ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AFTER ACCIDENTAL DEPOSITION OF RADIOACTIVITY

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1961 · J. Nuclear Energy, Pts. A and B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0368-3230(61)90113-6· OSTI ID:4843545

Chamberlain, A C; Garner, R J; Williams, D

The entry of accidentally dispersed activity into milk is considered. From experimental data on the transfer of radioiodine, radiostrontium, and radiocesium from grass to milk by the cow, the emergency permissible deposition of these substances on grass is calculated and compared with the relative abundance of the nuclides on various assumptions. It is concluded that I/sup 131/ will nearly always be the limiting factor, though only marginally so if fission products are deposited in the proportions found in the reactor. The assessment of deposition of I/sup 131/ by measurement of gamma dose rate is considered. The dose rates at 3 and 500 feet above ground and the corresponding responses of gamma scintillator instruments are calculated. If I/sup 131/ is the only activity deposited, the increase in dose rate above background corresponding to the emergency permissible deposition (0.4 mu c/m/sup 2/) is 3.3 mu r/hr at 3 feet and about 0.3 mu r/hr at 500 feet. The problems of measuring these dose rates by car-borne or aerial survey are discussed and illustrated by results obtained after the Windscale accident of October 1957. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-15-027903
• OSTI ID: 4843545
• Journal Information: J. Nuclear Energy, Pts. A and B, Journal Name: J. Nuclear Energy, Pts. A and B Vol. Vol: 14
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
ANIMALS
BACKGROUND
CESIUM 137
ENVIRONMENT
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCTS
GAMMA RADIATION
GRASS
HEALTH AND SAFETY
IODINE 131
MATHEMATICS
MEASURED VALUES
MILK
MONITORING
MPC
PLANTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
SAFETY
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
STANDARDS
STRONTIUM 90