RADIOIODINE RELEASE INCIDENT AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4692225

Marter, W L

A release of 153 curies of radioiodine from a Purex fuel processing facility, most of which occurred May 30 through June 3, 1981, temporarily increased the level of I-131 in the environment of the Savannah River Plant (SRP). Prevailing southwest winds and atmospheric inversions dispersed the radioiodine mainly to the nontheast of the Plant. Theoretical dispersion equations proposed by Sutton and modified by Culkowski were verified by measurements of I-131 in rir at distances up to 25 miles from the Plant. I-l31 on vegetation decayed with an apparent half life of 5 days, as compared to the physical half life of 8 days. This is attributed to dilution of the activity by new vegetative growth. The reduction of radioiodine in milk closely followed the apparent half life in grass. Laboratory tests with iodine-contaminated vegetation showed that rainfall removed little or no iodine. Consumption of milk in the area of highest deposition could have resulted in a thyroid dose up to 1200 mrem for a child. Empirical relationships relating the transfer of radioiodine from air to grass and then to milk are compared with those determined earlier at SRP and elsewhere. (auth)

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) & Co. Savannah River Plant, Aiken, S.C.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-032284
• OSTI ID: 4692225
• Report Number(s): DPSPU-63-30-26B; CONF-66-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
AGE
AIR
ATMOSPHERE
CONTAMINATION
DECONTAMINATION
DISPERSIONS
ENVIRONMENT
EQUATIONS
GRASS
HALF-LIFE
HEALTH AND SAFETY
IODINE 131
MAN
MEASURED VALUES
METEOROLOGY
PLANTS
PRECIPITATION
PUREX PROCESS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
RADIATION DOSES
RESEARCH REACTORS
SR-305
STANDARDS
THYROID
WIND