Results of the outdoor radiological survey at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site, Piketon, Ohio
The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) is owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. As shown in Fig. 1, the plant is located in sparsely populated, rural Pike County, Ohio. PORTS began in 1952 as part of the Atomic Energy Commission's (AEC) proposed expansion of the gaseous diffusion program in order to increase the production of enriched uranium. The 3,708-acre site is about a half mile east of US Interstate 23 (Fig. 2) and approximately 1 mile east of the Scioto River Valley (Fig. 3). The current layout of the plant is shown on Fig. 4. The principal site process is the separation of uranium isotopes [sup 235]U and [sup 238]U through gaseous diffusion. This uranium enrichment process involves the more rapid diffusion of lighter molecules of UF[sub 6] (uranium hexaflouride) through the barrier walls of a porous tube. The end result is a UF[sub 6] stream that is slightly enriched in the [sup 235]U isotope. The separation process is repeated in a cascade arrangement until the desired concentration is reached. At the request of the PORTS Environmental Safety and Health Division, the Health and Safety Research Division (HASRD), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), conducted a radiological survey of the outdoor surface environment of the PORTS site. The surveyed area covered approximately 150 acres of fenced ground consisting of dirt, asphalt, and concrete. The survey was performed between July 1990 and April 1991, and the results reported to PORTS, Health Physics Department. The survey purpose was to determine the extent of radiological contamination and to locate and prioritize areas of concern from both a worker health/safety and an environmental standpoint. Specifically, the objectives of the survey were to assess the areal radioactive status of the site and to analyze surface soil samples for the presence of selected radionuclides. The principal radionuclide of concern is uranium.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6937078
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-11952; ON: DE93002227; TRN: 92-038077
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT
RADIATION MONITORING
FOUNDATIONS
GAMMA RADIATION
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADON 226
SOILS
URANIUM 238
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS
ISOTOPES
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON ISOTOPES
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
SUPPORTS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
053000* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects
540230 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)