Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Shoal Site

Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Shoal Site
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 28
Release: 1995
Genre:
ISBN:

Download Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Shoal Site Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The US Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies are responsible for nuclear weapons research and development as part of the national defense program. These activities include underground nuclear testing, and a small number of such tests have been conducted at sites distant from the Nevada Test Site (NTS). An NTS site-wide Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared in 1995 and includes the two offsite test areas in Nevada: the Shoal site and the Central Nevada Test Area. At the time of these tests, evaluations of project safety and predictions of groundwater transport of contaminants were made, and the tests were deemed safe to the public. These early evaluations were not considered sufficient for the EIS, so DOE decided to perform a new exposure assessment for the Shoal site. The basic scenario evaluated for this exposure assessment is transport of tritium from the Shoal underground nuclear test by groundwater to a receptor well where an individual drinks the contaminated water for 70 years, centered around the time of peak tritium concentration. This scenario is entirely hypothetical because, as of 1995, there are no known occurrences of humans drinking water downgradient from the test. Four specific scenarios are analyzed because of uncertainty in flowpath direction. Two of these presume that wells are drilled at the boundary of the current DOE land withdrawal and are then used for drinking water supply. Wells do not currently exist at these locations and thus the resultant risks do not apply to any current populations; however, there are no controls to prevent such wells from being drilled in the future. The two other scenarios consider transport to the first existing wells along possible flowpaths. These wells are currently used only seasonally to water cattle, and as such, these risks also do not apply to current populations.

Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Central Nevada Test Area

Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Central Nevada Test Area
Author: Karl F. Pohlmann
Publisher:
Total Pages: 36
Release: 1995
Genre: Groundwater
ISBN:

Download Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Central Nevada Test Area Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This exposure assessment provides a range of possible human health risk at two locations due to groundwater transport from the Faultless underground nuclear test. These locations correspond to the boundary of the land under DOE control (where no wells currently exist) and the closest existing well (Six Mile Well). The range in excess risk is within the EPA goal for excess risk due to environmental contaminants (10−6) at Six Mile Well. Calculations considering high spatial variability in hydraulic properties and/or high uncertainty in the mean groundwater velocity are also within the EPA goal. At the DOE boundary, the range in excess risk exceeds the EPA goal, regardless of the values of spatial variability and uncertainty. The range in values of excess risk can be reduced with additional field data from the site; however, incorporation of additional data, which would likely be obtained at great expense, is unlikely to result in significant refinement of the results.

Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Central Nevada Test Area

Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Central Nevada Test Area
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 30
Release: 1995
Genre:
ISBN:

Download Exposure Assessment of Groundwater Transport of Tritium from the Central Nevada Test Area Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This exposure assessment provides a range of possible human health risk at two locations due to groundwater transport from the Faultless underground nuclear test. These locations correspond to the boundary of the land under DOE control (where no wells currently exist) and the closest existing well (Six Mile Well). The range in excess risk is within the EPA goal for excess risk due to environmental contaminants (10−6) at Six Mile Well. Calculations considering high spatial variability in hydraulic properties and/or high uncertainty in the mean groundwater velocity are also within the EPA goal. At the DOE boundary, the range in excess risk exceeds the EPA goal, regardless of the values of spatial variability and uncertainty. The range in values of excess risk can be reduced with additional field data from the site; however, incorporation of additional data, which would likely be obtained at great expense, is unlikely to result in significant refinement of the results.

Nevada Test Site (NTS) and Off-site Locations in the State of Nevada, Tonopah Test Range, Portions of the Nellis AFB Range (NAFR) Complex, the Central Nevada Test Area, and Shoal Area, Nye County

Nevada Test Site (NTS) and Off-site Locations in the State of Nevada, Tonopah Test Range, Portions of the Nellis AFB Range (NAFR) Complex, the Central Nevada Test Area, and Shoal Area, Nye County
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 464
Release: 1996
Genre:
ISBN:

Download Nevada Test Site (NTS) and Off-site Locations in the State of Nevada, Tonopah Test Range, Portions of the Nellis AFB Range (NAFR) Complex, the Central Nevada Test Area, and Shoal Area, Nye County Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Evaluation of the Fate and Transport of Tritium Contaminated Groundwater from the 618-11 Burial Ground

Evaluation of the Fate and Transport of Tritium Contaminated Groundwater from the 618-11 Burial Ground
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2005
Genre:
ISBN:

Download Evaluation of the Fate and Transport of Tritium Contaminated Groundwater from the 618-11 Burial Ground Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Tritium transport simulations were conducted to model the mechanisms associated with dilution, dispersion, and radioactive decay that attenuate the 618-11 Burial Ground tritium plume and limit the risk associated with exposure to the Columbia River and Energy Northwest water supply wells. A comparison of simulated and observed tritium concentrations at two downgradient monitoring wells indicated that the model was a reasonable representation of the tritium concentrations immediately downgradient of the site (699-13-3A) and near the leading edge of the plume (699-13-0A). This good match increased confidence in the conceptual model, its numeric implementation, and ultimately the validity of predictive simulations of tritium fate and transport. Three release scenarios were investigated to measure the impact of the tritium plume at primary receptor locations under different conditions. The three cases were 1) a pulse release of tritium from the burial ground that was the best fit between observed and simulated tritium concentrations; 2) a continuing, decaying source beneath the burial ground through 2015, the milestone for source removal under the River Corridor Closure Contract; and 3) a pulse release as in the best fit case but at twice the concentration. For the best fit case, the model predicts that the maximum tritium concentration will decline to below the drinking water standard by 2031 For the other two release scenarios, maximum tritium concentrations declined to below the drinking water standard by 2040 and 2037, respectively. Tritium from the 618-11 burial ground is not expected to migrate to the Columbia River or to the Energy Northwest water supply wells at concentrations that would pose a significant risk.

Energy Research Abstracts

Energy Research Abstracts
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 896
Release: 1995-12
Genre: Power resources
ISBN:

Download Energy Research Abstracts Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle