Y-12 Uranium Releases

To evaluate potential harmful effects from radiation exposure in the past, ATSDR calculated the total radiation doses to residents living near the Y-12 plant using the results from the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) Dose Reconstruction of Y-12 Uranium Releases . Using air dispersion modeling, the TDOH report identified the Scarboro community, located within the city of Oak Ridge, as a reference location. The TDOH stated that Scarboro residents would have received the highest exposure from past Y-12 uranium releases and were most suitable for screening both a maximally and typically exposed individual. ATSDR estimated a committed effective dose equivalent (total radiation dose) of 155 millirem (mrem) over 70 years based on exposure to uranium from all the exposure pathways evaluated. This total radiation dose is 32 times less than ATSDR’s radiogenic cancer comparison value of 5,000 mrem over 70 years, which ATSDR believes to be protective of human health. Therefore, ATSDR does not expect harmful health effects to have occurred from radiation exposure to uranium in the past.

Y-12 Basic Information (PDF, 2 MB)
Fact sheet highligths ATSDR's evaluation of potential health effects on Y-12 plant.

Y-12 Technical Summary (PDF, 3 MB)
Fact sheet summaries ATSDR's past and current public health activities on Y-12 plant.

Y-12 Public Health Assessment (01/04)
Complete report of the Y-12 Public health assessment.

Y-12 Public Health Assessment - Community Health Concerns Responses
This takes you to the section of the Y-12 Public Health Assessment that provides ATSDR's responses to community health concerns received in 2003. The concerns and responses are sorted by category (health concerns/general, cancer health effects, noncancer health effects, and health concerns/procedural issues).

Y-12 Public Health Assessment - Public Comment Responses
This takes you to the section of the Y-12 Public Health Assessment that provides ATSDR's responses to public comments received in 2003.

Y-12 Plant Time Line (PDF, 58 KB)
Time line of the major processes, ORR environmental monitoring data, and public health activities at the Y-12 plant.

Uranium ToxFAQs^TM
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about uranium.

Uranium Toxicological Profile
The ATSDR toxicological profile succintly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for uranium.

Uranium Public Health Statement
Summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for uranium.

What is a Public Health Assessment?
An ATSDR Public Health Assessment reviews available information about hazardous substances at a site and evaluates whether exposure to them might cause any harm to people.

Exposure
This fact sheet answers questions about chemical exposures.

A Citizen's Guide to Risk Assessments and Public Health Assessments at Contaminated Sites
Provides an overview of two different assessments commonly performed at hazardous waste sites. These are the risk assessment and the public health assessment; both are required for all sites-commonly referred to as "Superfund" sites-listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) National Priorities List (NPL).

Environmental and Occupational Medical Resources Fact Sheet
Fact sheet on available medical resources to provide guidance to persons seeking medical assistance for an environmentally or occupationally related illness or injury.