ML20070S083

Forwards Addl Pages to Complete Submissions for Amend for Field Study,Per 901220 Request

ML20070S083
Person / Time
Site:	Purdue University
Issue date:	03/18/1991
From:	Schweitzer J PURDUE UNIV., WEST LAFAYETTE, IN
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
Shared Package
ML20070S086	List: ML20070S083 ML20070S088 ML20070S103
References
NUDOCS 9104020122
Download: ML20070S083 (5)

Text

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PURDUE U N IVE RSITY

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DEPARTMENT OF 4

R Aoiotoolc AL AND i

E.NvlRoNMENTAL M AN AoE Mi.HT March 18, 1991 l

i l U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Materials Licensing Section 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137 1

Gentlemen:

Please find enclosed four additional pages to complete the submissions request was for an filed amendment for a field study. The original in a letter dated Supplemental information was filed on March December 4, 1991.

20, 1990.

Complete j

copies have also been submitted to Dr. Donna-Beth Howe, NMSS, Washington.

If there should be any questions please call me at Since the 317-494-2350.

first nesting period is expected to begin any day and valuable data may be lost, we would appreciate expedited handling of this request.

this matter. Thank you in advance for your consideration of Sincerely, p,1l$f /, ' #

v names P. Schweitzer Ph.D.

Radiation Safety Officer i

i P l' l Enclosures JN/tn 9104020122 91031G 7 -x nsoog

._ civit cnoistcaino suitomo. ein + wrer t-Avent,IN mo? .

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Watersheds and Drinking Water Two watersheds drain the NWSCC property. The extreite northern portion of the site is drained by Lake Greenwood which flows into First Creek. This watershed empties into the west fork of the White River, the Wabash River a.nd ultimately' the Ohio River.

Flow in First Creek is less than 5 cubic feet per second (1.6 million callons per day).

Lake Greenwood.

This flow is 0.06% af the capacity of Any tritium released in this watershed would b mixed thoroughly and be at a concentration of less than 2 x 10 -0 microcuries/mL as previously discussed. Dose calculations have been previously shown for drinking three liters of water per day from this source.

The east majority fork of the of the siteRl',er White is rerved (3.3by x cbeeks 10 gallons that empty into the per day) . The creeks: Little sulphur, Sulphur, Turkey and Seed Tick all have flows of less than 1.6 million gallons per day. Boggs Creek (central portion of the site) has a flow of 3-6 million gallons gheer day. In one case miximum daily rate)(allthe theconcentration tritium released to Boggs would be 1.2Creek x 10- g.

miccccuries/mL _'

l.5 mil 11 curies 3 x 106 gallons x 3785 mL/ gallon= 1.2 x 10 11 uCi/mL j This is one billionth of the MPC of 3 x 10-3 uCi/mL. To approach MPC on any given day, the flow rate of a creek would need to be less than 132 gallons per day.

) 1.5 millicuries 132 gallons x 3785 mL/ gallon = 3 x 10~3 uC1/r.1 There in depth are seven from 100-225 wellsfeet.

in the southern portion of the site ranging These wells serve the rest facility and are r.ot a prime /y source of drinking water. -Lake Greenwood is the primary drinking wat er source and calculations for dose from ingestion have been per 'ormed.

Access Access t.o the site is strictly controlled however no fences would prohibit site personnel from entry into areas where the bird population nests.

The roads are patrolled 24-hours a day and any unauthorized personnel are required to return to the industrial and residential area. Researchers must notify security te advise them of their presence in these areas outside of the industrial complex. Approximately 60 children may live la the rasidential area at one time. The same methods as above are used to prevent entry of the children into these areas.

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Miscellaneous Gardens may be present only at the residential areas. Due-to the prolific deer population it is difficult to grow vegetables since they are consumed by the deer. Therefore a small percentage of food intake would be from gardens.

.The recreation activities are limited to fishing in- Lake Greenwood and hunting - deer during the season (October 10 - -

December 31).

The procedure described by Nagy includes pipetting by mouth. The researcher is prohibited from- mouth pipetting as are all researchers at Purdue.

.ake Greenwood is approximately 820 acres and the dimensions are 3.5 miles by 0.5 miles.

The instructions to people on base will inclua; the phone number of the Command Duty Of ficer which is manned-24 hours / day. Tho.

notice will also include: "If sick, wounded or dead birds are found, they should not be handled." The Command Duty Officer will be given instructions describing. -procedures .if birds are found.

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v In original documents submitted regarding the release of tritium to the environment some assumptions were made. All the assumptions were very conservative and in all instances illustrated the worst possible case. Many of the assumptions were also mutually exclusive which could lead to an overestimation in exposure by at least a factor of two.

Some of the factors that need clarifice. tion and reconsideration are below:

Deposition and Uptake oLIrit.iura The model assumes total deposition of all tritium on plants or uptake into plants such that consumption of all plants within a given area would result in the ingestion of all the tritium released In reality many factors would prevent this from occurring.

1. Rainfall and subsequent runoff would remove up to 30 percent of the tritium deposited (NCRP).

2. Much of the water vapor respired by the birds would actually never be deposited on the ground. A small percentage would enter into the groundwater cycle and essentially be lost from circulation. Up to 60 percent may be lost by evapo-tanspiration to the atmosphere

(!!CRP) .

3. In addition concentration by plants would not exceed 0.5 of tue amount present in the environment.

Taking these factors into account the amount available from plants in the garden scenario and deer consumption scenario wculd be one-fourth.

0.5 (concentration by plants) x 0.5 (loss from environment by evapo-transpiration) = 0.25 reduction Bioelimination The model also assumed no biological elimination by deer or plants. If a hc l ?-life of 5 days ir the door (maximum probable) is ar.sumed from the Ir.e t release (August 15) to the beginning of deer seaso.. IOctober 6) three half-lives would pass. This could cesult in a reduction by one-eighth in the amount of tritium present.

In addition, most deer would graze outside the 25 square mile nesting area and not have a diet that consists solely of tritiated plants.

0.125 redNtion

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i a-Bird Density The concentration of birds in the environment is also likely to be -less than -- the 10 . birds per square . mile - as originally stated.-

approximately 25 square The miles. ' habitats "to be- studied cover (See_ map provided) With a maximum of eighty birds the average density would-be 3.2 birds per. square mile.

which excrete up to 0.25 millicuries If this -is rounded to' 5 btrds -

the theoretical maximum would be 1.25 millicuries oor square-mile.

0.5 reduction .

Conclusiong T1.e scenarios regarding garden ingestion- and- deer consumption would change-if these more realistic = factors are considered.

1.

For the garden ingestion the-dose would be reduced by 0.25 (Deposition and uptake of tritium)'x 0.5 (Bird Density)'= 0;125 0.125 x .25-millirem = .-031 millirem

2. For the deer consumption scenario _the dose would be reduced by 0.25 (Deposition ' and uptake of = tritium): x 0.5 (Bird Density)l x--0 125- (Bioelimination) '= .016- .

0.016-x 3 millirem-= .048 millirem Again. these estimates. would . pertain to- the maximally _.

exposed indiv_idual and-- are ; not' likely~ tot- be reached- =in: -

normal circumstances.

Reference:

llational Council' on -Radiation- Protection :and

- Measurernents, Report No. 62 March 9,-1979 c

f.

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