Moderate
Laboratory develops
"colorful" beryllium detection technology
Tammy Taylor of Actinide,
Catalysis and Separations Chemistry (C-SIC), performs a swipe
on a surface potentially contaminated with beryllium. Taylor has
developed a beryllium detection technique using colorimetric analysis
-- comparison of a color change to known standards, similar to
the common litmus test for measuring the pH of a water solution
-- for real-time detection of beryllium contamination on surfaces.
Photo by LeRoy N. Sanchez, Public Affairs
Detecting beryllium on contaminated surfaces may become as
simple as testing the acidity of a swimming pool.
Laboratory scientists in Actinide, Catalysis and Separations Chemistry (C-SIC) have developed a colorimetric analysis -- comparison of a color change to known standards, similar to the common litmus test for measuring the pH of a water solution -- for real-time detection of beryllium contamination on surfaces.
Tammy Taylor, of C-SIC, presented details of the detection method at the 222nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society Thursday in Chicago. Beryllium is widely used in industry and in nuclear weapons applications because of its unique materials properties.
Breathing fine particulate beryllium is a health hazard to workers. Inhaled beryllium triggers an autoimmune response in an estimated 1 to 6 percent of exposed individuals that can result in chronic beryllium disease, a debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. Currently there is no cure for chronic beryllium disease. Consequently, individuals working with beryllium must minimize exposure and establish rigorous housekeeping practices.
Because of its use in nuclear weapons and its growing application in industry, Taylor and Nan Sauer, of C-SIC, became interested in studying the chemical and environmental behavior of beryllium. Taylor and Sauer realized in order to do their research efficiently and with the highest degree of safety they needed to develop a rapid test to assess beryllium contamination.
"When we began working with beryllium in our labs, we wanted to take every safety precaution because of the risks associated with beryllium work," said Taylor, who developed the beryllium swipe technique. "We wanted to develop a quick test to say whether our area was clean and it was safe to perform experiments. The beryllium swipe technique will permit beryllium workers to monitor surfaces in their work environment thoroughly on a regular basis, at minimal expense and without delays or excessive lost work time due to waiting for test results."
The beryllium detection technique involves wiping the surfaces of the lab with a prepared pad and then adding a solution. If the pad turns blue, beryllium is present; if it remains orange, then the surface is free of significant contamination. Keeping workplace surfaces clean helps minimize the potential for worker exposure.
The present method for detecting beryllium in the workplace is costly and time consuming. It may take days or weeks to obtain results of laboratory analysis. In many cases work cannot be performed until results come back indicating beryllium levels are below the acceptable surface contamination limit.
Taylor's beryllium colorimetric test is not meant to replace the existing method that can quantify the amount of beryllium on a surface. However, it does give a worker a quick, qualitative result indicating the effectiveness of housekeeping efforts and contamination control. This method also will cut down on the number of samples sent for costly quantitative analysis.
Gary Whitney of Industrial Hygiene and Safety (ESH-5), who routinely conducts beryllium monitoring, said, "This test has the potential to give us preliminary information very quickly and at low cost. We are in the process of seeing if this could be developed into a more quantitative method and not just a quick screening method. I have conducted some preliminary side-by-side tests using Taylor's technique and the quantitative analytical technique. The initial results look promising."
Preparing the pads and performing the detection test for beryllium are simple tasks. The pads are soaked in two solutions, dried and then used to wipe the potentially contaminated surface. After wiping, the pad is treated with another solution and formation of a blue color indicates beryllium. The whole process takes less than one hour and the materials for each test cost less than a dollar.
"We've conducted this test with a variety of potential interferences like cutting fluids (used in machining metals), mineral oil, common household cleansers and dust to see if they interact with the beryllium and give a false negative," said Taylor. "We've also done the test with other metals that may be present in the machine shops or at beryllium contaminated sites to make sure that the pads don't register false positives."
The beryllium colorimetric test developed at the Laboratory builds upon an earlier beryllium measuring technique developed by Russian scientists.
Beryllium's unique properties make the metal an ideal choice for many industrial applications. It is lighter than aluminum, stiffer than steel, remains solid at high temperatures and can absorb large amounts of heat. Beryllium is used in the aerospace, computer, electronic and nuclear industries.
Department of Energy rules on beryllium have established surface contamination limits for beryllium work areas and equipment. The detection technique developed by Taylor is sensitive enough to allow detection of beryllium on surfaces within established limits. But the technique has applications in any facility involved in beryllium work where surface contamination and potential worker exposure is possible.
--Shelley Thompson
Editor's Note: The message below is from Laboratory Director John Browne.
