Assessment of Technetium in the Savannah River Site Environment

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10192080· OSTI ID:10192080

Carlton, W H; Denham, M; Evans, A G

Assessment of Technetium in the Savannah River Site Environment is the last in a series of eight documents on individual radioisotopes released to the environment as a result of SRS operations. The earlier documents describe the environmental consequences of tritium cesium, iodine, uranium plutonium, strontium, and carbon. Technetium transport and metabolism have been studied by the nuclear industry because it is a fission product of uranium, and by the medical community because {sup 99m}Tc commonly is used as a diagnostic imaging agent in nuclear medicine. Technetium has been produced at SRS during the operation of five production reactors. The only isotope with environmental significance is {sup 99}Tc. Because of the small activities of {sup 99}Tc relative to other fission products, such as {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs, no measurements were made of releases to either the atmosphere or surface waters. Dose calculations were made in this document using conservative estimates of atmospheric releases and from a few measurements of {sup 99}Tc concentrations in the Savannah River. Technetium in groundwater has been found principally in the vicinity of the separation areas seepage basins. Technetium is soluble in water and follows groundwater flow with little retardation. While most groundwater samples are negative or show little technetium a few samples have levels slightly above the limits set by the EPA for drinking water. The overall radiological impact of SRS {sup 99}Tc releases on the offsite maximally exposed individual during 38 years of operations can be characterized by maximum individual doses of 0.1 mrem (atmospheric) and 0.8 mrem (liquid), compared with a dose of 13,680 mrem from non-SRS sources during the same time period. Technetium releases have resulted in a negligible risk to the environment and the population it supports.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10192080
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR--93-217; ON: DE94002034
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130
540150
540230
540250
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROUND WATER
METASTABLE STATES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES
TECHNETIUM 99