Ecological risk assessment of radiological exposure to depleted uranium in soils at a weapons testing facility.
The potential for unacceptable risks to biota from radiological exposure to depleted uranium (DU) in soils was evaluated at two sites where DU weapons testing had been conducted in the past. A screening risk assessment was conducted to determine if measured concentrations of DU-associated radionuclides in site soils exceed radionuclide levels considered protective of biota. While concentrations of individual radionuclides did not exceed acceptable levels, total radionuclide concentrations could result in potentially unacceptable doses to exposed biota. Thus, a receptor-specific assessment was conducted to estimate external and internal radiological doses to vegetation and wildlife known or expected to occur at the sites. Wildlife evaluated included herbivores, omnivores, and top-level predators. Internal dose estimates to wildlife considered exposure via fugitive dust inhalation and soil and food ingestion; root uptake was the primary exposure route evaluated for vegetation. Total doses were compared with acceptable dose levels of 1.0 and 0.1 rad/day for vegetation and wildlife, respectively, with potentially unacceptable risks indicated for doses exceeding these levels. All estimated doses were below or approximated acceptable levels, typically by an order of magnitude or more. These results indicate that current levels of DU in soils do not pose unacceptable radiological risks to biota at the sites evaluated.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOD
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 932908
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/EA/JA-48911; TRN: US0803733
- Journal Information:
- Soil Sediment Contam., Vol. 13, Issue 6 ; 2004; ISSN 1532-0383
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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