Using uncertainty analyses to test for differences in fractional transfers of sup 238 Pu and sup 239+240 Pu to cattle grazing a contaminated arid environment

Conference · Thu May 16 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5314820

Gilbert, R O; Bittner, E A ^[1]; Essington, E H ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

This paper reports the results of Monte Carlo uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of the modeled fractional transfers of {sup 238}Pu and {sup 239 + 240}Pu from the gastrointestinal tract to the tissues of cattle that grazed a plutonium contaminated arid site near the Nevada Test Site. The analyses were conducted to assess the uncertainty in model parameters for the purpose of testing if the fractional transfer of {sup 238}Pu was greater than that of {sup 239 + 240}Pu to the tissues of the cattle. A sensitivity analysis of the fractional transfer model indicated that the Pu tissue concentration was the model parameter that had the highest correlation with computed fractional transfers. It was shown that accurate information on the variability of tissue concentrations is needed to obtain accurate estimates of the uncertainty of modeled fractional transfers. 34 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5314820
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-19034; CONF-9108100--5; ON: DE91017844
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540230 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560162* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BLOOD SERUM
BODY
CATTLE
CONTAMINATION
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
GLANDS
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
INGESTION
INTAKE
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
LIVER
MAMMALS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
MUSCLES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEVADA TEST SITE
NUCLEI
ORGANS
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RUMINANTS
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
SOILS
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
STATISTICS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES