routine radiological environmental monitoring
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Routine Radiological Environmental Monitoring. Ronald Warren Ecological & Environmental Monitoring National Security Technologies, LLC Community Environmental Monitoring Program Workshop July 26, 2011. Overview. Routine Radiological Environmental Monitoring Plan (RREMP) overview - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Ronald WarrenEcological & Environmental MonitoringNational Security Technologies, LLC
Community Environmental Monitoring Program WorkshopJuly 26, 2011
Routine RadiologicalEnvironmental Monitoring
Page 2Page 2Title85FY11– 07/26/2011 – Page 2
Log No. 2011-226
Overview• Routine Radiological Environmental Monitoring Plan
(RREMP) overview
• Operations evaluations against regulatory limits
• Evaluation that indicated soil re-suspension less than National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs)
• Standards vs. RREMP results
• NESHAPs standards vs. results
• Compliance is demonstrated at the on-site locations, so the off-site dose is much less
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RREMP
RoutineRadiologicalEnvironmentalMonitoringPlan
• Identifies requirements for radiological monitoring at Nevada Site Office facilities, primarily the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)
• Focuses on – the need to ensure that the public and the environment are protected, – that compliance with the letter and the spirit of the law is achieved, and– that good land stewardship is practiced. • Uses a decision based approach to
identify the data that must be collected and provides Quality Assurance, Analysis, and Sampling Plans which ensure that defensible data is generated.
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• Inhalation (Air)
• Ingestion
– Groundwater
– Game Animals
• Direct Exposure
Pathway Approach
(External Dose)
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• Projects with a potential for airborne radionuclide emissions are evaluated (modeled) in accordance with 40 CFR 61 for the potential to cause a 0.1 mrem dose to the public under the assumption no pollution controls are in place.
• If the modeled emission exceeds 0.1 mrem, the regulator is required to be involved with the design, and monitoring will likely be required (e.g. JASPER).
Pre-Operational Evaluations
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• For potential emissions (before a new potential emission source is created to determine off-site dose)
• To estimate dose from actual emissions because concentrations of radionuclides from most emissions are so low they cannot be measured even relatively near the emission source.
How do we know modeled results are valid (conservative)?
Modeling of Potential Off-site Dose
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0.0E+00
2.0E-04
4.0E-04
6.0E-04
8.0E-04
1.0E-03
1.2E-03
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Co
nc
en
tra
tio
n in
Air
(pC
i/m3)
Distance from Release (km)
CAP88 Predicted Nuclide 1
CAP88 Predicted Nuclide 2
Observed Nuclide 1
Observed Nuclide 2
Trendline for CAP88 Prediction
Mean MDC
Nea
rest
Off
site
Res
iden
t
CL for U-233, 234, 235 = 7.1E-03 pCi/m3
Modeled vs. Measured Results
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Modeled vs. Measured Results(continued)
1.0E-18
1.0E-17
1.0E-16
1.0E-15
1.0E-14
Conc
entr
ation
in A
ir (µ
Ci/m
L)
YEAR
239+240Pu at Gate 700 S Sampler
Gate 700 S Annual Mean CAP88 Prediction for Gate 700 S CL
Error bars extend from minimum to maximum of measured values.
1.0E-17
1.0E-16
1.0E-15
1.0E-14
1.0E-13
Conc
entr
ation
in A
ir (µ
Ci/m
L)
YEAR
239+240Pu at Sedan N Sampler
Sedan N Annual Mean CAP88 Prediction for Sedan N CL
Error bars extend from minimum to maximum of measured values.
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Air Monitoring
Air Sampler – Solar Power Air Sampler – Line Power
Atmospheric Moisture Sampling
Air Particulate Sampling
Emergency Response (e.g. wildfires) or for
Special Projects
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0102030405060708090
100110120130140150160170180190200210220
1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
Num
ber o
f Sam
ple/
Mea
sure
men
t Loc
ation
s
Year
Air Particulate Stations
HTO Stations
TLD Stations
Air & Direct Radiation Monitoring Network Evolution
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Surface Contamination Air Monitoring Stations
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0
50
100
150
200
250
1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
10
-18
µC
i/m
L
Year
239+240Pu Annual Mean TrendsAverage Trend Lines for Locations With ≥ 15-Year Histories since 1971
Areas 1 & 3
Area 5
Areas 7, 9, 10 & 15
Other Areas
10% of CL
3 to 9% avg. annual
decrease
239+240Pu Annual Mean TrendsAverage Trend Lines for Locations With > 15-Year
Histories Since 1971
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0
5
10
15
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
x 10
-6p
Ci/m
L
Year
3H Average Trends by Area GroupAverage Trend Lines for Locations With ≥ 7-Yr Histories since 1990
Data before 1999 adjusted; Schooner omitted
Area 1
Area 3
Area 5
Areas 6-9-10-12
Areas 15-16-18-20
Areas 23-25
1% of CL
~15% avg. annual
reduction
3H Average Trends by Area Group
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0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
Fra
ctio
n o
f L
imit
fro
m A
ir P
ath
way
Calendar Year
Off-site MEI Based on CAP88 Modeling
On-site Compliance Station: Highest Annual Average Air Concentration
Fraction of Regulatory Limit for Air EmissionsFraction of Regulatory Limit for
Air Emissions
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Water MonitoringSurface Water
E Tunnel PondsE TunnelOut-flow
Off-Site Springs
Groundwater
Water Supply (Last Trails Ranch)
Monitoring Wells (ER-OV-01 and -06A)
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Groundwater Monitoring Surface Water Monitoring
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Tritium in Onsite Monitoring Wells with Histories of Elevated Concentrations
1
10
100
1000
10000
1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012
pC
i/L
Collection Date
Tritium in Onsite Monitoring Wells with Histories of Elevated Concentrations
PM-1
UE-7NS
U-19BH
WW A
10% of EPA MCL
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Pahute Mesa Contaminant Transport Model
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Biota Monitoring
Game Birds
Big Game(opportunistic
sampling – e.g. road kills)
Rabbits
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Biota Monitoring Sites
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Dose from Animal Consumption
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
Pote
ntial
Dos
e fr
om C
onsu
min
g O
ne A
nim
al (
mre
m)
E Tunnel Chukar
Schooner Cottontail Rabbit
T2 Quail
T2 Jackrabbit
Sedan Jackrabbit
Area 3 RWMS Jackrabbit
Area 5 RWMS Jackrabbit
Pu-valley Jackrabbit
E Tunnel Doves
Palanquin Doves
Well U-20n PS#1DDH Doves
Pu-valley Doves
Sedan Doves
Schooner Doves
Areas 8, 12, & 30 Mtn Lion
Area 5 Pronghorn
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Direct Radiation Monitoring
Thermoluminescent Dosimeters
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ETLD Monitoring Locations
Area 3
RWMS
Area 5
RWMS
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0
400
800
1200
1600
mR
Year
Estimated Annual ExposuresLocations With at Least 10-Year Histories
Control
Background
Environmental 1
Associated with Legacy Contamination
Waste Operations
A4 Stake A-9
A2 Stake N-8
A3 RWMS S
Estimated Annual ExposuresLocations With at Least 10-Year Histories
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27.6%
8.6%
63.3%
0.5%
Dose from cosmic andterrestrial radiation at Indian Springs,100 mrem/yr
Dose from naturalradionuclides in body,31 mrem/yr
Dose from inhalation ofdecay products from natural radon,229 mrem/yr
Dose from NNSS emissions to air and consumption of wildlife and plants, 1.69 mrem/yr
Calendar Year 2010 Radiological Doseto a Person Breathing Air on the NNSS (Gate 510)
and Eating 20 Jackrabbits from near the Sedan Crater
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• Concentrations of radionuclides from legacy contamination show decreasing trends primarily due to immobilization, dilution, and physical decay.
• On-site operations involving radioactive materials are evaluated for air emissions.
• Current pathways for radionuclides to off-site public are air and game animals (no current pathway for groundwater or direct radiation).
• Concentrations of radionuclides measured in air at on-site compliance stations and in water at on and off-site environmental monitoring locations are much less than limits for exposure to the public.
Conclusions