Produced water radionuclide hazard/risk assessment, Phase 1
Petroleum production may be accompanied by the production of saline water, called ``produced water.`` Produced water discharged into freshwater streams, estuaries, coastal and outer continental shelf waters can contained enhanced levels of radium isotopes. This document reports on the first phase of a study to estimate the risk to human health and the environment from radium discharged in produced water. The study involved five major steps: (1) evaluate the usefulness of available produced water outfall data for developing estimates of radium environmental concentrations; (2) review the literature on the bioaccumulation of radium by aquatic organism; (3) review the literature on the effects of radiation on aquatic organisms; (4) review the information available concerning the human health risks associated with exposure to Ra-226 and Ra-228 and (5) perform a conservative, screening-level assessment of the health and environmental risks posed by Ra-226 and Ra-228 discharged in produced waters. A screening-level analysis was performed to determine whether radium discharged to coastal Louisiana in produced waters presents potential health or environmental risks requiring further study. This conservative assessment suggested that no detectable impact on populations of fish, molluscs or crustaceans from radium discharged in produced waters is likely. The analysis also suggested that there is a potential for risk were an individual to ingest a large amount of seafood harvested near a produced water discharge point over a lifetime. The number of excess cancers predicted per year under a conservative scenario is comparable to those expected to result from background concentrations of radium.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 10156028
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-47403; ON: DE92016310
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jun 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Health risk assessment for radium discharged in produced waters
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61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
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RADIUM ISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
HUMAN POPULATIONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
RADIATION DOSES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
SURFACE WATERS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
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560161
560162
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
DOSIMETRY AND MONITORING
MAN
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