Radiological survey of exposed shorelines and islands of the Columbia River between Vernita and the Snake River confluence

Sula, M.J.

doi:10.2172/5101488

Cited by 17 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For most years, sediment samples from White Bluffs Slough had the highest cesium-137 concentration reported for Hanford Reach locations, most notably for 2004 (1.5 ± 0.18 pCi/g). Previous studies of soils from the White Bluffs Slough detected elevated concentrations of cesium-137, europium-152, and plutonium-239/240 (Sula 1980;Cooper and Woodruff 1993), which were associated with single-pass reactor operations.…”

Section: Gamma-emitting Radionuclides In Columbia and Snake River Sedmentioning

confidence: 93%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Summary of Radiological Monitoring of Columbia and Snake River Sediment, 1988 Through 2004

Patton¹,

Dirkes²

2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryOperation of the single-pass reactors at the Hanford Site resulted in the deposition of radionuclides, primarily short half-life activation products, to sediment accumulation areas on the Columbia River. Operation of the single-pass reactors ended in 1971, and a number of studies were conducted that documented the rapid decline in the radionuclide inventory in the sediment from the decay of short-lived radionuclides and the deposition of fresh sediment material. For the period from 1975 through 1988, environmental monitoring of Columbia River sediment was limited.From 1988 through 2004, samples of upper-layer sediments from the Columbia River and Snake River were collected under the Hanford Site Surface Environmental Surveillance Project to document concentrations and trends of radionuclides. Low concentrations of potassium-40, cesium-137, uranium isotopes, and plutonium isotopes were detected consistently in sediment samples over the entire sampling period. The concentrations of most radionuclides were similar to values measured upstream of the Hanford Site behind Priest Rapids Dam. For all locations, the concentrations of radionuclides in sediment samples from the Columbia and Snake rivers were below concentrations that would result in a 1-mrem effective dose equivalent to a hypothetical exposed individual using a shoreline exposure scenario (i.e., 500 hr/yr of external dose). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) limit for public exposure is 100 mrem/yr. Discerning changes in concentration trends for uranium isotopes in sediment was complicated by the use of different methods for analyzing for the presence of uranium. During the period covered by this report, uranium concentrations had been measured using both low-energy photon spectroscopy (U-LEPS) and alpha energy analysis (U-AEA). The U-LEPS method did not report values for uranium-234 and had higher detection limits for uranium-235, with most uranium-235 results reported as below the detection limit. Radionuclide concentrations in sediment collected from riverbank spring discharges along the Hanford Site shoreline were similar to levels in Columbia River sediment, with one exception-the 300 Area, where the average uranium concentrations were usually two to three times the concentrations measured at Priest Rapids. For all locations, the concentrations of radionuclides in riverbank spring sediment samples were below concentrations that would result in a 1-mrem effective dose equivalent to the hypothetical maximally exposed individual using a shoreline exposure scenario (i.e., 500 hr/yr of external dose), which is below the DOE public exposure limit of 100 mrem/yr.

show abstract

Section: Gamma-emitting Radionuclides In Columbia and Snake River Sedmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Potential public exposures are well below the level at which routine surveillance of Columbia River sediments is required (Sula 1980;Wells 1994). However, periodic sampling is necessary to confirm the low levels and to ensure that no significant changes have occurred for this pathway.…”

Section: Sediment Surveillancementioning

confidence: 99%

Summary of Radiological Monitoring of Columbia and Snake River Sediment, 1988 Through 2004

Patton¹,

Dirkes²

2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The initial 5 years of TLD deployment for surveillance purposes were summarized by Fix et al (1977). Additional information about the measurement of external radiation along the Columbia River shoreline can be found in a report by Sula (1980). However, there has been no previous summary that covers the entire 35 years of environmental surveillance TLD measurements and methods used at Hanford.…”

Section: Purpose and Scopementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lodge (1966) provided a fairly comprehensive reactor area shoreline survey in 1966 and as a result of his findings, shoreline TLDs were deployed as the site deployed TLDs at upland sites in 1971-1972. In 1979, Sula (1980 conducted one of the more comprehensive surveys of river shoreline at Hanford. As a result of that survey and aerial surveys, the deployment of shoreline TLDs increased and was focused on the areas showing the highest levels of external radiation.…”

Section: Dose Rates By Location Groupingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermoluminescent Dosimeter Use for Environmental Surveillance at the Hanford Site, 1971?2005

Antonio¹,

Poston²,

Rathbone³

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires that environmental monitoring programs be conducted at its Hanford Site in south-central Washington to protect the site's environmental and cultural resources, the public, and site workers by achieving site and contractor compliance with environmental, public health, and resource protection laws, regulations, and DOE Orders. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) manages Public Safety and Resource Protection Projects (PSRPP) for DOE's Richland Operations Office to monitor the Hanford environment, provide assurance that the site is operated in compliance with applicable environmental regulations, and conduct impact assessments to protect public and worker safety and Hanford's ecological and cultural resources. Under the PSRPP, the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project is responsible for measuring the concentrations of radiological and nonradiological contaminants in environmental media and for assessing the potential impacts of these materials on the environment and the public. Various media are collected onsite in the 600 Area, and offsite at perimeter, community, and distant locations. Samples of air, surface water and sediment, farm products, wildlife, and vegetation are routinely collected and analyzed for radionuclides and various chemical constituents. From 1971 through 2005, ambient external radiation was also measured at selected locations on and off the site.This report briefly describes the principles of thermoluminescent dosimetry and the various thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) systems that have been used at Hanford for environmental surveillance of external radiation over its operational history largely by PNNL under the so-called Hanford Environmental Surveillance TLD Program, or simply the TLD program. It presents the results of a review of the measurement of external radiation using TLDs outside of industrialized areas on the site, at locations along the river shoreline, and in areas adjacent to and distant from the Hanford Site. Quality assurance practices and independent measures of system performance are discussed, supplemented by summaries of TLD results from January 1971 through December 2005 (when the TLD program was terminated) and analysis of observed trends. Summary figures and narrative discussion of TLD readings at each surveillance location are included for both terrestrial (onsite and offsite) locations and riparian (Columbia River shoreline) locations.An apparent increase in environmental exposure rates was observed from 1985 through 1989 after a large-scale exchange of TLD chips. Part of the increase is believed to be attributable to the greater sensitivity of replacement TLD chips to low-energy photons, and possible changes in calibration practices in the TLD processing laboratory. Analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference in TLD readings based on dosimeter type and that, historically, there was a significant difference in readings between location groupings of TLDs (i.e., onsite, perimeter, c...

show abstract

“…The maximum concentration was reported from the 100 Areas in 1991 (Table 4.1 'and Figure C.2). Within the 100 Areas, especially along the Columbia River shoreline and on some islands, specific locations have been documented to have above background levels of 6oCo in the form of discrete radioactive particles (Cooper and Woodruff 1993;Sula 1980). …”

Section: Soilmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radionuclide concentrations in terrestrial vegetation and soil on and around the Hanford Site, 1983 through 1993

Poston¹,

Antonio²,

Cooper³

1995

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Radiological survey of exposed shorelines and islands of the Columbia River between Vernita and the Snake River confluence

Cited by 17 publications

References 1 publication

Summary of Radiological Monitoring of Columbia and Snake River Sediment, 1988 Through 2004

Summary of Radiological Monitoring of Columbia and Snake River Sediment, 1988 Through 2004

Thermoluminescent Dosimeter Use for Environmental Surveillance at the Hanford Site, 1971?2005

Radionuclide concentrations in terrestrial vegetation and soil on and around the Hanford Site, 1983 through 1993

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About