Sensitivity analysis of a ship accident at a deep-ocean site in the northwest Atlantic

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5331509

Kaplan, M F

This report presents the results of a sensitivity analysis for an HLW ship accident occurring in the Nares Abyssal Plain in the northwestern Atlantic. Waste form release rate, canister lifetime and sorption in the water column (partition coefficients) were varied. Also investigated were the relative importance of the dose from the food chain and from seaweed in the diet. Peak individual doses and integrated collective doses for populations were the units of comparison. In accordance with international guidelines on radiological protection, the comparisons of different options were carried out over ''all time''; the study uses a million-year time frame. Partition coefficients have the most pronounced effect on collective dose of the parameters studied. Variations in partition coefficients affect the shape of the collective dose curve over the entire time frame. Peak individual doses decrease markedly when the value for the sorption of americium is increased, but show no increase when less sorption is assumed. Waste form release rates and canister lifetimes affect collective doses only in periods prior to 20,000 years. Hence, comparisons of these options need not be carried out beyond 20,000 years. Waste from release rates below 10/sup -3//yr (nominal value) affect individual doses in a linear manner, i.e., an order-of-magnitude reduction in release rate leads to an order-of-magnitude reduction in peak individual dose. Little reduction in peak individual doses is seen with canister lifetimes extended beyond the nominal 100 years. 32 refs., 14 figs., 16 tabs.

• Research Organization: Analytic Sciences Corp., Reading, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5331509
• Report Number(s): SAND-85-7187; ON: DE85015369
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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SEAWATER
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SHIPS
ACCIDENTS
AMERICIUM
ATLANTIC OCEAN
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ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
FOOD CHAINS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
RADIATION DOSES
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SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
WASTE FORMS
ACTINIDES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
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ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POPULATIONS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
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