Radiochemical analyses of samples from beneath a solid radioactive waste disposal pit at Los Alamos, New Mexico
Solid radioactive wastes are disposed of by burial in pits excavated in rhyolite tuff at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). Contaminants in the waste include fission products, uranium, and transuranic elements. In 1976, horizontal core holes were drilled beneath a waste disposal pit that was used from 1963 to 1966. Samples of the core were analyzed for gross alpha, gross beta, total uranium, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Am. The measured gross alpha, gross beta, and uranium concentrations were above minimum detection limits; concentrations of the remaining radionuclides, all of which are man-made isotopes, were below the minimum detection limits. Statistical comparisons were made of the gross alpha, gross beta, and uranium data to identify any significant variations from natural concentrations in the tuff. The comparisons demonstrated that none of the radioactivity detected in the samples can be attributed to migration from the disposal pit.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 5168621
- Report Number(s):
- LA-8422-MS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Shallow land burial: experience and developments at Oak Ridge and Los Alamos
Ambient air sampling for radioactive air contaminants at Los Alamos National Laboratory: A large research and development facility
Related Subjects
052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400103 -- Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures-- (-1987)
510301 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA DETECTION
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DETECTION
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DETECTION
DRILL CORES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LASL
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SAMPLING
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TUFF
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
URANIUM
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES