Environmental monitoring in the vicinity of the Savannah River Plant. Annual report, 1980

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6229284

An extensive surveillance program has been continuously maintained since 1951 to determine the concentrations of radonuclides in a 1200-square-mile area in the environs of the plant and the radiation exposure of the population resulting from SRP operations. The results of this monitoring program are reported annually to the public. This document summarizes the 1980 results. The radiation dose at the plant perimeter and the population dose in the region from SRP operations is very small relative to the dose received from naturally occurring radiation. The annual average dose in 1980 from atmospheric releases of radioactive materials from SRP was 0.7 millirem at the plant perimeter. The maximum dose at the plant perimeter was 1.01 mrem, which is 0.2% of the Department of Energy limit for offsite exposures. The population dose to people living within 80 km of the center of SRP was 99.7 man-rems. During 1980, this same population received a radiation dose of 54,400 man-rems from natural radiation and an additional dose of 47,000 man-rems from medical x-rays. An individual consuming river water downstream from SRP would receive a maximum calculated dose in 1980 of 0.22 mrem which includes dose contributions from consumer products produced using Savannah River water. Air and water are the major dispersal media for radioactive emissions. Samples representing most segments of the environment that may conceivably be affected by these emissions were monitored to ensure a safe environment. Releases of radioactivity from SRP had an inconsequential effect on living plants and animals. With a few exceptions, concentrations outside the plant boundary were too low to distinguish from the natural radioactive background and continuing worldwide fallout from nuclear weapons tests. (JGB)

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Plant
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 6229284
• Report Number(s): DPSPU-81-30-1; ON: DE81030366
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AEROSOL WASTES
AIR
AIR POLLUTION
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ASHES
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY FLUIDS
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DOSES
DRINKING WATER
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISHES
FLUIDS
FLY ASH
FOOD
GAMMA RADIATION
GASES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HUMAN POPULATIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LAND POLLUTION
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
MERCURY
METALS
MILK
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RAIN
RESIDUES
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURFACE AIR
TABLES
TRITIUM
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES