Environmental monitoring at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site, Washington

Conference · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:7070290

Gray, R H

Environmental monitoring 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 effects are used to calculate the overall radiological impact to humans working onsite or residing in nearby communities, and to assess the impact of Hanford operations on the environment. 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 radionuclides and nonradiological water quality in the Columbia River at a municipal water intake 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 strontium-90 and cesium-137 found in some onsite wildlife samples were typical of those attributable to worldwide fallout as were low concentrations of radionuclides found in soils and vegetation from onsite and offsite locations. The calculated dose potentially received by a maximally exposed individual in 1987 (0.05 mrem/yr) was similar to that calculated for 1985 and 1986. Measured exposure to penetrating radiation and calculated radiation doses to the public from 1987 Hanford operations were well below applicable regulatory limits. 25 refs., 2 figs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 7070290
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-16150; CONF-881054-29; ON: DE89001994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AIR QUALITY
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DOSE EQUIVALENTS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FISHES
GROUND WATER
HANFORD RESERVATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
SOILS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TRITIUM
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WATER
WATER QUALITY
WILD ANIMALS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES