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International audience; A broad variety of methods for measurement error (ME) correction have been developed, but these methods have rarely been applied possibly because their ability to correct ME is poorly understood. We carried out a simulation study to assess the performance of three error-correction methods two variants of regression calibration (the substitution method and the estimation calibration method) and the simulation extrapolation (SIMEX) method. Features of the simulated cohorts were borrowed from the French Uranium Miners' Cohort in which exposure to radon had been documented from 1946 to 1999. In the absence of ME correction, we observed a severe attenuation of the true effect of radon exposure, with a negative relative bias of the order of 60% on the excess relative risk of lung cancer death. In the main scenario considered, that is, when ME characteristics previously determined as most plausible from the French Uranium Miners' Cohort were used both to generate exposure data and to correct for ME at the analysis stage, all three error-correction methods showed a noticeable but partial reduction of the attenuation bias, with a slight advantage for the SIMEX method. However, the performance of the three correction methods highly depended on the accurate determination of the characteristics of ME. In particular, we encountered severe overestimation in some scenarios with the SIMEX method, and we observed lack of correction with the three methods in some other scenarios. For illustration, we also applied and compared the proposed methods on the real data set from the French Uranium Miners' Cohort study. © 2012 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

International audience; Radiation-catalysis is a well-known process leading to H2 production through radiolysis of adsorbed water on oxides. In this article, we show that common, easily accessible, hydroxides can be as much efficient for H2 production as the more efficient oxide identified until now. H2 radiolytic yields were determined from the same nanostructured hydrated samples that differ by their particle size (AlOOH L and AlOOH S for large and small particle size, respectively). The measured yields are of the order of 10−8 mol J−1. It means that such an irradiated material produces more efficiently H2 than an equivalent mass of water. H radicals, trapped electrons (F centers), and related O− centers were identified by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), at room and low temperature. Adsorbed water seems to play a role in the secondary processes of radical recombination, allowing a very efficient H2 production in these systems. This raises interesting questions about the energy transfer mechanism underlying this efficient hydrogen production and provide design lines for the design of efficient radiation-catalytic materials for H2 production.

International audience; In this study, we assessed the efficacy of unilamellar 110-nm liposomes encapsulating the chelating agent diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) in plutonium-exposed rats. Rats were contaminated by intravenous administration of the soluble citrate form of plutonium. The comparative effects of liposomal and free DTPA at similar doses were examined in terms of limitation of alpha activity burden in rats receiving various treatment regimens. Liposomal DTPA given at 1 h after contamination more significantly prevented the accumulation of plutonium in tissues than did free DTPA. Also, when compared to free DTPA, liposome-entrapped DTPA was more efficient when given at late times for mobilization of deposited plutonium. In addition, repeated injections of liposomal DTPA further improved the removal of plutonium compared to single injection. Various possible mechanisms of action for DTPA delivered through liposomes are discussed. The advantage of liposomal DTPA over free DTPA was undoubtedly directly and indirectly due to the better cell penetration of DTPA when loaded within liposomes, mainly in the tissues of the mononuclear phagocytic system. The decorporation induced by liposomal DTPA may result first from intracellular chelation of plutonium deposited in soft tissues, predominantly in the liver. Afterwards, the slow release of free DTPA molecules from these same tissues may enable a sustained action of DTPA, probably mainly by extracellular chelation of plutonium available on bone surfaces. In conclusion, decorporation of plutonium can be significantly improved by liposomal encapsulation of DTPA regardless of the treatment regimen applied.

International audience; The thermal decomposition of uranyl peroxide tetrahydrate, (UO2)O2(H2O)2·2H2O, was studied by combining high temperature powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analyses and spectroscopic techniques (Raman, IR and 1H NMR). In situ analyses reveal that intermediates and final uranium oxides obtained upon heating are different from that obtained after cooling at room temperature and that the uranyl precursor used to synthesize (UO2)O2(H2O)2·2H2O, sulfate or nitrate, has a strong influence on the peroxide thermal behavior and morphology. The decomposition of (UO2)O2(H2O)2·2H2O ex sulfate is pseudomorphic and leads to needle-like shaped particles of metastudtite, (UO2)O2(H2O)2, and UO3-x(OH)2x·zH2O, an amorphous phase found in air in the following of (UO2)O2(H2O)2 dehydration. (UO2)O2(H2O)2·2H2O and the compounds resulting from its thermal decomposition are very reactive towards hydrofluorination as long as their needle-like morphology is kept.

International audience; Uranium dioxide containing 3 mol.% platinum group metals (PGMs) (Ru, Rh, Pd) was synthesized by hydroxide precipitation. The powders were converted to oxides, pelletized and sintered to prepare dense pellets of UO 2 incorporating PGMs particles. The characterization techniques performed revealed a microstructure similar to that of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Dissolution tests in nitric acid demonstrated that in the presence of PGMs, the uranium dissolution rate was increased and the induction period was shortened. We used a new method based on the acquisition of Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) micrographs recorded at three tilt angles and at different dissolution times. This method allowed the reconstruction of the topography of the solid/liquid interface. By monitoring the evolution of the solid/liquid interface during dissolution by means of 3D reconstructions, we were able to observe preferential dissolution zones in the vicinity of the PGMs particles and to determine microscopic dissolution rates for several regions of interest. PGMs particles were found mainly at the grain boundaries. In 0.1 M HNO 3 solution at 60˚C, the normalized dissolution rate for uranium at the grain boundaries reached R L (U) = (7 ± 1)×10-2 g.m-2 .d-1 , a value similar to the normalized dissolution rate determined for the whole image over the first 30 days of the experiment. This result showed that the dissolution occurred mainly at the UO 2 grain boundaries in the vicinity of PGMs particles. Furthermore, the 3D reconstructions of the solid/liquid interface were used to determine the evolution of the surface area of the pellet. By combining the weight losses determined at the macroscopic scale using the uranium concentrations in solution with the reactive surface area values, it was possible to estimate an effective normalized dissolution rate for the whole pellet.

Samples of butanal oxime in aqueous solution have been irradiated with the helion ( 4 He 2+ ) beam of the ARRONAX (Nantes) and the CEMHTI (Orleans) cyclotrons. The consumption yield of butanal oxime has been measured by gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Yields of gaseous products (mainly H 2 ) have also been measured by micro-gas-chromatography. Butanal oxime can react with H ∙ radicals by abstraction mechanism to enhance H 2 production. Yields of liquid phase products (hydrogen peroxide and nitrite ion) have been measured by colorimetric methods. Butanal oxime acts as a scavenger of OH ∙ radical to inhibit the production of H 2 O 2 . The observation of the radiolytic products allows then to discuss a degradation mechanism of butanal oxime in aqueous solutions.

International audience; External lubrication is often used to complete compaction process of powder materials. The main goal of this method is generally to reduce the amount of admixed internal lubricant (Zinc stearate powder) within the raw material. The application of external lubricants enhances the density uniformity and the mechanical strength of the resulting compacts. This study investigates the effects of the external lubricant amount for UO$_2$ powder compaction and the properties of the corresponding green pellets (corresponding to the compacts before sintering) without any admixed lubricant in the raw powder in order to evaluate the feasibility of this route in the case of nuclear powder. Results show that there is a quantity or number of layers from which the external lubricant applied on the die wall becomes detrimental to the friction index and the ejection force measured during the pressing cycle. The quality (surface defects, mechanical strength) of the green pellets can also be affected by the amount of lubricant. Thus the quantity and the thickness of the die wall lubricant must be optimized in order to assure an efficient mixed lubrication mode corresponding to the better lubrication mode in our study case.

International audience; The present article reviews a selection of results obtained in the AREVA/CNRS/UCA joint research laboratory. It focuses on interfaces formed by uranium hexafluoride (UF6) with chemical filter (purification), carbon (UF6 storage), and metallic substrate (corrosion). As a matter of fact, along the nuclear fuel cycle, metallic surfaces of the fluorination reactors, cooling systems (for the liquefaction of UF6), and storage containers are in contact with UF6, either in the gas or in the liquid phase. For the removal of volatile impurities before the enrichment, surface of chemical filters with a high specific surface area must be enhanced for both selectivity and efficiency. To store depleted UF6 (238U), graphite intercalation compounds are proposed and preliminary results are presented.

International audience; UO2 pellets were prepared by densification of oxides obtained from the conversion of the oxalate precursor. Then characterized in order to perform a multiparametric study of the dissolution in nitric acid medium. In this frame, for each sample, the densification rate, the grain size and the specific surface area of the prepared pellets were determined prior to the final dissolution experiments. By varying the concentration of the nitric acid solution and temperature, three different and successive steps were identified during the dissolution. Under the less aggressive conditions considered, a first transient step corresponding to the dissolution of the most reactive phases was observed at the solid/solution interface. Then, for all the tested conditions, a steady state step was established during which the normalised dissolution rate was found to be constant. It was followed by a third step characterized by a strong and continuous increase of the normalised dissolution rate. The duration of the steady state, also called “induction period”, was found to vary drastically as a function of the HNO3 concentration and temperature. However, independently of the conditions, this steady state step stopped at almost similar dissolved material weight loss and dissolved uranium concentration. During the induction period, no important evolution of the topology of the solid/liquid interface was evidenced authorizing the use of the starting reactive specific surface area to evaluate the normalised dissolution rates thus the chemical durability of the sintered pellets. From the multiparametric study of UO2 dissolution proposed, oxidation of U(IV) to U(VI) by nitrate ions at the solid/liquid interface constitutes the limiting step in the overall dissolution mechanism associated to this induction period.

Samples of butanal oxime in aqueous nitric acid solutions have been irradiated with the helium ion (4He2+) beam of the CEMHTI (Orleans, France) cyclotrons. The consumption yield of butanal oxime has been measured by gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Gaseous products (mainly H2 and N2O) have also been monitored by micro gas-chromatography. Yields of liquid phase products (hydrogen peroxide and nitrous acid) have been determined by colorimetric methods. The influence of nitric acid on the radiation chemical behavior of butanal oxime depends on the nitric acid concentration. For a low concentration (≤0.5 mol L-1) butanal oxime is protected by the nitrate ions which can efficiently scavenge the water radiolysis radicals. For higher concentrations, nitrous acid can accumulate in the medium, therefore leading to a strong increase of the butanal oxime degradation. The associated mechanism is an auto-catalytic oxidation of butanal oxime by HNO2.

Ruthenium extraction by tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) from nitric acid was studied and modelled in the conditions of the PUREX process. Experimental distribution ratios obtained for water, nitric acid and ruthenium were described with a physicochemical model based on the application of the mass action law on each extraction equilibrium and by taking into account deviations from thermodynamic ideal behaviour both in aqueous and organic phase using Mikulin and Sergievskii-Dannus equations. The best agreement between experimental and calculated ruthenium extraction isotherms was obtained by considering the formation of two complexes TBP 2 RuNO ( N O 3 ) 3 ( H 2 O ) 2 and TBP 3 RuNO ( N O 3 ) 3 ( H 2 O ) 2 in organic phase. This model was implemented in the CEA-AREVA PAREX process simulation code and used to simulate ruthenium behaviour in a counter-current PUREX hot test performed in mixer-settlers.

