Iodine-131 Releases from Radioactive Lanthanum Processing at the X-10 Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (1944-1956)- An Assessment of Quantities released, Off-Site Radiation Doses, and Potential Excess Risks of Thyroid Cancer, Volume 1
In the early 1990s, concern about the Oak Ridge Reservation's past releases of contaminants to the environment prompted Tennessee's public health officials to pursue an in-depth study of potential off-site health effects at Oak Ridge. This study, the Oak Ridge dose reconstruction, was supported by an agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Tennessee, and was overseen by a 12-member panel appointed by Tennessee's Commissioner of Health. One of the major contaminants studied in the dose reconstruction was radioactive iodine, which was released to the air by X-10 (now called Oak Ridge National Laboratory) as it processed spent nuclear reactor fuel from 1944 through 1956. The process recovered radioactive lanthanum for use in weapons development. Iodine concentrates in the thyroid gland so health concerns include various diseases of the thyroid, such as thyroid cancer. The large report, ''Iodine-131 Releases from Radioactive Lanthanum Processing at the X-10 Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (1944-1956) - An Assessment of Quantities Released, Off-site Radiation Doses, and Potential Excess Risks of Thyroid Cancer,'' is in two volumes. Volume 1 is the main body of the report, and Volume 1A, which has the same title, consists of 22 supporting appendices. Together, these reports serve the following purposes: (1) describe the methodologies used to estimate the amount of iodine-131 (I-131) released; (2) evaluate I-131's pathway from air to vegetation to food to humans; (3) estimate doses received by human thyroids; (4) estimate excess risk of acquiring a thyroid cancer during ones lifetime; and (5) provide equations, examples of historical documents used, and tables of calculated values. Results indicate that females born in 1952 who consumed milk from a goat pastured a few miles east of X-10 received the highest doses from I-131 and would have had the highest risks of contracting thyroid cancer. Doses from cow's milk are considerably less . Detailed dose and risk estimates, and associated uncertainties, for other contaminants studied for the Oak Ridge dose reconstruction are presented in several other technical reports. One way to easily locate them in OSTI's Information Bridge is by searching the ''report number field'' for the number DOE/OR/21981*. Be sure to place the asterisk after the base number so your search can list the complete series of reports related to Oak Ridge Dose Reconstruction.
- Research Organization:
- Office of ES and H, Office of Epidemiologic Studies (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG-05-91OR21891
- OSTI ID:
- 775588
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/OR/21981-01; TRN: US0300256
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Use report number DOE/OR/21981* in search for reports related to this project.; PBD: 1 Jul 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Oak Ridge Dose Reconstruction Project Summary Report; Reports of the Oak Ridge Dose Reconstruction, Vol. 7
Releases of Contaminants from Oak Ridge Facilities and Risks to Public Health; Final Report of the Oak Ridge Health Agreement Steering Panel
Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGANISMS AND BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
IODINE
IODINE 131
LANTHANUM
NEOPLASMS
ORNL
PLANTS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RADIATION DOSES
TENNESSEE
THYROID
OAK RIDGE
DOSE RECONSTRUCTION
RISK
HEALTH
PUBLIC
HEALTH AGREEMENT
CONTAMINANT
RELEASES
DOSE
EXPOSURE
X-10
CANCER