole body inhalation exposures were carefully controlled to eliminate aerosol phase, and subjects were sacrificed within 48 h postexposure. Organ fractions were solubilized and separated via large-scale, high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis, and gel patterns scanned, digitized and processed for statistical analysis.

Percutaneous absorption of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-nitrophenol (DBNP) in isolated perfused porcine skin.

DBNP (2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-nitrophenol) has been reported as a potential contaminant in submarines. This yellow substance forms when lubrication oil mist containing the antioxidant additive 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol passes through an electrostatic precipitator and is nitrated. Percutaneous absorption of 14C-DBNP was assessed in the isolated perfused porcine skin flap (IPPSF).

Exposure assessment and the health of deployed forces.

The risk assessment process is a critical function for military Deployment Toxicology research objectives, emphasizing improved health protection of deployed forces. Reliable risk assessment methodology is essential for decision making related to risk reduction procedures during combat deployment, as well as during routine occupational activities. Such decision making must be based upon quality science that both guides sound judgments in risk characterization and management, and provides necessary health protection tools.

Effect of Navy chaff release on aluminum levels in an area of the Chesapeake Bay.

The U.S. Navy uses aluminized glass chaff as a passive countermeasure for radar-guided threats to aircraft and surface ships.

Airway reactivity response to aged carbon-graphite/epoxy composite material smoke.

Exposure of naïve guinea pigs for a total of 30 min to aged smoke from pyrolysis of 5, 10 and 100 g of carbon-graphite/epoxy-advanced composite material (cgeCM) elicited changes in the ventilation and breathing pattern reminiscent of an acute, asthmatic episode. The severity of these responses was dose related. Although breathing pattern changes were not definitive of stimulation by a single type of respiratory irritant, non-dimensional indices derived from breath structure appeared to be characteristic of bronchoconstriction possibly complicated by CO(2)-stimulated ventilation.

The utilization of risk assessments in tactical command decisions.

Traditional risk assessments (as delineated by regulatory agencies) use health outcome endpoints of interest to society as a whole, and are based on broad assumptions about the demographics of the potentially exposed populations and the routes of exposure. Immediacy of impact is not normally a major consideration. In tactical situations, the commander must balance considerations of short-term health effects against mission accomplishment.