ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Closing the Radiochemistry Workforce Gap : Expanding Laboratory Readiness for Routine and Emergency Analysis
By Royce Riessen , MBA , specialist , Environmental Health and Sarah Wright , MS , manager , Environmental Laboratories
Radiochemistry is a vital yet often overlooked area of public health that detects and quantifies radioactive materials in the environment and in people . These contaminants originate from both natural sources , such as radon and uranium , and man-made isotopes used in nuclear energy , medicine , and industrial applications . The demand to monitor for radiological contaminants may also expand in the future as carbon-free nuclear energy sources are chosen to meet carbon reduction goals . Radioactive contaminants all either emit alpha , beta or gamma radiation , which , respectively , increasingly differ in mass , energy and how deeply they penetrate people and objects . Lifetime cancer risks rise as radiation exposures rise , and high exposures during extreme events can cause acute radiation syndrome , leading to nausea , vomiting and possibly death . State and local public health and environmental laboratories are critical for providing accurate radiation testing to assess these risks in both routine monitoring and emergency situations .
One example of a radiation emergency response occurred in May 2019 at the Harborview Medical Center Research and Training Building in Seattle , WA . A sealed radioactive cesium-137 source typically used for sterilization in medical research was compromised during its decommissioning . The breach released cesium chloride powder , which contaminated the loading dock and multiple buildings , and exposed 13 individuals to the radioactive material . Although no immediate health effects were reported , the radiochemistry group at the Washington State Public Health Laboratories ( WA PHL ) was brought on to analyze over 2,500 air filter and surface wipe samples over the two-year cleanup process to ensure cesium was no longer detectable . This thorough investigation , which quantified gamma and beta radiation using gamma spectrometers and gas flow proportional counters , demonstrated that the contamination primarily affected surfaces and posed no long-term health risk .
Dr . Dustin May ( center ), Environmental Laboratory Manager at the University of Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory , with lab analysts Robert Walters ( left ) and Brandon Duve ( right ) beside their new gas-flow proportional counter , set to be used for alpha / beta counting in next summer ’ s session of the radiochemistry graduate certificate program .
WA PHL did this emergency work in addition to the 1,500 routine monitoring samples they do annually to ensure its residents are not exposed to unacceptable radiation levels . Sources across the state include the Hanford Reservation , a decommissioned nuclear production complex originally created to make plutonium for the US Government ’ s World
War II Manhattan Project ; the Columbia Generating Station , the state ’ s only nuclear power plant ; Naval Base Kitsap , one of a handful of nationwide military sites housing US nuclear weapons ; and various medical and research facilities that handle radioactive materials . Samples , most of which are analyzed for gross alpha , gross beta and gamma radiation , are primarily air filters , but other diverse matrices such as soil , vegetation , groundwater , surface water , agricultural products , milk , fish , game and surface wipes are also tested .
This diverse work demands a unique blend of radiochemistry expertise along with a committed and adaptable workforce . Yet , according to the 2023 APHL All-Hazards Laboratory Preparedness Survey , 91 % ( 20 / 22 ) of the state public health laboratories with the responsibility to perform this testing in 2023 reported the need for additional radiochemists to meet their jurisdiction ’ s public health needs . This one year of statistics , however , is representative of a decades-long shortage of trained radiochemists . To help address this , a new CDC-supported radiochemistry graduate certificate program has been developed by the University of Iowa in partnership with APHL .
The program ’ s goal is to equip students with the background , theory , practical
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state laboratories reported a need for additional radiochemists to meet work needs in 2023 .
Reference :
Littell , V . H . ( 2024 , September 12 ). Expanding the Radiobioassay Emergency Response Capabilities of the LRN-R [ Webinar ]. APHL . https :// learn . aphl . org / learn / course / 399 / session / 73 / laboratory-response-network-101-part-ii-live
22 LAB MATTERS Winter 2024
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