Magnesium alloys (Mg-0.5%Zr and Mg-1.2%Mn) and graphite from spent nuclear fuel that has been used in the former French gas cooled reactors, have been stored together in AREVA La Hague plant. The recovery and packaging of these wastes is currently studied and several solutions are under consideration. One of the developed solutions would be to mix these wastes in a grout composed of industrially available cement, e.g. OPC, OPC blended with blast furnace slag or aluminous cement. Within the alkaline pore solution of these matrixes, magnesium alloys are imperfectly protected by a layer of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2, Brucite) resulting in a slow process of corrosion releasing hydrogen. As the production of this gas must be considered for the storage safety, and the quality of wasteform, it is important to select a cement matrix capable of lowering the corrosion kinetics of magnesium alloys. This is especially true when magnesium alloys are conditioned together with graphite wastes. Indeed, galvanic coupling phenomena may increase early age corrosion of the mixed wastes, as magnesium and graphite will be found in electrical contact in the same electrolyte. Many types of cements have been tested and most of them have caused strong hydrogen production when magnesium alloys and graphite are conditioned together into such cement pastes. Exceptions are geopolymer binder which is already known for that and another binder based on alkali hydroxide activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (AHABFS) which is presented in the present article. First are presented hydrogen production experiments that demonstrate the efficiency of AHABFS towards reduction of corrosion of Mg alloys embedded. In a second part, a formulation of fluid mortar based on this binder is proposed.

International audience; Fluorine is produced from electrolysis of KF/HF mixtures at around 95°C. In the cell configuration, carbon anodes are screwed onto a copper busbar. Much attention has been paid to the stability of copper since the corrosion and re-deposition of this metal on the cathodes is one of the main factors (side reaction) which limit the production yield of fluorine gas, the lifetime of the cells and the development of new electrolyzers. Therefore, in the frame of this study, various experiments were carried out to determine the corrosion rate of copper for a wide range of HF ratio and temperature. A statistics approach of the electrochemical data allowed us to predict the corrosion rate for many the operating conditions. At OCV, copper shows a good corrosion resistance even for high HF ratios. However, under a 6 V anodic polarization, copper corrosion rate raises drastically with an increase of the temperature and / or the HF ratio. Characterization techniques have shown that only a thin copper fluoride layer has been detected on copper at OCV. By contrast, two types of copper fluorides were evidenced at the electrode surface (CuF2 and KCuF3) when a potential was applied to Cu. Under anodic polarization, a thin CuF2 layer is formed at the copper surface whereas KCuF3 is detected at on the electrode surface resulting from the precipitation of Cu2+. For a better interpretation of the results, erosion-corrosion phenomenon issued from the fluorine bubbles impacts and electrolyte movements has been highlighted by weight losses of copper pieces. The breakdown of the passivation layer on copper and the exposition of the surface to the corrosive medium imply a quicker degradation of the metallic pieces.

International audience; The presence of different chemical groups in methylene containing polymers can lead to very different behaviors under ionizing radiation. To better understand the effect of these groups on gas production under gamma-irradiation, especially on hydrogen formation, and to study the efficiency of energy transfer between chemical groups, several methylene containing polymers with different controlled group concentrations were studied in inert atmosphere. We analyzed the influence of the nature and position of the chemical group using methylene containing copolymers with aliphatic side-chains (different lengths), ester groups in the side-chains (different concentrations) and ester groups in the polymer backbone (different concentrations). Radiation chemical yields of H-2, CO, CO2 and CH4 were determined at room temperature by high resolution mass spectrometry. On the basis of these results, we attempt to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved. It can be observed that crystallinity and aliphatic side-chain have no effect on hydrogen formation. On contrary, esters on side-chain and in the backbone have an important influence on hydrogen formation, with the most important effect when esters groups are in the backbone. In these two kind of materials, energy fraction transferred from methylene to ester groups has been quantified and only 10 wt% (or less) of ester groups are sufficient to protect effectively the aliphatic moiety.

International audience; In the context of the geological nuclear waste storage, water-soluble products of an industrial poly(ester urethane) are investigated. This polymer was radio-oxidized up to 10 MGy with gamma rays under air at room temperature. The unirradiated and irradiated materials were hydrolyzed for 28 days at 60 C in pure water (MilliQ water). The solutions were characterized using different analytical tools (total organic carbon analyzer, ionic chromatography, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry). From 11 to 30 per cent of the water-soluble molecules present in the solutions have been quantified. Most of molecules identified are esters, alcohols, carboxylic acids, diols and ketones. Mechanisms were deduced from the detected molecules. It was observed that the irradiated material was about 70 times more sensitive to hydrolysis than the unirradiated one.

International audience; This study demonstrates the ability of ammonium uranyl peroxide nanoclusters U32R-NH4 to undergo exchange in between NH4+ and trivalent (Nd3+) or tetravalent (Th4+) cations in the solid state. It paves the way for new promising routes for the synthesis of mixed uranyl peroxides. The exchange ability may also be considered for solution decontamination and synthesis of new mixed actinide-oxide precursors. Both of these applications could be used in the nuclear industry.

International audience; Hydrated zirconium molybdate is a precipitate formed during the process of spent nuclear fuel dissolution. In order to study the radiation stability of this material, we performed gamma and electron irradiation in a dose range of 10–100 kGy. XRD patterns showed that the crystalline structure is not affected by irradiation. However, the yellow original sample exhibits a blue–grey color after exposure. The resulting samples were analyzed by means of EPR and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Two sites for trapped electrons were evidenced leading to a d1 configuration responsible for the observed coloration. Moreover, a third defect corresponding to a hole trapped on oxygen was observed after electron irradiation at low temperature.

International audience; The IGA code (a French acronym standing for actinides gamma isotopy) is a tool developed by the CEA LIST to determine the isotopic composition of plutonium and uranium, based on the automatic analysis of the γ/X spectrum emitted by a nuclear sample. Its main feature is its generic approach of the problem. As a consequence, the IGA code is a very flexible tool, because no particular experimental setup is imposed to the user for the acquisitions, in terms of energy range, gain, channel number or detector resolution. However, these experimental conditions can have an impact on the quality of the results. So, a study has been carried out to evaluate the effect of different experimental parameters on the IGA performances for plutonium spectra and quantify these performances. The study has been led according to three different approaches: analysis of IGA results on a whole spectrum database coming from French laboratories, analysis on artificially modified spectra, and finally analysis of results on new real spectra acquired in the laboratory on certified samples.

The flexibility of the ammonium ion environment is suitable for inducing the formation of several uranyl peroxides and peroxo-oxalates. For a given concentration of uranium and various oxalate/uranium ratios, by varying the pH with ammonium hydroxide, crystals of eight compounds have been isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction, in addition to the studtite (UO2)(O2)·4H2O. All the compounds contain anionic uranyl polyhedra clusters with charge compensated by ammonium ions. Three are uranyl peroxides built from uranyl hexagonal bipyramids [(UO2)(O2)3]4– or [(UO2)(O2)2(OH)2]4– sharing peroxide or dihydroxyl equatorial edges to form cage clusters [(UO2)28(O2)42]28– (U28) and [(UO2)44(O2)66]44– (U44) in 7 and 3 respectively, or crown-shaped cluster [(UO2)32(O2(OH)2)52]40– (U32R) in 2. In these uranyl peroxides the pentagonal and hexagonal uranyl polyhedra rings are stabilized by ammonium ions. The other five compounds are uranyl peroxo-oxalates with various condensations of uranyl hexagonal bipyramids:...

International audience; Objectives Until recently, enrichment of uranium for civil and military purposes in France was carried out by gaseous diffusion using rapidly soluble uranium compounds. We analysed the relationship between exposure to soluble uranium compounds and exposure to external γ-radiation and mortality in a cohort of 4688 French uranium enrichment workers who were employed between 1964 and 2006. Methods Data on individual annual exposure to radiological and non-radiological hazards were collected for workers of the AREVA NC, CEA and Eurodif uranium enrichment plants from job-exposure matrixes and external dosimetry records, differentiating between natural, enriched and depleted uranium. Cause-specific mortality was compared with the French general population via standardised mortality ratios (SMR), and was analysed via Poisson regression using log-linear and linear excess relative risk models. Results Over the period of follow-up, 131 161 personyears at risk were accrued and 21% of the subjects had died. A strong healthy worker effect was observed all causes SMR=0.69, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.74. SMR for pleural cancer was significantly increased (2.3, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.4), but was only based on nine cases. Internal uranium and external γ-radiation exposures were not significantly associated with any cause of mortality. Conclusions This is the first study of French uranium enrichment workers. Although limited in statistical power, further follow-up of this cohort, estimation of internal uranium doses and pooling with similar cohorts should elucidate potential risks associated with exposure to soluble uranium compounds.

