Pilot study risk assessment for selected problems at the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP)

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6534968· OSTI ID:6534968

Hamilton, L D; Meinhold, A F; Baxter, S L; Holtzman, S; Morris, S C; Pardi, R; Rowe, M D; Sun, C ^[1]; Anspaugh, L; Layton, D ^[2]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

Two important environmental problems at the USDOE Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) facility in Fernald, Ohio were studied in this human health risk assessment. The problems studied were radon emissions from the K-65 waste silos, and offsite contamination of ground water with uranium. Waste from the processing of pitchblende ore is stored in the K-65 silos at the FEMP. Radium-226 in the waste decays to radon gas which escapes to the outside atmosphere. The concern is for an increase in lung cancer risk for nearby residents associated with radon exposure. Monitoring data and a gaussian plume transport model were used to develop a source term and predict exposure and risk to fenceline residents, residents within 1 and 5 miles of the silos, and residents of Hamilton and Cincinnati, Ohio. Two release scenarios were studied: the routine release of radon from the silos and an accidental loss of one silo dome integrity. Exposure parameters and risk factors were described as distributions. Risks associated with natural background radon concentrations were also estimated.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6534968
• Report Number(s): BNL-48777; ON: DE93012535
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290301* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety-- Regional & Global Environmental Aspects-- (1992-)
ACTINIDE ISO
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AQUIFERS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY FLUIDS
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CLIMATES
CONTAMINATION
DISEASES
DOSES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLUIDS
FOOD
GASES
GAUSSIAN PROCESSES
GEOLOGY
GROUND WATER
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
INGESTION
INTAKE
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
METEOROLOGY
MILK
MINERALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEOPLASMS
NEVADA TEST SITE
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
OXIDE MINERALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PITCHBLENDE
PLUMES
PUBLIC HEALTH
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE MINERALS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON
RARE GASES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
TOPOGRAPHY
TOXICITY
URANINITES
URANIUM
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM MINERALS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES