ML20091H594
| ML20091H594 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Harris  |
| Issue date: | 05/30/1984 |
| From: | Clay Johnson AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| To: | |
| References | |
| OL, NUDOCS 8406050222 | |
| Download: ML20091H594 (17) | |
Text
- ' - - - -
HELATED co;~v wwum3 w UNITED STATES CF AMERICA NUCLIAR REGULATORY COMMISE, ION DOCKETED USn?c
} Docket 50-400 In the matter of CAROLHA POWER k LIGHT CO. 1* Et al. ) O.L.
Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. Unit 84 JJn -4 pg ny CERTIFICATEOF SERVICE The attached uref11Vd : testimony .
r -
I hereby certify that copies of __ _
~
of Dr. Carl Johnson in the form of a letter Co Fells Eddleman'; with al1 attachments thevah 1981,bydepositin HAVE been served this 3 day of voy the US Mail, first-class postage prepaid, upon all parties whose names are listed below, except those whose nanes are parked with Express Mail an asterisk, for whom service was accor:plished by 1G Ct(Sn k 6 ijk C Y C ( w skit W1N ADPY C&k TvexI5Y,
} M fr Judges James Kelley, Glenn Bright and Jams Carpenter (1 egy each)
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board US Nuclear Megulatory Commission Washington DC 20555 George F. Trowbridge (attorney for Applicants)
Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge R uthanne G. Miller 1600 M St. NW ASLB Panel Washington, DC 20036 USNRC washington DC 2055 5 0ffice of the Executive Legal Director 'enN [p,cnce W. Perry
% pggA Room 840 Attn Docke ts 50-400/401 $.L. st sw USNRC 500Waewington DC 20740 Washington DC 20555 '
w n nead Docketing and Service Section (3x) CEA!E /FLP Attn Dockets 50-k00/h010.L. .
Raleigh,F107 NCwaveross 27606 Office of the Secretary ,
USNRC Dr. Linda V. Little afashington D(,, 20555 Governor's Waste Mst. Bd.
John Runkle h hhy {,
I"
- M 8 .
Granville Rd Bradley w. Jones Chapel Hill Mc 2751h USNRC Region II Robert Gruber 101 Marietta St.
'Travi a Fayne Exec. Director Edelstein & Fayne Public Staff Atlanta OA 30303 Blox 12601 Box 991 Raleigh NC 27605 Raleigh NC 27602 Richard Wilson, M.D. Certified by w i 729 Eunter St.
I Apex NC 27502 8406050222 840530 (DRADOCK 05000400 PDR h
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DOUETE?
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'84 jut -! 4 P2:18 May'30, 1984 LFF g.OF SE W i' ,
00CnETim & SE*.
BRM Mr. Wells Eddleman 718 Iredell Street Durham, NC 27705 RE: Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Station
Dear Mr. Eddleman:
The total mass of uranium in an equilibrium core for this reactor will amount
- to 159,412 pounds. The Hiroshima nuclear bomb contained about 28 pounds, and the core will contain uranium equivalent to about 5,700 Hiroshima bombs. This amount will be expended in about three or four years in the production of elec-i tricity. This comparison is made in order to consider the potential effects
, of the radioactive fission and activation products produced by the fissioning of uranium in the reactor core. This fissioning process is the same as that in a nuclear bomb, except that the rate of reaction has been controlled.
There have been about 1,000 nuclear bomb tests conducted around the world to date since 1945. A 1979 N.R.C. memo estimated the total number of deaths from can:er from worldwide fallout from these tests to range from 24,000 to 72,000; and for birth defects, all generations, as much as 168,000. The radioactive
! wastes produced in reactors such as this one must be stored securely for millions of years in order to protect the people of North Carolina. In fact, reactors such as this one develop pinhole openings and cracks in the fuel rods during operation, which permit radionuclides to be released throughout the period of operation. An article in Health Physics journal (Table 1) lists 240 l-different radionuclides of potential importance in the routine releases in the
!- nuclear fuel cycle. These include the radioactive isotopes of all of the trace elements and other elements important in nutrition which will be taken up and concentrated in the food chain.
A list of about 500 radionuclides of importance in the assessment of contamina-tion around nuclear facilities was published in Health Physics journal i.n l
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Mr. Wells Eddleman Page 2 May 30, 1984 octuber of last year. Table 2 lists the heavier isotopes from that report.
These include 11 isotopes of plutonium alone. The most important one, plutonium 239, has a half-life of about 24,000 years. Plutonium 242 has a half-life of 376,000 years; plutonium 244 has a half-life of 82 million years.
It is apparent that nuclear plants such as Shearon Harris will present a threat to populations living within 50 to 100 miles of the plant for a period of time quite a bit longer than mankind can hope to exist.
The range of health effects that can be induced by exposure to ionizing radia-tion (including those among about 500 radionuclides of importance in' the radiological assessment of contamination around nuclear installations) are partially listed in the 1980 report of the National Academy of Science Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation. As time goes by, we may add more types of cancers and health effects to this growing list.