School's back in session: let's watch our driving
Gen. Gordon and I met recently with Governor Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo and Governor Gutierrez of Santa Clara Pueblo. Both governors pointed out their concerns for traffic safety along NM 30 from Española to Los Alamos. With children returning to school, I would like to remind all employees and subcontract personnel to be especially careful and courteous on their commute to the Lab and returning home on all roads. I know that construction can lead to delays and frustrations, but someone being seriously injured or killed in an auto accident is something that we cannot undo. Imagine the impact on you if such a tragedy involved a member of your family - that thought should emphasize the importance of driving as safely as possible on the highways, on our neighborhood streets and around the Lab worksite.
Students receive scholarships at Laboratory Foundation banquet
Sarahmaria Gomez, right, a recently graduated Santa Fe High School senior, receives her $1,000 Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund scholarship from Al Sattelberger, Chemistry (C) Division director and president of the Laboratory Foundation board of directors, at a luncheon held recently in Santa Fe. The luncheon was part of a day of workshops the Laboratory Foundation hosted for nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and the public interested in learning more about the Laboratory and working with the foundation. Gomez was one of 38 graduating seniors and undergraduate students who received scholarships this year through the Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund. Inset photo, Laboratory Director John Browne spoke at the fifth annual foundation banquet last Saturday in La Fonda Hotel. National Nuclear Security Administration Director Gen. John Gordon was the keynote speaker at the banquet. For more information on the scholarship winners see the May 14 Daily Newsbulletin. Photos by LeRoy N. Sanchez, Public Affairs
Lab student studies pollution generated
by Laboratory commuters
Laboratory commuters, like most Americans, watched gasoline prices soar last spring and into summer. Mitch McBee of Air Quality (ESH-17) watched what was coming out of the backs of those commuters' vehicle exhaust pipes.
McBee, a chemical engineering student from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, studied the amount and types of air pollutants generated by the commuting habits of Lab commuters. The study involved determining the number of employees who commute to work, the average distance of their commutes and the types and ages of vehicles driven.
McBee based his study on the presumption that all Lab workers drove their personal vehicle to and from work, since vehicle pool information was not completely available. To determine the type of vehicles he developed a cross-section based on visits to Lab parking lots. Using that information, he correlated what he found with information from the Environmental Protection Agency. McBee used the combination of the age of the vehicles, speed limits on roads to the Lab and the distances involved to develop emissions information.
McBee said the most surprising finding of the study was that the combined mass of air pollutants generated by Lab commuters is greater than the combined mass of air emissions from industrial-like sources at the Laboratory, which include the power plant, rock crusher, generators and asphalt plant.
This comparison includes carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, incompletely combusted hydrocarbons and various nitrogen- oxide species. The most dramatic example is carbon monoxide, of which more than 158 times as much was produced from vehicle emissions than from regular Lab activities during 2000.
McBee was surprised by some of the other statistics compiled during the study as well. "For example, more than 500,000 miles are driven by Lab commuters each day. This distance is equivalent to about 20 trips around the equator," said McBee. He said that more than $8.8 million is spent on fuel used to travel the more than 118 million miles driven by commuters each year.
McBee also noted the 9/80 modified work schedule has reduced the amount of air pollution by reducing the total number of miles driven. And the large number of sunny days in Los Alamos encourages walking and biking to work by employees who live close to the Lab.
Incentives for carpooling besides reduced air pollution, include less wear on personal vehicles, lower fuel costs per person, new friendships formed through carpools and the special parking spaces that are reserved for carpool users at Technical Area 3.
For more information, write to McBee at mcbee@lanl.gov by electronic mail.
For more information on carpooling to work or other driving alternatives, go to the LANL Commuter's Corner at http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/pa/News/rideshare.html online.
For more information concerning pollution prevention or waste minimization, go to the Environmental Stewardship Office (E-ESO) Web page at http://emeso.lanl.gov online.
UC Laboratory employees should update their mailing address with HR-1
In preparation for this year's open enrollment, Compensation and Benefits (HR-1) reminds University of California Laboratory employees to update their mailing address prior to Friday, Sept. 7.
Addresses for mailings from HR-1 are taken from the employee files on the Labwide system. Each year many UC employees don't receive open enrollment notices, biannual account summaries or other mailings because their mailing addresses are incorrect.
Employees can use a token card to confirm and make changes to their address information online. From the Laboratory home page, go to Computing, then to Enterprise Information Applications. Next, choose Personnel, and at the next screen, go to the Employee Information System and select Personnel Directory. At this point, enter the token card passcode. If any changes are made, employees should click on "Save" before exiting.
UC Lab employees who don't have access to the online system should ask their group administrator to update their record.
For more information, call 7-1806.
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Lost: a
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