Assessment of the radiological impact of the inactive uranium-mill tailings at Shiprock, New Mexico

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5666969· OSTI ID:5666969

Haywood, F F; Goldsmith, W A; Lantz, P M; Fox, W F; Shinpaugh, W H; Hubbard, Jr, H M

Uranium-mill tailings at an inactive site near Shiprock, New Mexico, contain an estimated 950 curies (Ci) of /sup 226/Ra together with its radioactive daughters. A radiological survey was conducted at this site in February 1976. Decontamination work and tailings stabilization performed at the site since that time have greatly changed conditions there and little effort was applied to quantification of potential health effects in comparison to the earlier consideration of the site at Salt Lake City. The present report delineates the radiological conditions that existed at the time of the survey including information on the surface and below-surface distribution of /sup 226/Ra. The data presented support the conclusion that diffusion of radon and inhalation of radon daughters is the principal mode of exposure of offsite population groups.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5666969
• Report Number(s): ORNL-5447
• 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
500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510301 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BACKGROUND RADIATION
BODY
CARCINOMAS
CLEANING
DECONTAMINATION
DIFFUSION
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
MILL TAILINGS
MONITORING
NEOPLASMS
NEW MEXICO
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON
RARE GASES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SOLID WASTES
SOUTHWEST REGION
TAILINGS
URANIUM
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES