Monitoring for potential environmental problems at a nuclear research facility at Hanford, Washington, USA

Conference · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6471403

Gray, R. H.

Objectives are to detect and assess potential impacts of site operations on air, surface and ground water, foodstuffs, fish, wildlife, soil and vegetation. Data from monitoring efforts are used to calculate the overall radiological dose to humans working onsite or residing in nearby communities. In 1987, measured Hanford Site perimeter concentrations of airborne radionuclides were below applicable DOE and Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Tritium and nitrate continued to be the most widespread constituents in onsite ground water. Chromium, cyanide, fluoride, and carbon tetrachloride were found in ground-water wells near operating areas. Concentrations of radionuclide and nonradiological water quality in the Columbia River were in compliance with applicable standards. Foodstuffs irrigated with river water taken downstream of the Site showed low levels of radionuclides that were similar to concentrations found in foodstuffs from control areas not irrigated with Columbia River water. Low levels of /sup 90/Sr and /sup 137/Cs in some onsite wildlife samples were typical of those attributable to worldwide fallout as were concentrations of radionuclides found in soils and vegetation from onsite and offsite locations. The calculated dose potentially received by a maximally exposed individual (i.e., based on hypothetical assumptions for all routes of exposure) in 1987 (0.05 mrem/yr) was similar to that calculated for 1985 and 1986. 29 refs., 5 figs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6471403
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-16538; CONF-890223-1; ON: DE89008246
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR QUALITY
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ANADROMOUS FISHES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIRDS
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
COLUMBIA RIVER
CYANIDES
DOSE EQUIVALENTS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FISHES
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FOOD
FOWL
GEESE
GROUND WATER
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HANFORD RESERVATION
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RIVERS
SALMON
SOILS
STREAMS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WATER
WATER QUALITY
WILD ANIMALS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES