Evaluating the Dose Consequences of Progeny Ingrowth and Decay During Transport in the Environment - Counting Atoms

Conference · Sun Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2002

OSTI ID:911314

Schrader, Bradley J. ^[1]; Wenzel, D. R. ^[2]

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1. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
2. DR Wenzel Consulting, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

The evaluation of a release of radioactive material to the environment is a complex problem. The evaluation of the dose consequences from such a release adds issues that must be considered in order to determine the actual radiation dose to an individual. One of the key issues is the ingrowth of the progeny from the initial inventory during the transport through the environment. The evaluation of an acute release from a criticality accident and a chronic release of transuranics to the soil are the two extremes that demonstrate the spectrum of issues that must be addressed in order to determine the dose to a receptor at some distance and time from the release point. The evaluation of this can be accomplished by integration of the buildup and decay differential equations. The differential equations are difficult to evaluate for a source term that contains numerous short-lived radionuclides in decay chains. The evaluation is simplified by a method of evaluation called "counting atom". The source term is evaluated on an atom basis during production and transport. The life cycle of the atoms of each radionuclide are evaluated individually from the generation during a criticality event and during transport through the facility and environment to the downwind receptor.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); DR Wenzel Consulting, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-99ID-13727
• OSTI ID: 911314
• Report Number(s): INEEL/CON-02-00430; TRN: US0704520
• Resource Relation: Conference: 12. Biennial Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division (RPSD) of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), Santa Fe, NM (United States), 14-17 Apr 2002
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION
ATOMS
BUILDUP
CRITICALITY
DECAY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
LIFE CYCLE
PRODUCTION
PROGENY
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPES
SHIELDING
SOILS
SOURCE TERMS
TRANSPORT
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Radionuclides
Transuranics
Downwind Receptor
Fission Product Inventory Calculation
Fission Products
Criticality Accidents
Radionuclide Decay
Atmospheric Diffusion Equations