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2006 Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Report
Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division is the largest user of nitric acid and they had very limited
operations due to facility and maintenance upgrades. Historically, NMT Division purchases nitric acid in
bulk and stores it in a nitric acid storage tank. However, in 2006 no additional nitric acid was purchased
for the tank, and very little nitric acid was used from the tank inventory.
Other large users of nitric acid were contacted to determine how the nitric acid was used. Relatively large
quantities of nitric acid continue to be used for the bioassay program (monitoring employees for
radioactive elements). Numerous other users within the Chemistry Division were contacted and verified
the use of nitric acid for sample preparation and analysis. In 2006, this use totaled 1,942 lb. Information
was also obtained on the approximate amount of nitric acid used for cleaning laboratory glassware, which
is not considered a laboratory exempt activity. The total amount calculated to be used for cleaning
glassware was 128 lb. Therefore, the total amount of nitric acid used in laboratory exempt activities was
1,814 lb (1942-128).
The quantity of nitric acid used by personnel that were not contacted (except for NMT Division, which is
described below), or that described their use of nitric acid as process related (including cleaning
glassware) totaled 619 lb. As a conservative assumption, this amount is assumed to be otherwise used.
4.7.2 NMT Plutonium Processing
The plutonium processing facility provided information on the amount of nitric acid used in 2006. Both
the MOx fuels project and the ATLAS project were inactive until very late in the year. The facility
provided information that 8,000 liters of nitric acid were used in 2006. Approximately 7,000 liters came
from the holding tanks off the NARS and is a 7-molar (40%) solution of nitric acid in water. The
remaining 1,000 liters is a stronger concentration, approximately 14- to15-molar (70%) solution of nitric
acid in water. From MSDS review, the density for 40% nitric acid is 9.6 lb per gallon and a 70% nitric
acid solution is 11.5 lb per gallon.
(7,000 L x 0.4) / (3.785 L/gal) x (9.6 lb/gal) +
(1,000 L x 0.7) /(3.785 L/gal) x (11.5 lb/gal) = 9,228 lb nitric acid
4.7.3 Summary
Nitric acid use in 2006 is below the EPCRA Section 313 10,000-lb otherwise used threshold and,
therefore, is not reportable. Table 4-6 provides a summary of nitric acid use at LANL in 2006.
December 2007
18
LA-14356-PR
