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Environmental monitoring for radionuclides, chemicals, fish and wildlife at a US energy research facility: A case story

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5466545
Environmental monitoring has been an ongoing activity on the US Department of Energy's 560 m{sup 2} Hanford Site in southeastern Washington, USA, for 45 years. Objectives are to detect and assess potential impacts of site operations on air, surface and ground water, foodstuffs, fish, wildlife, soils and vegetation. Data from monitoring efforts are used to calculate the overall radiological dose to humans working onsite or residing in nearby communities. In 1988, measured Hanford Site perimeter concentrations of airborne radionuclides were below applicable guidelines. Tritium and nitrate continued to be the most widespread constituents in onsite ground water. Concentrations of radionuclides and nonradiological water quality in the Columbia River were in compliance with applicable standards. Foodstuffs irrigated with river water downstream of the Site showed low levels of radionuclides that were similar to concentrations found in foodstuffs from control areas. Low levels of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs in some onsite wildlife samples and concentrations of radionuclides in soils and vegetation from onsite and offsite locations were typical of those attributable to worldwide fallout. The calculated dose potentially received by a maximally exposed individual (i.e., based on hypothetical assumptions for all routes of exposure) in 1988 (0.08 mrem/yr) was similar to that calculated for 1985 through 1987. 31 refs., 3 figs.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/NE
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
5466545
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-17026; CONF-8909243--2; ON: DE90002665
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

510300 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560152* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA SOURCES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIRDS
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COLUMBIA RIVER
DOSE EQUIVALENTS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FISHES
GROUND WATER
HANFORD RESERVATION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ION SOURCES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATTER
METALS
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR MATTER
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SOURCES
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RIVERS
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SOILS
STREAMS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
TRITIUM
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES