Depleted uranium risk assessment at Aberdeen Proving Ground

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6776196

Ebinger, M H ^[1]; Myers, O B; Kennedy, P L; Clements, W H ^[2]

---

1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
2. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States). Dept. of Fishery and Wildlife Biology

The Environmental Science Group at Los Alamos and the Test and Evaluation Command (TECOM) are assessing the risk of depleted uranium (DU) testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). Conceptual and mathematical models of DU transfer through the APG ecosystem have been developed in order to show the mechanisms by which DU migrates or remains unavailable to different flora and fauna and to humans. The models incorporate actual rates of DU transfer between different ecosystem components as much as possible. Availability of data on DU transport through different pathways is scarce and constrains some of the transfer rates that can be used. Estimates of transfer rates were derived from literature sources and used in the mass-transfer models when actual transfer rates were unavailable. Objectives for this risk assessment are (1) to assess if DU transports away from impact areas; (2) to estimate how much, if any, DU migrates into Chesapeake Bay; (3) to determine if there are appreciable risks to the ecosystems due to DU testing; (4) to estimate the risk to human health as a result of DU testing.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOD; Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6776196
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-93-484; CONF-9303112-1; ON: DE93008705
• Resource Relation: Conference: American Defense Preparedness Associates symposium on the environment, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 23-25 Mar 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CONTAMINATION
DEPLETED URANIUM
RISK ASSESSMENT
FOOD CHAINS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CHESAPEAKE BAY
CRABS
ENVIRONMENT
FISHES
INGESTION
PHYTOPLANKTON
RADIATION DOSES
SAMPLING
ACTINIDES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BAYS
COASTAL WATERS
CRUSTACEANS
DECAPODS
DOSES
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
INTAKE
INVERTEBRATES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
PLANKTON
PLANTS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
URANIUM
VERTEBRATES
540230* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540330 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540350 - Environment
Aquatic- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)
560101 - Biomedical Sciences
Applied Studies- Radiation Effects- Dosimetry & Monitoring- (1992-)