Radionuclide-migration model for buried waste at the Savannah River Plant

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5360245

King, C M; Root, Jr, R W

Solid waste has been buried at the Savannah River Plant burial ground since 1953. The solid waste is contaminated with alpha-emitting transuranium (TRU) nuclides, with beta-gamma-emitting activation and fission products, and with tritium. To provide guidance for the current use and eventual permanent retirement of the burial site from active service, a radionuclide environmental transport model has been used to project the potential influence on man if the burial site were occupied after decommissioning. The model used to simulate nuclide migration includes the various hydrological, animal, vegetative, atmospheric, and terrestrial pathways in estimating dose to man as a function of time. Specific scenarios include a four-person home farm on the 195-acre burial ground. Key input to the model includes site-specific nuclide migration rates through soil, nuclide distribution coefficients, and site topography. Coupled with literature data on plant and animal concentration factors, transfer coefficients reflecting migration routes are input to a set of linear differential equations for subsequent matrix solution. Output from the model is the nuclide-specific decayed curie intake by man. To discern principal migration routes, model-compartment inventories with time can also be displayed. Dose projections subsequently account for organ concentrations in man for the nuclide of interest. Radionuclide migration has been examined in depth with the dose-to-man model. Movement by vegetative pathways is the primary route for potential dose to man for short-lived isotopes. Hydrological routes provide a secondary scheme for long-lived nuclides. Details of model methodology are reviewed.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 5360245
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-81-98-Rev; CONF-820303-31-Rev; ON: DE82012178
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
510301 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
520301 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Water-- (1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
DOSES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FISSION PRODUCTS
FOOD CHAINS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GROUND WATER
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAMMALS
MAN
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PRIMATES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SIMULATION
SOILS
SOLID WASTES
TRITIUM
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES