Iodine-129: a review of its potential impact on the environment

Technical Report · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6708312· OSTI ID:6708312

Poston, J. W.

Attention has been drawn to /sup 129/I, a radionuclide with a long half-life and the potential for long-term accumulation in the environment as a result of low-level, chronic releases from nuclear facilities such as nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. The metabolic and physiologic data on iodine, as well as the currently accepted metabolic models, are summarized. In addition, projections of iodine-129 production and release, as well as estimates of the potential hazards derived by various authors, are presented and discussed. The implications of these considerations on the deep geologic disposal of /sup 129/I are reviewed and summarized. At this time there are limited data available to assess in detail the impact of releases of /sup 129/I to the environment from a geologic waste repository. Since this isotope is essentially stable (has a low specific activity because of its long radioactive half-life) it has been generally regarded as not contributing significantly to the total population dose commitment. Therefore, the presence of this isotope in a waste repository should not significantly affect repository design and operation. However, additional research in several areas such as the movement of /sup 129/I from a repository to the surface by ground water and the influence on uptake fraction of the incorporation of /sup 129/I in foodstuffs would be useful to more accurately quantify environmental effects.

• Research Organization: Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta (USA). School of Nuclear Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6708312
• Report Number(s): Y/OWI/SUB-7278/1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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