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Radioactive decontamination methods and their effectiveness as a function of terrain

Abstract

A large area of rugged terrain on the Nevada Test Site was contaminated following a spill of radioactively contaminated drilling mud. The contamination was shown to consist of /sup 103/Ru and /sup 106/(Ru-Rh) with total estimated activity at release time of 38 and 6 Ci, respectively. Several decontamination methods were used and their effectiveness assessed by determining the fraction of radioactivity remaining (FR) following each. In flat areas, the front end loader was by far the most efficient method, removing large quantities of dirt in relatively short periods of time. FRs of 10-/sup 22/ were achieved. In canyon areas, flushing with water was most effective on rocky surfaces with FRs of 10/sup -3/, while shoveling and bagging in evaporated mud collection ponds worked well and resulted in FRs of 10/sup -2/. The FR in rocky cracks was about 10/sup -1/ following flushing with water. In Locations where radioactive mud/water had not penetrated the ground surface to more than 1-2in., such as fine grain, flat compact dirt, vacuuming was very effective achieving FRs of 10/sup -3/. However, unless the contaminated area was very small (e.g. dropping from front end loading operations), vacuuming was too slow to be of practical value. Under  More>>
Authors:
Straume, T; Kellner, C R; Oswald, K M [1] 
  1. California Univ., Mercury, NV (USA). Lawrence Radiation Lab.
Publication Date:
Aug 01, 1978
Product Type:
Journal Article
Reference Number:
AIX-10-432912; EDB-79-137959
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United Kingdom); Journal Volume: 35:2
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NEVADA TEST SITE; RADIATION ACCIDENTS; RHODIUM 106; REMOVAL; RUTHENIUM 103; RUTHENIUM 106; SOILS; DECONTAMINATION; CONTAMINATION; PERSONNEL; ROCK DRILLING; ROCKS; ROUGHNESS; VACUUM SYSTEMS; WATER; ACCIDENTS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CLEANING; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DRILLING; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; RHODIUM ISOTOPES; RUTHENIUM ISOTOPES; SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; SURFACE PROPERTIES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 510301* - Environment, Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987)
OSTI ID:
6011261
Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: CODEN: HLTPA
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
Pages: 309-314
Announcement Date:
May 01, 1979

Citation Formats

Straume, T, Kellner, C R, and Oswald, K M. Radioactive decontamination methods and their effectiveness as a function of terrain. United Kingdom: N. p., 1978. Web.
Straume, T, Kellner, C R, & Oswald, K M. Radioactive decontamination methods and their effectiveness as a function of terrain. United Kingdom.
Straume, T, Kellner, C R, and Oswald, K M. 1978. "Radioactive decontamination methods and their effectiveness as a function of terrain." United Kingdom.
@misc{etde_6011261,
title = {Radioactive decontamination methods and their effectiveness as a function of terrain}
author = {Straume, T, Kellner, C R, and Oswald, K M}
abstractNote = {A large area of rugged terrain on the Nevada Test Site was contaminated following a spill of radioactively contaminated drilling mud. The contamination was shown to consist of /sup 103/Ru and /sup 106/(Ru-Rh) with total estimated activity at release time of 38 and 6 Ci, respectively. Several decontamination methods were used and their effectiveness assessed by determining the fraction of radioactivity remaining (FR) following each. In flat areas, the front end loader was by far the most efficient method, removing large quantities of dirt in relatively short periods of time. FRs of 10-/sup 22/ were achieved. In canyon areas, flushing with water was most effective on rocky surfaces with FRs of 10/sup -3/, while shoveling and bagging in evaporated mud collection ponds worked well and resulted in FRs of 10/sup -2/. The FR in rocky cracks was about 10/sup -1/ following flushing with water. In Locations where radioactive mud/water had not penetrated the ground surface to more than 1-2in., such as fine grain, flat compact dirt, vacuuming was very effective achieving FRs of 10/sup -3/. However, unless the contaminated area was very small (e.g. dropping from front end loading operations), vacuuming was too slow to be of practical value. Under the supervision of experienced radiation monitors, the radioactive mud spill area was safely cleaned up using, for the most part, standard earth moving equipment and personnel untrained in decontamination procedures.}
journal = []
volume = {35:2}
journal type = {AC}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {1978}
month = {Aug}
}