Radiation dosimetry of small mammals inhabiting a liquid radioactive waste disposal area. [Idaho National Engineering Laboratory]
Radiation doses received by small mammals inhabiting a dry radioactive leaching pond on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site were determined by surgically implanting lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips. The TLD packets were implanted in 3 species: white-footed deer mouse, least chipmunk, and Ord's kangaroo rat, with 65% recovery. All species from the radioactive leaching pond received significantly greater doses than control species. The deer mice received a mean dose equivalent rate of 160 mrem/day which was significantly greater than the mean dose equivalent rates received by least chipmunks (17 mrem/day) and Ord's kangaroo rats (6 mrem/day). The mean dose received by deer mice was 8% of the maximum air exposure recorded near the ground surface of the leaching pond. The maximum dose rate received by an individual deer mouse was nearly 50% of the maximum exposure rates in the study plot. Interspecific dose differences appeared to be related to habitat preference. Deer mice were most frequently captured on the gravelly and sparsely vegetated dry pond bed which had site exposure rates of 200 to 2000 mR/day. Conversely, chipmunks and kangaroo rats were usually captured on the pond banks which were adjacent to areas with sandy soil and denser vegetation. Site exposure rates on the pond banks ranged from 20 to 30 mR/day. Doses received by individuals of each species had high variation caused by the variable air exposure rates and the mobility of the small mammals. Intraspecific differences in activity, behavior, and home range may have also influenced the dose variability in individual rodents. The advantage of implanted TLD over externally attached TLD and possible radiation effects on small mammal populations are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Dept. of Energy, Idaho Falls, ID
- OSTI ID:
- 6220536
- Journal Information:
- Ecology; (United States), Vol. 59:5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CHIPMUNKS
DOSE EQUIVALENTS
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
MICE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
DOSE RATES
RATS
SURFACE AIR
SPATIAL DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
IMPLANTS
INTERNAL IRRADIATION
ISOLATED VALUES
LIQUID WASTES
LITHIUM FLUORIDES
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PONDS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
WILD ANIMALS
AIR
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DOSEMETERS
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRRADIATION
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM HALIDES
LUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
MAMMALS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIATION DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RODENTS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
560152* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Animals
560162 - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
560172 - Radiation Effects- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology- Animals- (-1987)
510302 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects