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PubMed2003

Investigations of enhanced outdoor radon concentration in Johanngeorgenstadt (Saxony).

Since the beginning of the nineties, the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, BfS) has performed extensive measurements of long-term radon concentration in areas influenced by mining. In the region of Johanngeorgenstadt (Saxony) enhanced long-term radon concentrations were measured in the surrounding area of a waste rock pile. To find the explanation for the enhanced radon concentrations both short- and long-term investigations of radon exhalation were performed. To gain information about the local distribution of the radon level, the radon concentrations were measured at a height of 15 cm above ground level. The radon exhalation rate was continuously measured at the toe and the plateau of the waste rock pile. It has been found that radon is extensively released through both diurnal and pronounced seasonal variations. The exhalation pattern is governed by convection processes triggered by the temperature gradient between the waste rock pile and the atmosphere.

Air Pollutants, Radioactive↗
PubMed2002

Accumulation of COGEMA-La Hague-derived reprocessing wastes in French salt marsh sediments.

Over the past five decades, authorized low-level discharges from coastal nuclear facilities have released significant quantities of artificial radionuclides into the marine environment. In northwest Europe, the majority of the total discharge has derived from nuclear reprocessing activities at Sellafield in the United Kingdom and COGEMA-La Hague in France. At the Sellafield site, a significant amount of the discharges has been trapped in offshore fine sediment deposits, and notably in local coastal and estuarine sediments, and much research has been focused on understanding the distribution, accumulation, and reworking of long-lived radionuclides in these deposits. In contrast, there are few high-resolution published data on the vertical distribution of radionuclides in fine-grained estuarine sediments near, and downstream of, COGEMA-La Hague. This paper therefore examines the vertical distribution of a range of anthropogenic radionuclides in dated salt marsh cores from two estuaries, one adjacent to, and the other downstream of, the COGEMA-La Hague discharge point (the Havre de Carteret at Barneville-Carteret and the Baie de Somme, respectively). The radionuclides examined show a vertical distribution which predominantly reflects variations in input from COGEMA-La Hague (albeit much more clearly at Barneville-Carteret than at the Baie de Somme site), and Pu isotopic ratios are consistent with a La Hague, rather than weapons' fallout, source. Because of sediment mixing, the marshes apparently retain an integrated record of the La Hague discharges, rather than an exact reproduction of the discharge history. Sorption of radionuclides increases in the order 90Sr < 137Cs < 60Co < 239,240Pu, which is consistent with Kd values reported in the literature. In general, the radionuclide activities observed at the sites studied are low (particularly in comparison with salt marsh sediments near the Sellafield facility), but are similar to those found in areas of fine sedimentation in the central Channel. These marshes are not major sinks for discharged reprocessing wastes.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1999

A new Hazardous Waste Index.

Hazardous wastes, once generated, have to be stored, transported, treated, disposed off, recycled, depending upon the situation. With laws being tightened, all of the above operations have to be done safely without causing harm to people and environment. Before any operation is carried out, it is vital to know the hazardous characteristics of the waste to be handled. Because waste, generally, is a mixture instead of a pure compound, its hazardous characteristics are difficult to determine and generalize because each waste is specific. A new Hazardous Waste Index (HWI) is proposed in this paper. The index measures hazards related to flammability, reactivity, toxicity and corrosivity as well as the pH value for a hazardous waste. Two examples are given for its use. The index can be modified to include radioactive or mixed waste.

Environmental Pollution↗
PubMed2005

Rodents as receptor species at a tritium disposal site.

New methods are being employed on the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site to deal with the disposal of tritium, including the irrigation of a hardwood/pine forest with tritiated water from an intercepted contaminant plume to reduce concentrations of tritium outcropping into Fourmile Branch, a tributary of the Savannah River. The use of this system has proven to be an effective means of tritium disposal. To evaluate the impact of this activity on terrestrial biota, rodent species were captured on the tritium disposal site and a control site during two trapping seasons in order to assess tritium exposure resulting from the forest irrigation. Control site mice had background levels of tritium, 0.02 Bq/mL, with disposal site mice having significantly higher tritium concentrations, mean=34.86 Bq/mL. Whole body tritium concentrations of the mice captured at the disposal site were positively correlated with tritium application and negatively correlated with precipitation at the site.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Continuing contamination of north Atlantic and Arctic waters by Sellafield radionuclides.

Discharges of 99Tc and 129I from the reprocessing plant at Sellafield have increased significantly since the mid-1990s, against the overall trend of most other radionuclides. The 'pulsed' release of 99Tc has provided an opportunity to study transport pathways and transit times in UK waters, the North Sea and beyond. Transit times estimated from the 99Tc data are signifcantly shorter than rates reported previously using other radiotracers. The possible reasons for this are discussed. A comparison is made between the response of seawater concentrations and those in the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus to variations in the release rates. Current discharges of plutonium are very low compared with the 1970s and 1980s. However, the seabed sediments of the Irish Sea represent a substantial source and remobilisation into the water column results in the continuing export of plutonium from the Irish Sea and its transport to Arctic waters.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed1993

Liquid scintillation sample analysis in microcentrifuge tubes.

Local regulations prohibiting drain disposal of "biodegradable" liquid scintillation cocktails prompted investigation of volume reduction for these materials. Microcentrifuge tubes were used with aqueous and filter media samples of 3H, 14C, 32P, and 125I. Backgrounds, counting efficiencies, figures of merit, and spectral distributions obtained for microcentrifuge tubes compared favorably to conventional vials. Differences in 32P spectra for solid support samples appeared related to filter material and sample volume. Decreases in sample costs and waste volume and disposal costs were approximately 50-75%.

Radioactive Waste↗
PubMed2002

Risk-based radioactive liquid effluent monitoring requirements at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site.

For Department of Energy (DOE) facilities, clear regulatory guidance exists for structuring radiological air emissions monitoring programs. However, there are no parallel regulations for radiological liquid effluent monitoring programs. In order to bridge this gap and to technically justify liquid effluent monitoring decisions at DOE's Savannah River Site, a graded, risk-based approach has been established to determine the monitoring and sampling criteria to be applied at each liquid discharge point.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Improper disposal of hazardous substances and resulting injuries--selected States, January 2001-March 2005.

Many consumer and industrial products, including fuels, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, paints, and household cleaning disinfectants, contain hazardous substances. Improper disposal of these materials can lead to unexpected releases of toxins that are hazardous to humans and harmful to the environment. This report summarizes all known events involving improper disposal of hazardous substances reported to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) during January 2001-March 2005, describes four illustrative case reports, and provides recommendations for preventing injury resulting from improper disposal.

Accidents↗