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| bioassay | the method(s) for determining the amount of internal contamination received by an individual |
| biodegradation | the breakdown of substances of environmental concern by living cells |
| biological | of or relating to biology or to life and living processes |
| biological agents | a microorganism that causes disease in man, plants, or animals or causes the deterioration of material |
| biological defense | the methods, plans, and procedures involved in establishing and executing defensive measures against attacks utilizing biological agents |
| biological warfare | living organisms or their derivatives that can be used in weapons to cause incapacitation or death. Biological agents have the ability to reporduce themselves, thus they are less predictable than chemical agents. |
| biosafety levels | there are 4 biosafety levelsthat conform to specified conditions consist of a combination of lab practices and techniques, safety equipment, and lab facilities appropriate for the operations performed and the hazard posed by the infectious agents. Formerly described as physical containment levels |
| biosensor | an electronic device that uses biological molecules to detect specific compounds |
| biotechnology | use of date and technizues of engineering and technology to study and solve problems concerning living organisms, for example, genetic engineering and biofermentation processes |
| bismuth | bismuth is a silver-white, reddish-tinged, brittle metallic element with a rhombohedral crystalline structure. It expands upon solidification and this unusual property makes in useful in type-metal alloys and for casting. The most important industrial use of bismuth is in the manugacture of low-melting alloys and in automatic fire alarn and sprinkler systems. When irradiated withneutrons, bismuth transmutes into polonium-210, an alpha emitter. |
| bismuth germanate detector (BGO) | a gamma-ray detector using the semiconductor BGO. It is not as sensitive as a germanium detector, but has the advantage of operating at room temperature |
| black powder | the typical composition of black powder is saltpeter or sodium nitrate 75 parts by weight and charcoal, 15 parts by weight. The form may range from a very fine powder to granules over half and inch in diameter. The burning speed of black powder is controlled by the size of the granulation. Large grains of powder burn more slowly than fine grains |
| blanket (in reactor operations) | a layer of assemblies containing fertile material, such as uranium-238, surrounding the core of a nuclear reactor, for the purpose of absorbing escaping neutrons to breeed fissile material, such as plutonium-239 |
| blast effects | when a high explosive detonates, the solid or liquid explosive material is converted into mostly gaseous product. These extremely hot gases expand immediately and compress the air around the charge to form a blast wave. The strength of the shock at a given distance from the explosion is a function of the type explosive, and the distance from the point of detonation |
| blasting agents | a blasting agent is an insensitive chemical composition or mixture, consisting of ammonium nitrate, which will detonate when initiated by high explosive primers or boosters. Since they contain no nitroglycerin, blasting agents are relatively insensitive to shock, friction, and impact and are, therefore safer to handle and transport |
| blasting cap | a device used to initiate an explosive train. Commonly referred to as detoners, they contain primary explosives. May be either electrically or nonelectrically fired. Blasting caps are extremely sensitive and will explode unless handled carefully |
| blasting cap crimpers | used to squeezed the shell of nonelectric blasting caps around safety u=fuse or detonating cord to prevent seperation |
| blasting machines | a device designed to deliver electric current directly into an explosive firing circuit. Tehre are 2 types available |
| blister agents (vesicants) | category of chemical warfare agents that damage any tissue that they contact; vapor can affect the eyes, respiratory tract and, blister the skin. They may produce lethalities, but skin damage is their main casualty-causing effect. All these agents are persistent, and can poison food and water, make other supplies and installations dangerous, and restrict the use of contaminated terrain. Various types of agents are mustards, arsenicals or urticants |
| blood agents | cyanide-containing compounds, absorbed into the body primarily by breathing; these poison the body's cytochrome oxidase system, preventing cell respiration and the normal transfer of oxygen from the blood to body tissues. Rapid acting; can cause effects within seconds and death within minutes. Typical agents include AC and CK; both are highly volatile, and therefore non-tersistent even at low temperatures. |
| Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) | A reactor in which light water, used as both coolant and moderator, is allowed to boil in the core, with the resulting steam used to drive a turbine-generator and produce electricity. The BWR uses enriched uranium fuel and zirconium alloy cladding the the fuel element similar to those in the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) |
| Boneseeker | Radioactive element such as strontium or polonium that accumulate preferentially in bone tissue |
| Boost | The process by which the fission output of the primary is increased from the fusion of deuterium-tritium gas |
| Booster | High explosive boosters, also called primer explosives, or simply primers, are explosives that provide the detonation link in the explosive train between the very sinsitive p[rimary explosives and the comparatively insensitive main charge high explosives. It amplifies the detonation wave of the primary explosive |
| Boron (in reactor operations) | Boron is a brownish-black powder and may be crystalline or amorphous. A nonmetallic element that occurs in borax and other compounds, boron is used in nuclear power plants as a neutron absorber or poison to halt a chain reactgion. In its alloy form, boron is used in industry to harden other metals. Harmful effects vary widely depending on the type of compound, but in general boron attacks the central nervous system, depressing circulation and inducing coma in its most virulent exposures. |
| Boron Trifluoride (BF) Dectector | A tube filled with BF gas withch is commonly used to detect neutrons |
| Botulinum Toxin | Is produced by the bacterial Clostridium and is one of the most poisonous bacteral substance known. The bacteria grows on poorly preserved food and causes a severe form of food poisoning. The victim becomes ill with stomach pains, diarrhea, disturbances to vision, giddiness and muscular weakness within a day. The whole body, including the respiratory musculature, becomes paralyzed withich leads to death by suffocation within a few days. |
| Botulism | Acute, often fatal food poisoning from ingestion of food containing botulinum toxin derived from clostridium botulinum and characterized by general weakness, headache, dizziness, double vision, dilation of the pupils, paralysis of the muscles concerned in swallowing and difficulty of speech. |
| Breeder, Breeder Reactor (in reactor operations) | A reactor which produces more fissile nuclei than are consumed. The fissile material is produced both in the reactor's core and when neutrons are captured in fertile material placed around the core. This process is known as breeding. |
| BRM | Bioregulator/modulator |
| Broken Arrow | A DoD term to identify and report an accident involving a nuclear weapon/warhead or nuclear component. In the Navy this includes a "significant incident" as defined in DoD Directive 5100.52 See nuclear weapon incident and BENT SPEAR |
| Bromobenzylcyanide (CA) | An early tear agent (lachrymator). Its physical state is pinkish to brown oily liquid with a fruit smell. It causes a buring feeling in mucos membranes, severe eye irritation and lachrymation, and headaches. |
| Brown Oxide | Also known as uranium dioxide, brown oxide is the chemical form in which uranium is utilized in most power reactors. |
| Brucella Suis | A bacterium which causes brucellosis or undulant fever |
| Brucellosis | Bacterial infection which can cause abortion in animals and remittent fever in man. The disease can last for days, weeks or even months, causing fevers, headaches, depression, exhaustion, and weight loss. It has an incubation period of one to four weeks. Only 1,000 organisms are needed to cause and infection. Therapy should be a combination of drugs such as tetracyclines plus strepromycin or tetracyclines plus rifampin |
| Bubble Stretcher | Portable biocontainment pd used for transportation of a hot patient. |
| Buffer | A chemical additive which characteristically tends to maintain an existing r desired pH during chemical process |
| Byproduct Material | Any readioactive material (expect special nuclear material) yielded in or made readioactive by exposure to the radiation incident to the production or utilization of special nuclear material. |
