Radiological Decontamination of Litter-Bound Patients in Arctic Environments: Airborne Exposure Risks and the use of Fixants to Reduce Aerosolization

1648 

Student Poster 

M Clark¹, J Slagley²

¹Air Force Institute Of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, ²Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT/ENV), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

Malachijah Clark  
Air Force Institute Of Technology

Dr. Jeremy Slagley, CIH, CSP  
Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT/ENV)

This research investigated the use of chemical binding solutions as an adjunct method for radiological decontamination of litter-bound patients in arctic environments. In such conditions, the established rinse-down decontamination process is often impractical due to extreme cold, limited water availability, and the increased physiological risks that exposure to freezing temperatures poses to patients. Therefore, this study explored an alternative approach designed to minimize secondary contamination and reduce airborne exposure during the patient handling and disrobing process.
Preliminary pilot studies evaluated various binding solution formulations for their ability to suppress aerosolization of a radiological contaminant surrogate, copper oxide (CuO). Through iterative testing, the most effective formulation was identified as a 3:2:1 ratio, three parts glycerin, two parts unscented Baby Dove body wash, and one-part water, which remained unfrozen at –18 °C (0 °F). Subsequent full-scale studies using this formulation achieved a 95.5% reduction (p = 0.00027) in the aerosolization of CuO particles compared to baseline conditions.
Comparative analysis of aerosol concentration data across all trials supports the conclusion that this binding solution provides a significant improvement in contamination control over existing methods. The results suggest that incorporating such a solution into radiological response protocols could enhance safety and effectiveness, particularly in austere or arctic operational environments where conventional decontamination methods are not feasible.

Does the application of a fixant to radiological contamination in a simulated attack scenario reduce aerosolization during the disrobing of a litter-bound patient for decontamination?

-Current procedures for decontamination include rinse down method. Generally unsafe in an arctic environment.
-Cold Region Expeditionary Medical Operations (CREMO) initiative, seeks to strengthen operational medical response in extreme climates.
-This study contributes by evaluating the application of an adhesive compound ("fixant") as a possible alternative to the traditional rinse down method and reducing the exposure presented to first respondents.

Research was conducted inside of the Multi-Use Research for Particulate Hazards and Environmental Exposures (MURPHEE) Chamber. A simulated litter-bound patient inside the MURPHEE chamber was exposed to a controlled amount of a surrogate radiological contaminant, Copper Oxide (Cu). Ten trials were conducted without fixant application and ten with fixant application. The fixant solution consisted of three parts pure glycerin, two parts unscented Baby Dove soap, and one part water, with a small amount of green dye added as a visual aid during decontamination behind the plastic glove bag. Optical Particle Counters were used during disrobing to analyze aerosolization of the contaminant.

Final calculated mass concentrations for each trial with corresponding means, used to determine the overall percentage change in mass concentration, which showed a 95.5% reduction from no decon results to the fixant decontamination method.
-The distribution of mass concentration aerosolized during the trials for each decontamination method. There is a clear clustering of lower values for the fixant decontamination method, while the No Decon method produces higher values that are spread across a wider range of mass concentrations.
-Descriptive and inferential analysis indicate that the mass concentration data for both the No Decon and Fixant methods follow a normal distribution, as supported by the Anderson-Darling test. The two methods also demonstrated unequal population variances, requiring the use of a t-test. Results from the t-test led to rejecting the null hypothesis of equal means, showing that the No Decon method produces a significantly higher mean mass concentration.
-At the 95% confidence level, the No Decon method yields, on average, a mass concentration approximately 0.4mg/m3 higher than trials using the fixant application.

Radiation (Ionizing and Nonionizing)

Risk Management