International audience; This article draws a state of knowledge of the dissolution of uranium dioxide in nitric acid media. The chemistry of the reaction is first investigated, and two reactions appear as most suitable to describe the mechanism, leading to the formation of monoxide and dioxide nitrogen as reaction by-products, while the oxidation mechanism is shown to happen before solubilization. The solid aspect of the reaction is also investigated: manufacturing conditions have an impact on dissolution kinetics, and the non-uniform attack at the surface of the solid results in the appearing of pits and cracks. Last, the existence of an autocatalytic mechanism is questionned. The second part of this article presents a compilation of the impacts of several physico-chemical parameters on the dissolution rates. Even though these measurements have been undertaken under a broad variety of conditions, and that the rate determining step of the reaction is usually not specified, general trends are drawn from these results. Finally, it appears that several key points of knowledge still have to be clarified concerning the dissolution of uranium dioxide in nitric acid media, and that the macroscopic scale which has been used in most studies is probably not suitable.

The thickness and fat fraction of the chest wall are important parameters for in vivo lung monitoring. They have been measured from ultrasonic images on 374 male workers of the French nuclear industry using four measurement locations, as dictated by the size and position of the germanium detectors used for monitoring. The plastic muscle equivalent chest wall thickness (PMECWT) and the plastic 50% muscle-50% adipose equivalent chest wall thickness (X 5050) have been calculated for each worker at 17, 59.5, and 185.7 keV, respectively. Multi-linear regression models have been tested to predict PMECWT and X5050 as a function of anthropometric measurements. Finally, it was considered whether the average chest wall thickness could be used instead of the material equivalent chest wall thickness. It was found that the mean chest wall thickness was (27 ± 5) mm and the mean fat fraction was (25 ± 8)%. The best and more convenient model for material equivalent chest wall thickness is a linear function of the body mass index. Depending on the energy, the standard errors of estimate for this model range between 3.2-3.4 mm for PMECWT and between 3.2-3.7 mm for X5050. At 59.5 and 185.7 keV, it was determined, to an excellent approximation, that the fat fraction and consideration of an equivalent material are unnecessary, contrary to the case at 17 keV. Copyright © 2014 Health Physics Society.

Despite lithium's extensive clinical applications, the cellular and molecular basis for the therapeutic effects remains to be elucidated. The large difference in mass between the two lithium isotopes ((6)Li and (7)Li) has prompted biochemists to explore the metabolism of Li by using pure (6)Li and (7)Li labeled drugs. However, experiments were carried out at very high Li concentrations, which did not reflect natural conditions. In the present study, we consider, for the first time, the natural variations of the (7)Li/(6)Li ratio in the organs and body fluids of an animal model, sheep. Each organ seems to be characterized by a specific Li isotope composition. So far, the range of the (7)Li/(6)Li ratio in the sheep body, expressed as δ permil variations relative to the L-SVEC standard (δ(7)Li), is about 40‰, between muscles (∼40‰) and kidney (∼0‰). Relative to a dietary δ(7)Li value of ∼+17‰, serum, red blood cells, muscle, liver, brain and kidney have a (7)Li enrichment of -12‰, -14‰, +22‰, +5‰, -3‰ and -15‰, respectively. The Li isotope composition is likely to be fractionated during intestinal absorption, with a greater absorption of (6)Li relative to (7)Li. According to previous conclusions obtained with (6)Li and (7)Li labeled chemicals, (6)Li appears to diffuse into erythrocytes faster than does (7)Li. However, this does not hold for myocytes and hepatocytes, because these two tissues have a higher δ(7)Li level than serum. Purely diffusive isotopic fractionation would leave all organs (7)Li-depleted relative to the serum, which is not the case, suggesting that active, molecule-specific, isotopic fractionation occurs in the body. Our preliminary results suggest that natural Li isotope variations can shed light on its regulation in the body, being active or passive.

