Document Details

RADIOACTIVITY IN WATER CENTRAL NEVADA TEST AREA

NORK, W E; FORSLOW, E J; ESSINGTON, E H

WATER; RADIOACTIVITY; ACTIVITY LEVELS; ALPHA DETECTION; BACKGROUND RADIATION; BARIUM 137M; BETA DETECTION; CADMIUM; CALCIUM 45; CALCULATION METHODS; CALCULATIONS; CALIBRATION; CALIFORNIUM; CALIFORNIUM 252; CESIUM 137; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; CONCENTRATION; CONTAMINATION; CROSSTIE OPERATION; CURIUM 248; DATA; DECAY; EFFICIENCY; ENVIRONMENT; FAULTLESS EVENT; FLINTLOCK OPERATION; GAMMA DETECTION; GAMMA SPECTRA; GEOLOGY; HYDROGEN; IODINE 125; IODINE 126; IODINE 129; IODINE 131; LEAD 210; LIQUID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS; LONG SHOT EVENT; MAGNESIUM; MAPS; METALS; MONITORING STATIONS; NIBLICK OPERATION; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; PLUTONIUM; POTASSIUM 40; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RADIUM 226; RADIUM 228; RADON 222; RECOMMENDATIONS; SAMPLING; SCANDIUM 46; SHOAL EVENT; STANDARDS; STATISTICS; STRONTIUM 85; STRONTIUM 90; SURVEYS; TESTING; THORIUM 232; TRANSPORT; TRITIUM; URANIUM; URANIUM 233

Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV

REPORT

1971 Sep 30

Never classified

0088

NV0014432

NVO1229175

* ISOTOPES

1994 Aug 26

2003 Sep 18

EXPERIENCE ASSOCIATED WITH PROJECT SHOAL AND PROJECT LONG SHOT HAS DEMONSTRATED THE NECESSITY FOR DOCUMENTING PRE-DETONATION BACKGROUND RADIOACTIVITY LEVELS IN ENVIRONMENTAL WATERS. POSSIBLE NATURAL FLUCTUATIONS AND CYCLIC VARIATIONS IN BACKGROUND RADIOACTIVITTY LEVELS IN WATER MAY BE DISTINGUISHED FROM EXPLOSION PRODUCED RADIOACTIVITY BY LONG-TERM SEQUENTIAL SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS. A PLAN FOR MULTIPLE SAMPL- ING AND ANALYSIS. A PLAN FOR MULTIPLE SMAPLING AND ANALYSIS FOR THE CENTRAL NEVADA TEST AREA (CNTA) WAS PREPARED AND IMPLEMENTED BY TELEDYNE ISOTOPES (TI) ON BEHALF OF THE U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC). LOW-LEVEL TRITIUM AND GROSS RADIOACTIVITY ANALYSES FOR BACK- GROUND DETERMINATIONS WERE MADE ON WATER SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM THE CNTA. A SERIES OF SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED FROM SAMPLING POINTS OF INTEREST AT VARIOUS TIMES AND ANALYZED. LOWER LIMITS OF TRITIUM AND GROSS RADIOACTIVITY CONCENTRATIONS IN WATER WERE REASONABLY WELL ESTABLISHED. DETERMINATION OF BACKGROUND RADIOACTIVITIES DUE TO NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES IN WATER WAS ESTABLISHED FOR ALL PROPOSED SITES IN CENTRAL NEVADA. AFTER SELECTION OF HOT CREEK VALLEY AS THE CNTA, SAMPLING EFFORTS WERE CONCENTRATED THERE AND THE FREQUENCY OF SAMPLING AT OTHER LOCATIONS DIMINISHED. HYDRAULIC TEST DATA FROM WELLS WERE ANALYZED TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL MIGRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE GROUND-WATER SYSTEM. RADIO- NUCLIDE MIGRATION THROUGH GEOLOGIC MEDIA IS GOVERNED BY THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF WATER VELOCITY AND RETARDATION OF THE RADIONUCLIDE BY SORPTION AND DISPERSION. THE DEGREE OF RADIONUCLIDE SORPTION AND RETARDATION ARE APPRIOXIMATED IN THE LABORATORY BY MEASUREMENT OF DISTRIBUTION OF A RADIONUCLIDE BETWEEN THE MINERAL AND SOLUTION PHASES. A NUMBER OF SAMPLES FROM UCE-18 INDICATED NATURAL RADIO- ACTIVITY LEVELS ABOVE THE REFERENCE CONCENTRATION GUIDE VALUES. SPECIFIC RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSES INDICATED THAT THE RADIOACTIVITY WAS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF NATURAL URANIUM. SAMPLES TAKEN IN FAULTLESS RE- ENTRY DRILL HOLE UC-1-P-2SR WERE ANALYZED FOR COMPARISON WITH PRE- EVENT BACKGROUND LEVELS OF TRITIUM AND GROSS RADIOACTIVITY.