Health risk assessment for the Building 3001 Storage Canal at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10119283· OSTI ID:10119283

Chidambariah, V; White, R K

This human health risk assessment has been prepared for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The objectives of this risk assessment are to evaluate the alternatives for interim closure of the Building 3001 Storage Canal and to identify the potential health risk from an existing leak in the canal. The Building 3001 Storage Canal connects Buildings 3001 and 3019. The volume of water in the canal is monitored and kept constant at about 62,000 gal. The primary contaminants of the canal water are the radionuclides {sup 137}Cs, {sup 60}Co, and {sup 90}Sr; a layer of sediment on the canal floor also contains radionuclides and metals. The prime medium of contaminant transport has been identified as groundwater. The primary route for occupational exposure at the canal is external exposure to gamma radiation from the canal water and the walls of the canal. Similarly, the primary exposure route at the 3042 sump is external exposure to gamma radiation from the groundwater and the walls of the sump. Based on the exposure rates in the radiation work permits (Appendix C) and assuming conservative occupational work periods, the annual radiation dose to workers is considerably less than the relevant dose limits. The potential risk to the public using the Clinch River was determined for three significant exposure pathways: ingestion of drinking water; ingestion of contaminated fish; and external exposure to contaminated sediments on the shoreline, the dominant exposure pathway.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 10119283
• Report Number(s): ORNL/ER-51; ON: DE92007197
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Dec 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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ORNL
STORAGE FACILITIES
SEDIMENTS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
GROUND WATER
SURFACE WATERS
CESIUM 137
RADIATION HAZARDS
COBALT 60
STRONTIUM 90
TOXICITY
RISK ASSESSMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
LEAKS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
DRINKING WATER
INGESTION
HEALTH HAZARDS
FISHES
CLINCH RIVER
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
NEOPLASMS
560161
540230
540330
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MAN
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
HEALTH AND SAFETY