Formerly utilized MED/AEC sites Remedial Action Program: radiological survey of the Bayo Canyon, Los Alamos, New Mexico. Final report
- comps.
A portion of Bayo Canyon, located in Los Alamos County in north-central New Mexico, was used between 1944 and 1961 as a site for experiments employing conventional high explosives in conjunction with research on nuclear weapons development. Radiochemistry operations conducted at the site resulted in the generation of liquid and solid radioactive wastes, which were disposed into subsurface pits and leaching fields. The site was decommissioned by 1963. The resurvey utilized information from a number of routine and special environmental surveillance studies as well as extensive new instrumental measurements, soil sampling, and radiochemical analyses. Results showed that residual surface contamination due to /sup 90/Sr averaged about 1.4 pCi/g or approximately 3 times the level attributable to worldwide fallout. Surface uranium averaged about 4.9 ..mu..g/g or about 1.5 times the amount naturally present in the volcanic-derived soils of the area. Subsurface contamination associated with the former waste disposal locations is largely confined within a total area of about 10,000 m/sup 2/ and down to depths of about 5 m. Of 378 subsurface samples, fewer than 12% exceeded 13 pCi/g of gross beta activity, which is comparable to the upper range of activities for uncontaminated local soils. Health physics interpretation of the data indicates that the present population of Los Alamos living on mesas adjacent to Bayo Canyon is not receiving any incremental radiation doses due to the residual contamination. Potential future land uses of Bayo Canyon include development of a residential area.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6081807
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EV-0005/15; TRN: 79-019180
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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