International audience; In the processing of uranium ores, the uranium is recovered from mill leach solutions by precipitation as yellow cake concentrates. Among the different existing processes, the continuous precipitation with hydrogen peroxide in a fluidized bed leads to high-quality solid particles. This paper deals with the determination of the crystal growth mechanism and the kinetic parameters. An experimental study is performed in a stirred batch reactor over a wide range of experimental conditions. The experimental method adapted to the uranium peroxide crystal growth study consists of following hydrogen ion concentration. In order to determine the kinetic parameters, a solubility model has been developed and the calculation of the supersaturation ratio is developed in this article. The deviation from ideality is taken into account and the activity coefficients are calculated by the Specific Interaction Theory. This article gives the results obtained for the uranium peroxide solubility, the supersaturation ratio calculation and crystal growth kinetic law. The treatment of the experimental data shows that the crystal growth rate corresponds to the dislocation mechanism.

cited By 3; This study focuses on particles produced during laser ablation of a green colored acrylic wall paint, which is frequently used in industrial buildings and in particular in nuclear installations. Ablation is carried out with a Nd: YAG laser at a wavelength of 532 nm and a pulse duration of 5 ns, in a cell at ambient pressure and temperature, which is ventilated by filtered air. The number of particles emitted was measured with a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) and their size with an Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer (or EEPS) for the nanometric range, and an AEROSIZER (for the micrometric range). The mass and shape of particles were determined by sampling on filters as well as on the different impaction plates of a Low-Pressure Impactor (LPI). Two particle populations were detected: a population of aggregates of primary nanoparticles with an electrical mobility diameter ranging from 30 to 150 nm, and a population of spherical submicron particles with an aerodynamic diameter ranging from 400 to 1000 nm. The spherical particles are mainly composed of titanium dioxide, and the aggregates most likely of carbon. The presence of two types of particles with different size distributions, shapes, and chemical compositions, implies that particles originating from the ablation of paint are formed by two different mechanisms: agglomeration in the case of the nanometric aggregates, which is preceded by steps of nucleation, condensation, and coagulation of the primary particles, while the submicron spheres result from a direct ejection mechanism. Copyright © American Association for Aerosol Research.

This case-control study nested in the French cohort of uranium miners provides an opportunity to take account of silicosis and smoking in the assessment of the relation between radon and lung cancer. The study includes 100 miners who died of lung cancer and 500 matched controls born within the same period of birth and of the same age at the time of death of the matching case. Data on radon exposure are obtained from individual monitoring of the miners, and data on smoking come from medical records and interviews. To identify cases of silicosis among the 600 miners surveyed, appraisals carried out as part of the compensation process for occupational diseases are used. Statistical analyses are based on a conditional logistic regression, and the linear model for excess relative risk was used to model the risk of death due to lung cancer according to cumulative radon exposure. The percentage of missing data on silicotic status is less than 20%. The study reveals a significant association between the relative risk of lung cancer and silicosis (ORsilicosis = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.4-8.9), and the relation between radon and lung cancer persists after adjusting for smoking and silicotic status (ERRradon per WLM = 1.0%; 95% CI: 0.1-3.5%). Radon, cigarette smoking and silicotic status appear to be three factors that each have a specific effect on the risk of lung cancer. This study reminds us of the complexity involved in assessing occupational risks in the case of multiple sources of exposure. Copyright © 2009 Health Physics Society.

