Evaluation of Dose- and Risk-Based Groundwater Cleanup Levels for Low Energy Beta Radioisotopes
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Low-energy beta-emitting radionuclides that were released historically during reactor operations and plutonium separations activities at some U.S. Department of Energy sites have migrated into the groundwater, forming contaminant plumes that are subject to federally regulated remediation actions. At the Hanford Site, the low-energy beta-emitting radionuclides include iodine-129, technetium-99, chlorine-36, carbon-14, and tritium (H-3). All are highly mobile in the subsurface, and except for tritium, and have very long half-lives—thousands to millions of years. The geochemistry and transport behavior of these contaminants in the subsurface present significant challenges for remediation of groundwater to federal drinking water standards (DWS)—the appropriate or relevant and applicable requirements (ARARs) for cleanup. For some of the low-energy beta-emitter contaminants, particularly iodine-129, cleanup and restoration of groundwater to DWS may not be attainable within a reasonable timeframe using currently available treatment technologies.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1735752
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL--30466
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Information on Technical Impracticability for Remediation of Iodine-129 Contamination
GROUNDWATER RADIOIODINE: PREVALENCE, BIOGEOCHEMISTRY, AND POTENTIAL REMEDIAL APPROACHES