The relative toxicity of some of these radionuclides of comercial importance j are expressed in terms of maximum permissible body burden per cubic centimeter (quarter teaspoon) in Table 3. One cc, or one-quarter teaspoon of one of the important byproducts of the nuclear pile, will exceed the maximum permissible body burden fcr 11.5 billion nuclear workers or 1.2 trillion people. The amounts of some of the isotopes of plutonium, americium, and curium (the latter l two are very similar to plutonium) produced yearly by a 1,000 megawatt nuclear
! power plant are listed in Table 4. These amounts must be multiplied by .9
( times to represent the Shearon Harris plant (a 900megawattplant). About
- nine million curies of plutonium alone will be produced each year. The fallout l from all nuclear weapons testing, from about 30,000 pounds of uranium and
-plutonium, contaminated the entire earth to 0.1 to 0.3 picocuries per square i centimeter by 1970. In Table 5, we see from the study of plutonium workers l that inhaled plutonium lodges in every organ and tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, aorta, testes, thyroid, etc.
l l
l
Mr. Wells Eddleman Page 3
'May 30, 1984
.. Attached is a copy of two reports in Health Physics journal (a). In the first it_is reported that alpha recoil aerosols (these are the alpha radiation emitting isotopes like plutonium, americium and curium) are able to penetrate 4 and 5 high efficiency' particulate air filters in series. This is possible because of the highly energetic recoil resulting from the forceful ejection of the heavy alpha particles, which dislodges single atoms and groups of atoms from the surface of plutonium, uranium, americium or curium, so that continu-ously self-splitting self-scattering particles are formed. The result is that these transuranics around such plants as the Rocky Flats Plant or nuclear power plants are mostly in the form of single atoms or particles too small to measure. Such particles are absorbed extremely well in the lungs when in-haled and travel throughout the body to every organ and tissue by the blood and lymphatic circulations. An experiment in which dogs were allowed to inhale microcurie amounts of plutonium and americium (a microcurie is one millionth of a curie) resulted in the following organ doses to dogs: 863 rem to lung, 43,700 rem to pulmonary lymph nodes, 3250 rem to bone,1,320 rem to liver,170 rem to kidney and 46 rem to gonads (Barr NF, AEC, 1974) (b).
How many filters are in use in series at the proposed Shearon Harris reactor plant? The second article, a book review of "The Nuclear Air Cleaning Handbook" points out that the usual method of measuring efficiency of such industrial filters, a light scattering photometer, does not yield a meaningful efficiency value since it is purely an " empirical leak test, since the photometers see aerosol downstream with a different particle size distribution from that which it sees upstream. Quantitatively it is not a direct measure of efficiency in terms of mass or activity or even number of particles. The authors recognize this and point it out in several places, but upon using the handbook as a reference for specific topics this explanation might be missed." Another problem with filtration is that the exhaust moving through such filtration systems in a nuclear plant is ionized, and an ionized airstream is not subject to the same static forces attributed to filters in other industries.
Mr. Wells Eddleman !
4 Page 4 May 30, 1984 i .
Studies conducted of plutonium indicate that plutonium in thea 'ir and similar compounds like americium and curium are often attached to particles such as dust particles, pollen, etc. The very finely divided plutonium dust (as with americium, curium, etc.) and plutonium attached to the other fine particles .
is carried hundreds of miles downwind. In fact, plutonium is monitored in f the air in Antarctica by the Department of Energy. At one point in time, due to nuclear testing, plutonium levels in the stratosphere (at standard temper-l ature and pressure) exceeded the permissible limits for the general public around the earth.
In reviewing information on monitoring of levels of radionuclides at various points in the plant and in the effluents from the plant, I note that only
. relatively small numbers of radionuclides are considered. There is not a l complete listing of the approximately 500 different radionucliies of importance in the radiological assessments of contamination around nuclear facilities.
Further, there is only one actinide (neptunium 239) considered of 80 (listed in Health Physics Journal) of .importance in the radiological assessment of contamination around nuclear facilities. These include three isotopes of actinium, nine of thorium, five of protactinium,11 of uranium, 8 of neptunium, 11 of plutonium, 7 of americium, 9 of curium (500,000 curies per year produced l
in a 2.9 mecawatt reactor) 3 of berkelium, 7 of californium, 4 of einsteinium l and 3 of femium. All of these compounds are extremely radiotoxic and many of them have very long half-lives. All have radioactive and hazardous progeny.
for example, one millionth of a gram of californium 252, which could pass through a series of filters and be blown for many miles in an exhaust stream, is a radiation source emitting about 3 million neutrons per second (170 million per minute). Yet, of all of these 80 actinides, only one is listed, neptunium 239, ,
l with a half-life of 2.4 days. Neptunium 239 becomes plutonium 239, an alpha-emitter with a half-life of 24,000 + years. Other isotopes of neptunium have very long half-lives. Neptunium 237 has a half-life of 2.1 million years and
- Neptunium 236, a half-life of 1.1 million years.
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F Mr. Wells Eddleman Page 5 May 30, 1984 The projected releases of radioactive gases appear to be unrealistically small in comparison with actual releases at other plants. The Oyster Creek power plant, for example, in Ocean County, New Jersey, releases 1.2 million curies of radioactive gases in the exhaust plume each year, and about 50 curies of radioactive particulates, including a large amount of radioiodine and neptunium. At times persons in residential areas downwind from this Oyster Creek plant are actually within the exhaust plume and can inhale the radio-active gases and particulates. Inversion conditions may aggravate the problem by trapping accumulations of radioactive gases and particulates. The EPA surveillance report describing these releases also lists the actual releases for a number of other plants as well, and all release large amounts of radio-active gases and particulates. I believe the projected releases for this plant ,
are much smaller than what the actual releases will be.
The various routes by which persons may be exposed to radioactive emissions is indicated in Figure 1. I note that on page 5.2.4-4 there are no dose estimates for the fetus, yet the fetus is most susceptible to radiation, especially in the first two months of gestational age as indicated by fetal mortality data from Three Mile Island (c).
j On Page D7 I note that the total releases of radioactive materials in liquio l effluents are estimated to be 0.2 curies per year per reactor. How does this compare to actual experience at other reactors? On page D8 I note the nearest drinking water intake at tillington, North Carolina is just 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> transit time away. What are the projections of contamination at the aquifer under the plant by radioactive discharges and the onsite storage of nuclear waste?
1
! The population within 50 miles of this plant in about 40 years is estimated to l
exceed 2,300,000 people. Depending on weather conditions, exhaust plumes from the plant may travel along the ground for 50 miles in a discrete manner,
- neaning that persons will at times actually be within such plumes, inhaling the radioactive gases and particulates. Further, if a war should break out in the l
t
Mr. Wells Eddleman Page 6 May 30, 1984 next 40 years, two researchers at Oak Ridge have projected the effects of targeting nuclear reactor cores such as the two at Shearon Harris (Chester and Chester, Journal of Nuclear Technology,1976). The dark areas in a figure in this report correspond to areas still radiating over a thousand millirads per hour from the ground alone after one year. If some of the 2.3 million people within 50 miles of Shearon Harris could escape to a nuclear fallout shelter before the reactors are targeted, and were able to . stay below ground in their shelter for one year, they would still not be able to survive after leaving the shelter. In fact, the effect of disseminating the 159,412 pounds of highly radioactive nuclear fuel in an operating nuclear plant with its accumulated' plutonium, americium, curium and other highly radiotoxic wastes would make the entire state of North Carolina uninhabitable for thousands of years.
Farm animals and poultry will also inhale radioactive gases and particulates and ingest contaminated feed, water and surface soil; and the eggs, milk, meat and produce within 50 miles of the plant should be carefully monitored for the 500 different radionuclides of potential importance in the radiological assessment of contamination around nuclear power plants.
Sincerel u 1 %y yours, Carl J. Johnso.n M.D.,fi.P.H.
CJJ:mc i
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Pathways of Radiation to Man FIGURE 1
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the fetus have been added, since the NRC and the EPA consider only non ' smoking adults.
The children are about ten times mo.e sensitive to radiation than the adults and .the fetus about 20 times more sensitive. The children were taken from a photograph by W. Eugene Smith. (CJJ) i nureg-0139
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HEAVIER RADIONUCLIDES 6F POTENTIAL IMPORTANCE IN CNVIROIMENTAL RADIOLOGICAL ASSES 5MENTS (a)
Mass . Mass No. Half Lift No. Half Life UW 26 hrs. Uranian ~ 21 days Thallium TL 700 4.2 days 201 73 hrs.- 231 202 12 days 232 72 yrs.
. 204 3.8 yrs .233159.200 yrs.
. 207 4.8 min. . 234 444.500 yrs.
208 3.0 min.
235 ~704 million yrs.
236 13.4 million yrs.
209 m 2,.2
.3 min.
1n.
. ..m 6.8 ays .
i.ead ,h 503 = ,,rs. '= 4 q; giaa x=-
204M 1.1 hrs. .
240 14 hrs.
205 15 billion yrs.
209 3.2 hrs.
- Neptunium hp 235 1.1 yrs.
21 0 22 prs. 236 1.15 milli.on yrs.
til 36 min. 236M 22 hrs.
237 2.14 million yrs.
21 2 10.6 hrs. 2.1 days 214 27 min. 238 81 south 81 206, 207 6 days 33 ps.
l$,
240M d
7.4 sin.
208 3.7 yrs. .
F10 5.0 d4ys Plutonium Pu 236 -2.9 yrs.
- 211 2.1 min. 237 45 days 212 1.1 hrs. ,
238 88 yrs.
213 46 min.
239 24131 yrs.
214 20 min. .
240 6537 yrs..
M onium N ps ( ,
. 376, 211. 0.5 sec. 244 82 million yrs.
212 0.3 e sec. . 245' 10.6 hrs.
213 4.2 w sec. . 246 10.9 hrs.
.214 0.2 a sec. ,
215 18.a sec. Americia Am 241 432 yrs.
216 446 a.sec. 242 16 hrs..
218 3.0 min. 242M 152 yrs.
Astatine At til III 7.2 hrs.
32 a sec.
l4j 4
245 I$2 hrs.Q
.a.n in m 35 . sec. m n .in.
g 4;; ,
c c: C., m o. m m .ys Fr 221
= 3.8 *7s 4.8 min.
i'41 245 i N:
8500 yrs.
Francium .
4750 yrs.
223 22 min. 246 247 15.6 million yrs.
' Radium Ra 222 i as sec. 248 339.000 yrs I 223 11 days .
64 min.
249 224 3.6 days 250 6900 yrs.
225 15 days 226 '1600 yrs. Berte11mm - Sk 249 .320 days 228 5.8 yrs. . 250 3.2 hrs.
251 57 M n.
Actinium Ac 225 10 days
' 227 22 yrs. Californium Cf 248 334 days
' 228 6.1 krs. 249 351 yrs.
'Th". 226 31 ein.
m 13 yrs.
Thorium 251 900 yrs.
227 19 days 252 2.6 yrs.
228
- 1.9 yrs. . .
253 17.4. days m 7340 p s. -
254 - 60 days 230 77000 yrs. . .
231 26 hrs. '. Einsteinia Es 253' 20 days l 232 14 billion yrs. 254 276 days
- 233 22 min. 254M 39 hrs.
. 234 24 days , 255 40 days Pretactinium Pa 230
- 17 days Fersim Ph 254 3'.2 hrs.
231 32760 yrs. . 255 20 hrs.
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(a)Kocher DC: Dose-rate comparison factors for external 234M 1.2 min. esposure to photons and electrons (" calculated for approx.
imately 500 radionuclides of potential importance in envirorutental radiological assessments" Health Physics 45:665-686 (1983)
1 .
, TABLE 3
.R21ative toxicity of some radionuclides of commercial importance, expressed in terms of maximum permissible body burden per cubic centimeter ,
) .
Maximum peralssible body burden- -
2 Hal f-li fe . Curles/cc Nuclear workers General public. Commercial u'se Il 1
Plutonium 239 24,400 years -
P'utonium 238 "
1.6 40 million 4.0 billion Nuclear bombs and power plants l 86 460 11.5 billion. 1.2 trillion Power source for pacemakers, satellites Americium 241 475 82 2.05 billion 205 billion I Uranium
- 235 710 x 10 6 " Smoke-detectors for homes -
6 x 10-5 600 60,000 Nuclear bombs and power plants
- 210 140 days 89,470 895 billion 89.5 trillio'n
- " Initiator" for nuclear. bombs ,
]
- Assuming radiotoxicity of radium -
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Table 4 .
Curies of Pl.utonium., Americium, and. Curium Radionuclides Reprocessed -Yearly, f5r a 1000.".cs: watt.N0 clear Power Plant (P,igford,1,974) ,
~
Uranium - Uranium-Plutonium fueled. water -
fueled water: .Jast bree' der- , . ,
. rea'ctor.
- reactor .
reactor .
.-- iseteet------- Isur!!5!!!!rL ---- Isur!!!!!!!rL.---- nfcuriennent.-----
plutonium 2ss 8.500 40.200 - .
.;0.9 plutonium 2ss 75.700 504.000 268.000 -
plutonium 2ss '
- 8.890 30.000 80.800
- 1. plutonium 240 -
12.880 103.600 100.100 plutonium 241 3.100.000 30.500.000 1.342.000 plutonium 242 37 . 795 .
292 -
americium 241 6.250 .
104.600 -
37.120
~
americium 2428 .110 2.650 1.869 americium 242 110 2.650 1.869 americium 243 474 ,7.980 1.074 .
~
! 252 curium 313.000 .
2.920,000 1.096.000 curium 243 109 860 83.1 curium 244 67.800 736.000 26.500 Total plutonium alpha 106.000 678.000 -
449.000
- . Total americium 6
,.830 113.000 38.200 alpha Total curium alpha 380.000 3.650.000 1.120.000 e
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TABLE 5 Plutonium csncentrations in organs of nuclear plant workers in picocurisso per kilogram (pCi/kg)**
Worker A Worker B Worker C Other
, Total plutonium in body, pCi -
'42.800 270 42,200 --
. , Estimated exposure period 15 years 16 years 17 years --
Type of exposure chronic ch.ronic acute' ,,
. inhalation inhalation inhalation pCi/kg
'ci/kg p PCi/kg
. t1
. Skin n/a n/a ~42 W Trachea and larynx . 34 n/a n/a --
i Lung . 21,888 1.4 23 --
Tracheo-bronchial lymph nodes * :342.000 31- 756 --
Liv,er 3.762 171 6.300 --
! Bone 718 8.6 l'386 --
Brain n/a 0.1 n/a --
Brain stem n/a. 0.3 n/a --
Heart 68 2.2 94 ,
Aorta ,
410 n/a n/a --
Spleen n/a 14 239 --
Testes 72 n/a 176 --
, Prostate 51 n/a ' n/a --
Kidney 22 3.4 158 --
Bladder 233. n/a ' n/a --
l- - Stomach 116 .n/a n/a --
Small intestine. 19 ' n/a n/a --
Large intestine 25 n/a n/a --
Pancreas 68 n/a n/a --
Abdominal lymph nodes 123 n/a n/a --
Thyroid 328 n/a n/a --
Adrenal 99 3.6 1.008 --
! Muscle 41 n/a 13 2.6%
l Fat 29 n/a 4.5 --
Omentum 7.5%
Soft tissues 3.0%
, Cone picoeurie is a ptity of any mdioisotope sufficient to nisase 2.2 disintagmtions per minute. Each assintagmtion.ntoases ionising mdiation.
- Norwood WD, Newton Jr CE Health Physics 28,669 (1975) e n/a (not analysed) e
I A.
- App. a
. Heskh Physers Pergsmen Press 1977. V:2. 32 f 64ay), pp. 445-447. Pnneed en Neethern Ireland ter sudSciently long pereds of tune (Et72; Et73a; Et?)D Ette; E171), although auch tests adequessay , ,'
demonstrated that HEPA Alters were as efecove as 4 '
a'
P**"d in intaeny colleams wreseis of "Pu. wa- ,
husereelse of HEPA.FIIse.rs by Alphe Reens
- g,,,,,g, A mothematical model has been developed to ,
desenha the transport of the aggregate need parti. <
(Assessed 2 Neernster 1976; accepued 9 Neurin6,,
1976) cles through Aleer media, and our data have been Assed to these equations en obtain empirical trans. *a ~
[ .
for rose osassants from the date obtained in our j .
L bev' *see acoat C "
Ina sete s arteemo of alphe-eevin substances laboratory. a i
'W"** w au '*w e=
has ions heen recoaniard and is anrahused eo espui. Using'these rose sonstants, we see predict se. ,e. *"eu s'i.'*E*
soon or amatenstes of esoms from the surface or Isases from Alter syneems under various a-das a-alpha-acuse matensis by alpha emmuon reced pigure I shows a plot of the calculosed air enesene.
- emerar. and so further propulsion of these aggre. rataos of "'Pu released by aggregate recoG from a gases av aunesavent avons reaua snulo, Lane, series of four standard,1000-cfm HEPA Aleses. #,. . E n y, , , , ,
RuJ0; Ch27, Je2w. workers et !.mweu Techneteg. Two leading situations are evaluated: (1) wish , , , ,
imal lassitues ressady suggened that this phenome. 0.25 Ci passed on the Arsa Alwr at sisw aero and (2) een might aSect the recension of eipha active me. wish the lead accumulaud over 1 yr at h'o. I. Calculated concentration (pC4/cm') of total by HEPA Akers, and found suppers in esper. 0.042 Ci/mesih f a load of 0.23 Cl accumulesed at 6 Pu is aar reisesed from four 1000-cfm
' knease with a sPb and its alphe-acerve daugheers monthat. Real situanons would probably be in. HEPA Shers in serws.
(Ry?$). Work done es our laborosory over the last ciudad between these estremes of one-time er een.
.two wears has canArmed that alpha-emittina mer. sinuous loading. Consentrations predicted to be A preliminerv report of this work was presented j terutsee maner does indeed sonstrase hash. released at the end of one year are the same for at the 14th ERDA Air Cleaning Conferesse (Sun eacienc, nieer medie much more eSeemes, then both cases, withan the accuracy of the calculations, Vaney, Idaho,11-13 August.1976), and a fis!!
de annramoncewe or beia-mamma acine aeronois. and amoans so abous 3.5 r 10-pCi/ca' at as paper is now being pupared for pubescence. Thas Faher retent.on emeiencies appreciahl, lower then easeow of 1000cfm. Prehmanary work with asep, letter is wnsten so draw the esistence of this the we M espected for ordinerv particulate met. mdicam that, with loadings of the same enount of . phemsmenon to the enennon of these persons re.
! ser have bens ofwerved unh '"Ph. 7s. "Neag acenty, releases would be about 2 orders of mag. epene41e for air Ai,trassen is lasilines handling 8"Pu tources, mJaconna that the phenomenon is nonsde smaller. These concentrations are suscientty esplia emitting maserial, and to seek eseperessen in sommon to all of these. 5emelar enounts of a betoT large to warrant steentsen by shoes responsible fe, obimmag data ese edi ellow us to dewrmane the psama icave masenal placed in the sent Aher sys. eentaanment of alphe-emirtmg radenestne material. dogme to which aggmge,te recoil penetranea aSeens tem showed me magresson, but when Aismogene. The conclassen should not be drawn from this the release of alpha acuve material from operating i
outly mined wish alphe-active maserial. the gamma *ork that more eipha acave mesenet has been Sleer syseems. In evaluating the usefulness of such actwity migrated sinng enh the alpha matenal. released through air Alters than was known. Esit ser deu, the fogowing should be kept is mind: (1)
Itesults of ser Row seess through Shers in serws, streams have been seenitored and releases are,in Syuems whom 3 or men Shets are used in senes
.! the tris of wherh is leaded enh an alpha acuve , general, well documented. However. more have are meet,lskely to dow the phenomenos simas suchde, are consentent with a model in which smegg been repons of unesplained slow immases in alphe decontemanetwa factors across the Arst Aher (and parterules are dolodyd from the "messive" surfaes estivity in esse air fremt eipha processing facilities. : seroes the second) may be as good as especud 0 x 101 when etnervation times are short of an alphe. active maneral and then reposeedly These matences were usually esintused to develop. - comped w the Italf life of the musiide is quasame, Jmledyd from pesetiens on the Alter Shers by the , essas of leaks in the Sher system. and new Aleets ==aa--- we eipha recosts. The process shows some dependense were installed. The wornave en the physacol form of the source meernel, bug ebeerved increases is exit-ear eipha actmty may suspsis. instead, thes found duontaminanoi factorsthe )In contrast, af 2-10 astmas unh saaree esade Juss notrese salt, and placed metal en seem se have been due,to the aggregase ressel partiege the third or fourth Alter. (2) A.._ ._ of - af
' peersee the ruod particles egeenwel penseation of 4hs ther syneen. The i= ana == og me actual sur mawnel from au the Alters in a 3 i amount penetreams a wnes of 4 or 3 ters , einen Alwes would, of eeune, also esop agressee 9mr svum est has bun a servlee for seversi seesel penetrosion by somoval of the soures, moams would vield the most ineful _ _ ser l
pend on the eucal amcune of w. . in ih, . " """A** **d O"'" Il8E 8'I newnal. no wreinc acHWy. and the penath,,guggg Although til the ahang presented eteve are emple loops esms e"s kle and ascend Ghass edl of th= eest Desendence on the ne Anw venecas is based on laborosory esperimens, resent ensignes of--
shghi. It appears shoe this phewemenve Pts nos MEPA Shere that had born a service m e ProteNy -
not be very deAnsteve bessess enesemeNy normal desessammessen will be eteorved in seems heen observed in previous espes.ments wish alphe. .Piusomum saaedhna faciairy for M,, show me
- i acerve erroness heesume the et.or. Jed m contmee ,som senerns of alummum disenbution over a where meal pouwation p=d==u==.a= Figur i 4-Hiter avseem and undscate thm me some loops below the third Sher should onesesser very 1 phenomenon esasu in "resa ide" natusness. New ' low aar enesenerosions; for this reason, short sampl-
- Re weh spanwred h Energy Rmerch and ever. shm dma elee msgyn mes pensummin dise ing times may giw quantities see emen to emelyn.