Retrospective estimates of internal doses received by workers in the nuclear industry following intake of radionuclides, based on bioassay data, are a benchmark method in epidemiological studies. Nonetheless, full information relative to thousands of people included in an epidemiological cohort is rarely available, thus implying difficulties to estimate exposure precisely. To evaluate the cumulative exposure to uranium in a cohort of the AREVA NC Pierrelatte plant workers, we compared the epidemiological Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) method with the dosimetric method based on biological monitoring of exposure for 30 workers randomly selected within the cohort. A moderate to strong correlation was observed between the estimators resulting from the two approaches, thereby validating the JEM as a tool that can be used to characterise cumulative exposure to uranium in the cohort. In addition, this study showed that the JEM is a valuable complement to the interpretation of bioassy, (1) in providing information on exposure periods as well as on physical and chemical form of the radionuclides and (2) in compensating for the lack of exposure data regarding the very earliest periods. Combining the two methods may improve the precision in reconstructing cumulative exposure for epidemiological studies. © 2010 Elsevier GmbH.

International audience; This study presents the pattern of exposure to uranium and other occupational pollutants known to be potentially carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic and used at the main uranium conversion plant in France. For different uranium compounds specified according to their solubility and purity, and 16 other categories of pollutants: chemicals, fibres, vapours, dust, and heat a time- and plant-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) was created covering the period 1960-2006. For 73 jobs and for each pollutant the amount and frequency of exposure were assessed on a four-level scale by different time periods. The JEM shows 73% sensitivity and 83% specificity. Although exposure assessment was semi-quantitative, the JEM allows computing of individual cumulative exposure score for each pollutant across time. Despite the predominant natural uranium compounds exposure, the amount of exposure to other pollutants such as TCE and other chlorinated products, asbestos, and fibres, is important at the plant. Numerous correlations detected between uranium compounds exposure and exposure to chemicals warrants improving biological monitoring of exposed workers and accounting for associated exposures in epidemiological studies. Results of this study will be used for further investigation of association between exposure and mortality among uranium conversion workers cohort.

In the 1980s a series of the Haut Taux de Combustion (HTC) critical experiments with fuel pins in a water-moderated lattice was conducted at the Apparatus B experimental facility in Valduc (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, France) with the support of the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire and AREVA NC. Four series of experiments were designed to assess profit associated with actinide-only burnup credit in the criticality safety evaluation for fuel handling, pool storage, and spent-fuel cask conditions. The HTC rods, specifically fabricated for the experiments, simulated typical pressurized water reactor uranium oxide spent fuel that had an initial enrichment of 4.5 wt% 235 U and was burned to 37.5 GWd/tonne U. The configurations have been modeled with the CRISTAL criticality package and SCALE 5.1 code system. Sensitivity/uncertainty analysis has been employed to evaluate the HTC experiments and to study their applicability for validation of burnup credit calculations. This paper presents the experimental program, the principal results of the experiment evaluation, and modeling. The HTC data applicability to burnup credit validation is demonstrated with an example of spent-fuel storage models.

Radon is classified as a known pulmonary carcinogen in humans. A better understanding of the effects of low exposure and time-dependent factors, modifying the lung cancer risk is of continued interest. We present analyses of the exposure-risk relationship in the French cohort of uranium miners updated until 1999 and including five additional years of follow-up. These new analyses provide a better opportunity to look at low radon exposures with longer follow-up intervals, and allow consideration of new modifying factors, such as physical activity, mine location and job type. The cohort includes 5,086 miners, and 159 lung cancer deaths have been observed among these over a follow-up of more than 30 years. The exposure-risk relationship was estimated using excess relative risk models, which allow investigation of several modifying factors such as period of exposure, time since exposure, age at exposure, duration of exposure, exposure rate, job type, mine type and physical activity. The analysis confirms the association between radon exposure and lung cancer risk (ERR per 100 WLM = 0.58, P < 0.01). Period of exposure and physical activity appear as major modifying factors. Higher risks are observed for hard physical activity works. The effect of hard physical activity persists when the period of exposure is taken into account (ERR per 100 WLM = 2.95, P < 0.01). © 2008 Springer-Verlag.