investigation of radiological contamination of soil samples from idaho national laboratory

INVESTIGATION OF RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF SOIL SAMPLES FROM IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY By ROSARA FAITH PAYNE A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY Department of Chemistry AUGUST 2006 UMI Number: 3233279 3233279 2006 UMI Microform Copyright All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. [...]... and the relative number of events from 9,970 sites 5 1.2 Pathways of transuranic elements to man from aquatic, atmospheric and terrestrial components 6 1.3 Fission mass yield curve for the low-energy neutron-induced fission of a heavy mass nuclide 16 1.4 Production of 241Am and Pu isotopes in a neutron flux 18 1.5 Location of Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the... assembly for FTA of a soil sample 117 4.2 Image of B4C chip in epoxy and the resultant image in the detector after irradiation and etching 118 4.3 Image of no tracks, starburst pattern of tracks and homogeneous distribution of tracks 119 4.4 LAMS analysis of a contaminated soil 120 Pu/239Pu atom ratios expected from various nuclear events 88 xii 4.5 Comparison of bulk elemental... determine the total 241Am, isotopic Pu and 137 Cs activities in soil collected from the Idaho National Laboratory, and to use this information to gain a better understanding of the source of the contamination The development and adaptation of specific methods and techniques to accomplish these goals were required The first approach was to examine the contamination source information by investigating actinide... (LAMS) The information gained from the research described here has suggested that additional experimental investigations should be explored to obtain a better understanding of the radiological soil contamination in these soils Background: history In August 1939, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to the President, Franklin D Roosevelt, warning him of the possible implications of a uranium (U) chain reaction... FSU radiological releases have contributed to radiological environmental contamination The Mayak Production Association was the site of the first Pu production U-graphite moderated reactor in the FSU Between 1949-1956, 76 x 106 m3 (1 x 1017 Bq) of liquid radioactive waste was intentionally dumped into the Techa-Iset-Tobol river system causing the contamination of the water, riverbed sediments, soil of. .. priority; however, with the end of the Cold War the focus was directed towards environmental clean-up, nonproliferation and stewardship of the nuclear stockpile (DOE 1997) A portion of the efforts of DOE is currently dedicated to cleanup and closure of over 140 contaminated locations in the United States These sites include the national laboratories that are part of the legacy of nuclear-weapons production... et al., 1997) Most of the activity is still contained in the top 5 cm of soil although cultivation has caused deeper penetration (Rubio Montero and Martin Sanchez, 2001) In 1968 a B-52 bomber crashed 11 km from the Thule Air Base in Greenland The chemical explosive components of all four weapons detonated resulting in the dispersion of kilogram quantities of Pu-oxide (8.8 TBq), of which only 85-90%... Syndrome ANL-W – Argonne National Laboratory West BOMARC – Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center DOE – Department of Energy EBR-1 – Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 FSU – Former Soviet Union FTA – Fission Track Analysis HPGe – High Purity Germanium IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ICP – Inductively Coupled Plasma ICPP – Idaho Chemical Processing Plant INL – Idaho National Laboratory LAMS – Laser... the presence of contaminated environmental media or waste at approximately 9,900 sites across the United States (DOE 1997) Figure 1.1 shows the processes which have contributed to the environmental release of radionuclides over the last 50 years The contaminated material consists of about 79,000,000 m3 of solid material and 1,800 m3 of contaminated water, greater than 90% of which is from weapons production... fission product environmental release and the relative number of events from 9,970 sites (DOE 1997) 5 Figure 1.2 Figure 1.2: Pathways of transuranic elements to man from aquatic, atmosphere and terrestrial components (DOE 1980) 6 Weapons detonation July 16, 1945 marked the beginning of anthropogenic environmental contamination with the detonation of the first nuclear weapon in Nevada (DOE 1980) Between . INVESTIGATION OF RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF SOIL SAMPLES FROM IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY By ROSARA FAITH PAYNE A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of. through all of the chaos. I am forever indebted to all those who helped me succeed. Thank you! iv INVESTIGATION OF RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION IN HISTORIC SOIL FROM IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY. activities in soil collected from the Idaho National Laboratory, and to use this information to gain a better understanding of the source of the contamination. The development and adaptation of specific