Develnemens admenweranan uniser contract nun to aggregase reemd may be lower la some essor, while long sempling tames would ause aggregnes
. ihe t'nwa urbase Oryvemea poes.ter d se ed med i.en dues, moeil se produas she same new menomen my me emphes aber es my me nouse, aher. In am.,
} e and amy of um sessend ammey w meshe ph, , pe,,, men p., ,,,s. vna, w u au rp p.117. Primod e O,em e,,es,.
e.1.McDowou i
sr. o. sema, i M. T. Avass I
chsu d Twfuwbry Diaw== ROOK REVIEW l Dek Ridy Neneninf r -.,
Oo4 Rider. TN 378.s0 l
- Neelser Air Cleasans lleedtesit. L*. A. Doet n. Jagig.rement of vp m =ma==cv" as mer" i- suf* A. R. Fitss e s and J. E. Kann. F.RDA ==h = I=himrierinn esetomeur 7hn ia nuretv an Ch27 Chemie C 1927. Cr. hebd. 3dene. Acad. 76 21. Ouk Ridge Nealumini I ahitetory. Ouk emfwacalleak wse wase the enveonweer eeer en 84 Pene 384. 824M nr.' "' hn neam enh ddereni mariate sue 3174 Elder J. C. Einnpr H. J Gensaios M. and ! Reise. TN 37n we. U.1 A. I tv7M.
Telery K 1974. Progrees Report for Pened 1 .hunhunon from ihei on.ch n sur voussem.
January-30 Jues.1974. Report LA 5764 PR. Tm Handhuuk is a mvi=iun, usulmuns and empen. """"*""**""""d'""MW Ba72 Esmager N. J. Ender J. C and Gesamles M tima vi es haghly mpeded ruhhvateue sWN1, in wr** d me'* ce aheny or ewn nummer er 1972. Peoyoss* Report for Pereed I Moreb 20 NSIC45. Desern. O estrustem end Tessins of Nee 4- mucin The eumon neusmae mes and osuu a sus Jene.1972. Repset LA.5082.PR. A5wery Air Marruse.e Snarms f..r N.e 4,or Apph. in temal ab *s M d m we the saammiere at a Be73e M. J, Bider J. C and Gensease -
"" *"" f"' '*'o#' h em *" < - - - -
l M 1973. Repen ser Pened i July-33 ensims, 4adso w == ... m.h memhensive "'y',m Demeter 19 . Repen LA 3170 PR.
k?)b r H. 3, Elder J. C and Conseios temak n ermn,iw seensince to the de ur enseer of mer see.nene svswms m namisar fa. heir, e"uhe he me ed Ihe auchm*an m n a smas ddemace ktown the performance in ,e, am-A maant, enah enh ihe vf of she syneenes they describe and these found in hy , , j,93, gep,,, ogfy, I#N M&eaty illEPA) Ahere si does eenlass vehs peer induurin. The ddmese is bogenug se
, Bete Seelager M. J. Elder J. C and Genomies R ahee newnsi se ym.aswrs, dup bed gases.ase, h umW u s chemme aguumun h 197d. Propees Report for Pened i July-38 De. UN'% 88"d 8her* end asuvened sortue ebeurters le eN Wnn am havianing more epics wie uphwr senter 1973, Report LA.S$44-PR. elin esemes ut me asylosasinn af aar clemains eyesenes eeuema and encuene esenderds. This host shows i an39 3edresseemski M,1929. Cr. heed. 3de.ac. to spessac types of reesters and fuel prosesosas **' 8' set improwmenn sen anH be samde in in-Acad. Set. Florie 880. 1043. plean. The Headhiensk deustraces the fest Home see. dunnial air dreams and des see by to mch 1418 Laween R. W.,1913. Wies 6 Sur. 317. l. esseful air cleassas regumes coneadoreseen of a P'"8"" I" 8""*hing aawataan to detail. Fiv en 2
Male Mahower W. and Rees S 1980. Phat Meg shuh syvem end av@ me ther esume Mense.ek reason. this knok should have applicesions heyend haut steals wish duses. leevnine. ionne. dempers seg mmty me nudm indoury.
Rueerford E., Chodekk I sad EHis C E I 1930, pp. 337-354. (landse: Comendge (Jni. "'"Y**"P'S'-
i serWey preagh the enevne in tite Relal Atenh8 he IIIe%ieel 95, tha* Haeev F. m wesw Ry?S Ryan M. T Sheenes K. W. and Chehoe O 197$. Meeth Phys. 39.198.
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- v. usa 3 %m , ,3, ,,,3 sm.msm sim.m eimu pureum.e nnr s r Pri. Lee.
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Letters reflect the personal view of the author (s) and not necessarily that of the Editors. Letters are reviewed only to determine the appropriateness of the subject matter, to exclude obvious errors and to assure good taste.
Anonymous letters are not published.
l 8'; 't3 Invesdgation of Caseer Ineklence The radiotoxicity of plutonium is of considerable
! la People IJving near Nuclear .nentimes v controversy. Dr. Morgan calculates that permissible exposures of plutonium in bone should be reduced about 240 times (Mo75). Dr. Myers suggests a reduc.
(Jteceised 18 Asqrurs 1982) tion of the maximum pernussible lung burden to 0.07oci (70pCi, based on radiotoxicity to pul- '
i Dr a F.drers: monary lymph nodes, a reduction by about 228 times Dasvaa er 4. calculated the feasibility of epi- of the oscial guidelines for maximurn lung doses for demiologic studies of cancer in people living near the nuclear plant workers) (My72). A hundred-fold re-Rocky Flats plant (RFP) (Dr82). Such feasibility duction in these recommended occupational max-evaluations and estimates of statistical power are imum permissible doses for the public would permit based on a chain of assumptions which must be a lung burden of only 70 fCi, and a body burden of considered step by step. Dwyer er d. state " fen- only 166fCi. A study of RFP workers found that sibility can be determined by reviewing the magnitude workers who have only 1-10% of the body burden of population exposure and estunating (a) how many permitted by current DOE guidelines (40(N000 pCi)
, extra radiation-induced cancers may be expected to have about a 33% increase in the rate of chromo-( occur and (b) the statistical probability that the somal aberrations in blood lymphocytes (Br76).
occurrence of these extra cancers could be detected." These 6ndings suggest that the current oscial esti-Dreyer et d. focus on exposure to 0.37 fCi/m' of mate of the radiotoxicity of plutonium is not protec-
"Pu ia air in 1975 as a basis for their dose estimates.' tive by a factor of about 200.
In fact, "U alone accounts for a greater proportion Another area of controversy is the number of of the e-emitters released la the plant's exhaust than Denver area residents exposgd to radionuclides from does *Pu (ERDA77). Americium-241 and "Pu RFP. Figure I la the Dreyer et d. report is taken ikorn the plant may be more important thaa *Pu. fkom "Krey and Hardy, HASI 255,1970" (un.
Plutonium-241 accounts for more than 8 times more pubbsbed) indicating contamination from RFP ex-radioactivity in the main exhaust plume than does tending for about 6 miles from the plant. Krey later "Pu (ERDA77). In addition, a number of other pubbsbed a sport in Media Physter showing a radionuclides other than actinides are pleased different Agure, indica' ting plutonium contamination
! (ERDA77; CDH80; JOSI). Thus, Dwyer et d. by of soil extending completely across Denver, to the
! conadering only "Pu, consider only one of a broad southeast, well over 30km from the plant (Kr76).
spectrum of radionuclides released by RFP. Dreyer et d. mport that " leaking cutting oil drums Plutonium 239,240 in surface soil can serve as a were determined to be the actual source of con-surrogate to indicate the presence of a host of other *===ation which began in about 1967." Actually, radionuchdes misaned by RFP, ahhough higher rela- this soorts of contamination began in 1959 and was tive activity may m.ke other radionuclides of greater a problem until 1968 (Se71). However, a are and importance la air. Thus, "Pu which is released from explosion in 1957 blew out all 620 industnal high-themain stackin a ratio of 2:100 to82"Pu, has been esciency particu!ste air (hepa) Alters in the main sported to account for 2tMO% of plutonium found exhaust system at the Rocky Flats plant and was a in air borne soil (Se77). .
much more serious inculent (DOE 70; DOE 58; Ow63; Wo71). The Siters had not been changed in the d yr
'Although Dreyer et d., mfer to an estimate based of the plant's operation. The plant requires this on air concentrations of *8"Pu, their estimate is extensive Alter system to prevent large releases of based on the air concentration of "Pu in 1975 plutonium and uranium to the environment, but is (0.37 fCi/m') repc,rted by the D.O.E. Environmental only partially successful (Ow63). 'Ibe rate of accumu-Measuraiments Laboratory (EML). lation of plutonium on the Eters was described in I 809 I
s LETTERS TO THE EDITORS 811 ratio of the measured sauePu in soil." According to should bring us to question the a,marently .rivial the ERDA EIS, the concentrations of 88'Pu in air at emissions of a radiation from RFP q.ted by i site p4 were about 1000 times higher in 1965, or ERDA (ERDA77). In any event,it is quite clear that
, equivalent to about 370ICi/m'. At site p 1 nearer in looking s' earlier years, the routine releases were
, the usual direction of exhaust plumes from the Rocky very much higher. This is conarmed both by the EIS Flats plant, the concentration of 8Pu was report and by the AEC internal report indicating the l.18 fCi/m' in 1975, and so could have been about measured releases of plutonium in the main exhaust 8
1180ICi/m in 1965 and earber. from the plant (ERDA77; Ow63). The trend over The calculated air concentrations by Dreyer er d. time and the RFP reports suggest exposures ranging 8
ranging from 0.27 fCi/m in 1967 to a peak of 2.1 la from about 80ICi/m'la 1959 to over 300(Ci/m'in 1969, can be compared to the measured releases 1965, four orders of magnitude higher than fallout between 1954 and 1962 from the main stack (Jo81; levels. Further, there is very good evidence that
- Ow63) and the reported " normal operational release" exposures in 1957 and 1958 were much larger than hom all Rocky Flats plutonium facilities (ERDA77). these (Jo81).
The average concentration of plutonium in the ex- Dreyer er d. cite Krey's estimate that the mesa haust plume reported for 1962 was 1059fCi/m', plutonium levels from world-wide fallout in soilin equivalent to 5025pCi of plutonium released from the Denver area were 1.7i0.5 mci /km', and they j the snain stack alone that year (daily exhaust volume say that an equal or greater exposure than that froen is about 13 million m'). This can be contrasted with world. wide fallout would be necessary from RFP the ERDA claim that there was "a normal oper- before one could distinguish the cause of any in-ational release" of 2974 pc from au facilities in 1962 creased disease in the population. However, the sub-(ERDA77). micron sized plutonium particles in exhaust plumes Since only 28%nu=sof radiation released in the main simply do not settle out to any appreciable extent exhaust plume is Pu, the amount of a radiation (Kr70). Isopleths of utonium concentrations in soil released from the main exhaust stack alone in 1962 can only serve to tify the usual duection of can be calculated to be about 18,000 pO, not consid- exhaust plumes from the plant over a period of years, ering releases from many of the other stacks or hom and do not represent actual exposures to populations radioactive waste stored outside (ERDA77). In the area.
The D.O.E. EML fallout data for New York City A study of surface dust on private land found the may approximate levels for plutonium hom world- concentration of plutoniurn to be as much as 3390 wide fallout from nuclear weapons testing, although times higher than background levels in the area where there is more precipitation there than la more arid Krey shows plutonium in whole soil samples to be i
' parts of the U.S. .uch as Colorado (To79). The only about 30 times higher than fallout levels (Jo81).
annual average concentrations of plutonium !n air for Further, the type of soil survey done by Krey at d.
New York City ran l
high of 0.07 fCi/m'ge is 1970, from 0.006 probably due tofCi/m'in occa- to 1976 toofa10 a depth is cm designed to measure
('aciuding Ane gravel) and soil does inventories o sional weapons testing and perhaps also due to not get at kvels of contamination of plutonium in nuclear lastellations located around New York City. surface dust or the windblown material on the surface The average concentration for the eight yr period of soil as described by reports in Science (Jo76; Jo77).
reported (1970-77) was 0.03ICi/m'. This "back. Another study reports 50,000 fCi of plutonium yound ham world-wide thllout kom weapons- per 3 is air-borne soil (Se77) in the area (there may testing" can be coropated to the estimates by Dreyer be 0.01-4.02g dust /m' of air *), which can be et d. for the period 1967-74 for site # 4 at RFP. The compared to the 0.37fCi/m' of plutonium used by average of 8 the estunates of Dreyer et d. is Dreyer et d. to calculate population doses (Dr82). In
! l.05 fCi/m , about 30 times higher than that for New fact, they based their estimates on air concentrations York City. The average conantration for "Pu at of plutoniurn, not on soil concentrations, because i
RFP site p I reported by the Toonkel group for the " inhalation is the only significant pathway for human period 1971-76 was 2.37 ICi/m'. This was over twice exposure to plutonium and other actinides (Dr82). It the average concentration for site p 4 estimated by seems that even the air concentration of plutonium Dreyer et d., and about to times the fallout level. selected by Dreyer et d. a concentration about 30 i
It is clear that these levels of plutonium in the air times greater than background levels ofplutonium in are due to RFP and not to world-wide fallout, and air, would meet their criterion for an exposure equal or greater than that from worldwide fallout necessary
'The hequency of dust storms of ambient conces- to produce detectable disease in a population.
8 tration 12 mg/m is approximately 14 days per yr over Dreyer et d. continue with their assumptions:
10 Great Plains states (Sb74). "Finy year a dose estunates for basal cells la the
e
. . - App.c 1.arreRs To THE sotron .
1 Re: Spontaneous Abortions following Three Mile Island Accident The effects of exposure to radia- De application of the life table i tion during the Arst several months method to fetal mortality by gestational after conception are of special interest, age in the study of fetal loss is useful.' 2
, since the fetus is most susceptible to However, the age of the fetus must be irdury from mutagenic agents in this considered when a population of wom-period, and such irduries may result in - en in all stages of pregnancy are ex.
~ increased fatal losses.* In a recent re- -
posed to ionizing radiation at one point port on fetal loss following the accident in time. The Ave-week-old fetus is at the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear much more sensitive to ionizing radia-plant, there were 20 spontaneous abor- tion than the fetus near term. This tions among 106 women ** who were in problem could be addressed by con-their Arst two months o(pregnancy' at tinuing the study for one year beyond the time of the TMI accident. De the TMI accident, permitting age spe-resulting rate of 187 fetal deaths per cinc comparisons between exposed I,000 pregnancies may be compared to and unexposed fetuses of the same 164 per 1,000 pregnancies ** reported gestational age. For suneillance, t.'.e by Harlap, Shiono and Ramcharan in life table method could be used to study 1900, in the only recent study of this . effects on the fetus of women exposed type.* in the Arst trimester, companns fetal losses of exposed women by week of
- s h-- CJ: surv u -e of r=aanw stects gestational age to a suitable compari-tem auclear insentwa s: Fetal and infant death son population. It may be possible to
' eta. chddhood leulwaus and canen. Pruented as the Annual Matins et the Amwican Associa- design an application of the lif,e tabl,e tion for the w or semece in Desveit, method which could deal with tius May 26-31.19ss. problem statistically.
- Eaciudies thoes with induced abortions and REFERENCES epostaneous abortions under four completed I. hhat MK, Staub SL. Tokuhata GK:
weeks of gestation. ara= ===aas abonions ener the Three Mile Island nuclear accident: A life tabis emelysis.
Am J Public Heahh 1983: 73:733-739.
, 2. Harlap 5. Shiono PH. Ramcharan S: A ilfe
' table of spontaneous abortions and the efects et age, perity and other venaldes. lo: Hook ES.
Porter I (eds): Reproductive Laos. New York:
NY. Academy Press.1900.
l l CarlJ. J=b==. MD. MPH i Medical Care and Research Foundatase.1365 Clartsee Street. Denver. CO 80218 i
l 1.
I 319 AJPH May 1964, Vol. 74, No. 5
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