Radiation monitoring around United States nuclear test areas, calendar year 1989

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6327600· OSTI ID:6327600

This report describes the Offsite Radiation Safety Program conducted during 1989 by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory-Las Vegas (EMSL-LV). This laboratory operates an environmental radiation monitoring program in the region surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and at former test sites in Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, Nevada, and New Mexico. The surveillance program is designed to measure levels, and trends of radioactivity, if present, in the environment surrounding testing areas to ascertain whether the testing is in compliance with existing radiation protection standards, and to take action to protect the health and well being of the public in the event of any accidental release of radioactive contaminants. Offsite levels of radiation and radioactivity are assessed by sampling milk, water, and air; by deploying thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and using pressurized ion chambers (PICs); and by biological monitoring of both animals and humans. To implement protective actions, provide immediate radiation monitoring, and obtain environmental samples rapidly after any release of radioactivity, personnel with mobile monitoring equipment are placed in areas downwind from the test site prior to each test. Comparison of the measurements and sample analysis results with background levels and with appropriate standards and regulations indicated that there was no radioactivity detected offsite by the various EPA monitoring networks and no exposure above natural background to the population living in the vicinity of the NTS that could be attributed to NTS activities. Trends were evaluated in the Noble Gas and Tritium, Milk Surveillance, TLD, and PIC networks, and the Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring Program. 35 refs., 68 figs., 32 tabs.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV (USA). Environmental Monitoring Systems Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AI08-86NV10522; AI08-76DP00539
• OSTI ID: 6327600
• Report Number(s): DOE/DP/00539-062; EPA--600/4-90/016; ON: DE91005910
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540230 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540330 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ABANDONED SITES
AIR
ALARA
ALASKA
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY FLUIDS
COLORADO
DOSIMETRY
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FEDERAL REGION IV
FEDERAL REGION IX
FEDERAL REGION VI
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FEDERAL REGION X
FLUIDS
FOOD
GASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATERIALS
MILK
MISSISSIPPI
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEVADA
NEVADA TEST SITE
NEW MEXICO
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE GASES
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSIMETRY
TOXICITY
TRITIUM
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES