Regulatory Guide 4.1

Measuring and Reporting of Radioactivity in the Environs of Nuclear Power Plants

ML13350A200
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/18/1973
From:	US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
To:
References
RG-4.001
Download: ML13350A200 (4)

1/18/73U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

REGULATORY

GUIDEDIRECTORATE

OF REGULATORY

STANDARDS

REGULATORY

GUIDE 4.1MEASURING

AND REPORTING

OF RADIOACTIVITY

IN THE ENVIRONS

OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

A. INTRODUCTION

(;Geneil Design ('C itein 4i .'o.nitoring Radioactivitv Releases."

ol' Appendix A it) 1( ('FR Part50. "'(Lennd I Desigji ('iteria Ior Nun:leair Power Plants.'requires that licensees provide for mroitioring the plantenvirons totr radioactivity that may lie released fromnormal oqperations.

including anticipated operational occurrences, and fion pi!stulated accidents.

Subpala,

,rapih tall 2) of § 50.36a of 10 CFR Part 50requires Ihat technical specifications for each licenseinclude a requirement that the licensee submit a reportto the * ('tnniissiotn within 60 days after Janutarv I andJuly I of each year which. iii addition to specifying thequantity of each of the principal radionucides releasedto unrestricted areas in liquid and airborne effluents duting the last six months of operation,'

providessitflicient intormation to estimate annual radiation dosesW to the public resulting from effluent releases.

Paragraph (c) of § 20.106 of 10 CFR Part 20 statesthat the CoInjIssion nMav limit the quantities ofradioactive materials released in air or water duringi aspecified period of time to assure that the daily intake ofradia ctive materials from air. water. or food by asuitable sample of all exposed population group.averaged over a time period not exceeding one year.would not exceed specified quantities.

Section 20.201 of10 CFR Part 20 further requires that a licensee conductsurveys of levels of radiation or con1centrations ofradioactive itaterial as necessary to show compliance with AIC regiulatioims.

"riis ginde describe.,

an acceptable basis fordesigning a progrant to measture and report levels ofI At, :acct-t:M,-i"

pr,-grti is preseunt.l its saref v (.;tide 2 I (to)he re sitsed :,%; : Regtla, try Gttide).

"M ,: avurini and I~ttep rling (foEffluents frillr Ncttc'i:r llnwer Narls.'radiation and radioactivity in the plamt environs.

Theprovisions and principles in International (Commoissiotn onRadiological Protection (I('RI'l)

Pulicanion

7-pertaining to the releases of radioauctivitv during ornmalplant operation should be used as additional guidance indeveloping a program of this nature.

B. DISCUSSION

Present requirements to keep levels of radioactive material in effluents as low as practicable should assurethat radiation doses to the puhlic resulinig front efflutent releases will continue to retnain mninimal.

The type ofprogram described in this guide is considered adequateto provide information needed to determine whetherexposures in the environment are within prescribed orexpected limits and to assure that long-term buildup ofspecific radionuclides in the environment will notbecome hazardous.

A preoperational program should be conducted inthe environs of cach proposed nuclear power plant siteto: (I) identify probable critical'

pathways io bemonitored after the plant is in operation:

(2) measorebackground levels and their variations along theanticipated critical pathways in the area surrounding theplant. (3) train personnel"

and (4) evaluate procedures.

equipment, and techniques.

Years of experience at various Contitnissitt facilities have demonstrated that specific radionuclides behave inknown ways under given environtmental cottditions.

Therefore.

comprehensive and detailed envitonlmenial studies may not be needed at sires wiilh well knownt C R P ublication

"7. Iroin4 p! t'" h'id' ,'rt,o 'tlI.Io,,itoring Related to thie' Il otdlhig of R idi., t'ti t .1" 1,al riIt

9. Septemher

13. 196S t(henrenin rir It.'RI' I'Ltsicali

,tt I7.t iF r the p ors've orf this. guite. thie Ierni "crilicar"t tit lit,same meaning as in t'RIt t'uhblication

7. Sipra niote

2. USAEC REGULATORY

GUIDESResfutAiorv Guide, Wi'. 1su"nf It' dtecrts amit flt~i't oAV.,Ihhtt In the p~ublicmeiohorb.

Acc-titabl- lto the AEC stioclinoirs'taff of mtSiirmoni,roo

%s~eci'c patrts of'he Cnmm-n',s~

e.I55 to doiti-.1ie to-chnoriurs used hy the staff in"aWAiiung S1 s*f14 W911f9.'tthi Of9 tnSIUtSi'd a~ccidenrim of Is isoisvde

9lwdaneem toWith thf-fsitt A '995! Itjit.'ti Mi 'h-c A", soloot-9'5 dii etenl friom those set Dor othe gui~de, i to"I beAcmteilef

-1 tt't'v p'ovide i ti.1t9% 1(5 the finings d flt9rlufsoi Inihm. issuane"

ot cont~nUAA9CP'

Of .. pe~m9o is' teens't, the 95'Cnmmosvo'

Putftshpcj i qud$S.lit

~t~s~ ~ ,rti, 01Il 4199t' coI9or.91.'

In iro-iwrnrcommodi.'

..Copiei of oublishpil gui&ns m'sv be ObtainedI

iv 10ourst .rsdic.lting ihe division%

desired io the US. Atomice EitefqV Commtttsi~to, VY-shIM9is..

D.C. 20Ob45.Attention:

Director of Regultfory Siend~itds.

Cofnrmwnis Anil wrgoo'sions totir19ifovenerflts int these quidei are en'couraged And %thisuit he lenti t) ihes" 5'c~fiatv of the Commissuions.

US. Atomic EnetfgY Commisitn.

W.Iihinaroin, D.C. 21if"45.Aifent,nn:

Chief. Public Peooceed-nos Sitaf.The g,,.des ate issu~ed in itshe fotlhvittg tenr btirnd rss1. Pow~er Reactor%

in'. P,oducis2. Research And Test Reiclto.'

7. Itasnsttimti""

J. Fuels And Mate.'3s Fscdmtm'

B. orrciur.1iOn'si

9-J..111t

4. Environmintat and 5,5mm ' Anf-l'usl RteW,~5. Material%

A"tS'ii Pitotwe'rs'etiof

10) 6--M~sS

bleu1vJirlon1etal nrsport process".

Onc( e adequatesttudies have been done to assure that the tratisport processes are understood.

analyses otC "indicator organiis'ns may adequately define radiotuclide levels intile envirtomnent.

The "'indicator orLalnis1t"

concept of'environmental samplinl"g involves tile practice o Iexamining food chainls for selecied orga;nisins o0rmaterials which provide a sensitive and reliable mneatsure t' (lhe uti:Uatites of' eac'h (adiolluclide cycling throughteach lood chaint. For example.

ill the case where theplaitt'cow,'nilk-nian food chain is determined to be acritical palthway, it may not he necessar Ito extensively sample anld illeasure grazing plants :mnd f'odder to keeptliack of iodine-I

3l cycline in fhle food chain. sihcesampling and nieastiring tile milk produced by dairycow\s in stirrotndine areas may be :dequate.

At'ler the plant is iii operationt.

a program for radiation levels and radioactivity in the plantenvirons manst he maintained on :a cOnlintlilln basis toassist in verilt.,ing projected or ariicipated radioactivi

1vconcentrations and related public exposures.

Anentvironu ental tnonitoritng program shotld be flexible.

aid, as results are obtained.

tihe prograni should bereviewed to identil'y any\ necessary changes.

The progra nshuhld then be appropriately nodified.

The initialpttogram should be designed in accordance vith thefollowinug criteria:

I. It should be based on thepathwayIs for the typesradionuclides released fronistlrtoundine envi rotinten Ianalysis of" criticaland quanlities ofthe plant into theradioactivity in the environs may all be useful forthis purpose.)

Inifornation of' this nature will be ofconsiderable help1 in inodil ying t[ie initiallnvilonllillental ti easure tut.nts program.hil'orimalion obthaied f'ront this programn will leinsed. in conjuintetion with data oil radioaclive effluents.

to evaluate mneasulres taken by 'ite licensee to assure thatplantt releases to the environt1ient and radiation doses tothe public are mailntinel wvitlhii the numerical doselimits determined by the Commission io be as low aspracticable.

Also. licensees'

data will be compiled andico III pared. and a comlrprehlensive stimitiray ii 1'radioactivity in thle enivirons of nuttclkear power plants willbe prepared by tlie Coimmission.

'[e Commission's Regulator.'

siarf has evaluated the types of fitforination needed to provide supporting evidence for assessing tile pert'ormance of 'he plant witlirespect to keeping populatnit exposures as low :ispracticable and to verify predictions of concentrations ohI speciflic radiontiucl ides in lie environment based otteffluent iieasurements at the plant. Based on 1hisevailtation and oil a review and assessment of' existline licensees'

monitoring anid reporli g prograins.

ihle s:tlt'has developed tile regulatory position set forth belo'v.C. REGULATORY

POSITIONThe proerani for nieasuring attd reporting clfradioactivity ill the environs ofi nuclear power plantsmust provide suitable inf'rs:auion from which levels ofradiation and radioactivity in the environs of each plaitcarl be estimated.

This inlfornation also may providesupporting evidence in evaluating tie perforniance ofsystems and equipment installed to control releases of'radioactive material it) tile environnenw.

The basic principles set forth in this guide constitute an acceptable basis tor use in establishing anen viro ini ental Imonitoring program.

These saneprinciples will also b: used as bases in developing thelicensee's corresponding technical specifications.

1. Preoperational ProgramPotential critical pathways should he idemifiied prior to plant operation.

l';,e provisions in ICRVFPtlblicaiion

7 rela ted to operational releases ofradioactivity to the environm-nt should be used as aguide in determining critical radionuclides and pathways.

Other patlhways not directly related to humans shouldalso be identified (see regulalory position

2.a. below).Wherevet possible.

suitable indicator organisms or mediashould be identified in each pathway.2. Operational Programa. Sample MediaWhere practical.

a suitable indicator organisin or ttedium in each critical pathway should be sampled2. It sihould consider tile possibility of buildup of longhalf-lived radiominclides in the environment andidentify physical and biological sites ofacctmniutlationt that ntaty contribute to hunianiex\posures:

3. It should be designed to facilitate use of reportedlevels of radiation and radioactivily in estimating annual radiation doses to tle public resulting froiteffluents:

4. It should consider the potential daimage toitttpot tant plants :mud arimals:'a i. It should be designed to establish correlations between levels of radiation atid radioactivity in theenvironment and radioactive releases front plantOperation.

(A variety of lechniques.

including measurements at control locations.

preoperational surveys.

correlations with effluent data, andcomparisons of operating versus shutdown levels of'-A species.

wthethe'r ainin ,tor plant is' "irnport:nlt'"

(I) Kitis t'-nimeu

'rciatlv or r.creaLit ally vaitiau:tule.

(2) if it is rare ire~ndanlge~red.

r 3) if ir t :iffect%

thLe' ,vll-te.ing

'it stoF¢ importanIwiethin criteri:

(I) and (2) ahiivc or (4) if it is critical tofit! structure and function (if (ht ¢crtiogical system. A "rare ourendulangetred"

species is any species cufficiatty tiesignated as suchhb the 1).S. Hih and wildlife Service.4.1.2

and analyzed for the critical iado mliclidels?

releasedfrom the plant. An abundant, readily available form withnowt habits should be selected.

• Careftul attenttioni should ble given to avoidinsdt(tLSng serious stress onl art ihm portan't species otforganism by a samipling program.

Heavy samplingpressure added to natural prcdaliun and otherelvironitSelillal stiesses could restil I in tenpora ryobliteration of desirable potpulations.

In stich cases.other indigenotts hut al mnda n spcies souch as rodents.rabbits or scrap lish. mayl be stilistituted as indicator org:antisms IthatI vill provide an estimate of theradionuclides avai.lable to main through natiral f'oodchains. In some instatnces.

prop,!rly selected and sampledvegetam 11my 'list) provide a good imteaslie of theradionuclides in , critical FpatlIway.

WhcLtre use of a single indicator tneditim isimpractical.

samples of' several media from each pathwayshould be collected and analyzed.

The C(ommission recomizes that some pathways do not have more thanolne eiviromnittillal meditiht.

c... external radialion exposures from clotds of uatnima-ray-emittitog radio-nclides inlvol-..

onlV onle paithway the atmosphere.

The actual tit:uhier of' media it he sampled in eachpathwlay will be determined oni a case-by.case basis foreach site. Itt some cases field measurements may beprelerable to collecting samples for laboratory analysis.

O The program should include sampling ofenvironmental media to estimate average radionuclide concentrations in important biota (see B.4. above).Radiation exposures (external)

and internal doses fromshort half-lived nuelides may be estimated bycalculationrs

(,tisin g e[floeii mn easuremen ts andappropriate dispersion and concentration factors)

rather[han by routine collection of samples of environmental media. In some cases field measurements at certainlocations to establish cotcert t rations of specificradionucl ides may be necessar".

initially.

to confirmpredictionls.

h. Sampling Frequency When a critical radionuclide has a short hallflife Imtinutes to days). it may be necessary to evaluateradiation expUsure by tuaking measurements in the field(e.g.. by use of thermoluminescen t dosimeters orportable multichannel gamma spectrometers).

When ;I critical radionuclide with aninternnediate half-life (weeks to months) is releasedcontinuotisly or frequently.

sampling and analysis ofetvirotlneinial media in the critical pathway shouldgenerally be carried omt at inltervals no greater than twoor 'h ree half-lives of tIte iuclide.

For long half[liife

.dionuclides (years).

measurements should be made atst once per year. Where seasonal eflects ,ay beimportant.

sampling should be on a quarterly or at leastsemiannual basis.Ilt sotmie cases. sat ll)lingll

.1 t ll illttitous b:sismay be necessar\

(e.g.. air samttplinig and co,]ItitIotIs mile astire ie Illt f. c u ttInlaIive exterit1al

,:dia, it inexposure).

Composites of some selected s:aiple types.such as air filters.

niav be appropriate I'm" meastmrettiettt ot long-lived madi nit ticlides.

When critical pathlways become firmdlyidentified awtd correlations are developed betweenconcentraiJuis of radionuclides itt einvirontm.entaml mediaanid planlt releases, or level, have been iotind too' low todetect. it is probable tltat saripling frequte .,cies ot'ccittil media irmay be apprli mriaiel " iticreased or decreased.

Such chan6ges shtIould onlyl he titade on itidividual paOwerplants after considerable

'peraliotlal experienlce Ilsaaccrued.c. Program ScopeDuring (hft initial three years of commercial power operation (or other period corresponditie tomaximum fuel burnup it] the initial core cycle). tihemecastirememti program shotuld be relatively c11muipre- nensive in an attempt to verify anys'

torle-lations between radioactivc eflltuilts attd levels inenvirontmental media. The extetnt of measturettent ofenvironnmental media should be flexible and shoulddepend on the type. quantity.

and concentration ofradionuclides from the plant as well as the resultsobtained from previotus nmeasurements.

1f. after this period. the licensee is able todemonstrate from levels in environutetumal media orcalculations (using measured effluents and appropriate dispersion and bioaccumulation factors)

that the dosesfrom a particular pathway are sufficiently small, thenumber of media sampled in the patlihway and thefrequency of sampling may be reduced.

An adequateprogram wiln i emphasis m ml indicator o rganisins andselected media should still be continued in order tocon firm that the levels of radioactivity in environmten talmedia remain small.d. AnalysesSamples should he analyzed for the criticalradionticlide(s)

released from the plani. (Gross belta andgainnia analyses of samples stuch as air and fresh watermay be useful to indicate that the concenltralioni of acritical radionuclide is not greater thall the delectioll capability for that nuclide.3. Detection Capabilities The detection capabilities associated with ,1,eaisiritmg and atinalvzitt radioactivity levels shotild he eSltablished primarily on the basis of poleittial hutnatt dose. The leastdetectable dose will vary from facilitvy to facilitydepending on the critical pathways ideI iifled arm d IItCstalof-tl'-he-art of sampling and analysis in thesepathways.

Because of tie need for a preoperational monitoring program, detectiot capabilities for a4.1-3 Wpat tcular piorat11 should he deternmined during :n earlystaLc of licensing.

The staff rc,.ognizes that directtmeeas uremtetn ts of envirotnml enltal Imredia cannot1 alvays'cet ct levels lruepo -dine to Commissiti design, Iieclites.

Nevertheless.

every reasonable effort shouldbe made to achieve detection capabilities which willdewclt ratdiition levels or radioactiVity I ol0cent-rat ions illcritical pathways that could result in radiatiom dosescor respudindg to a 11ew 1'ercen t of thie Federal Radiation

(',tmcil's radiation protection guides Ie.g.. a ftw percenti! !70 mren'years for whole body dose to a stiiable-ample tithe exposed population

).4. Reporting of ResultsData sholtld he reported to the Commission in ther..,ort suhmitted within t,-0 days aflter January I andJuly I of each year.' InI the eveut that all unexpected mclea,ýe iln radjoaCtivMI

or r:diation levels is measured ina p-Mricular critical pathway.

the Commnission should henot, fied prontptl..

Appropriate levels and reporting inetvals will he determined on an individual plant basisand included in the technical specifications for eachlicense.The Commission utilizes the data from these reportsto provide assurance that man and his environment arenot heinu subjc,:ted It unacceptable radiation exposures.

Consequently.

all assumptions.

parameters and methodsused to measure and report radioactivity concentrations and radiation levels should be specified in the licensee's initial report aid updated in subsequent reports ass t-'d,.at Radiatiiin Councit Report No. I. bIac'kgroutnd

.llawrnelkr th'e" Dere'ml-Fea t ,.RadiathOn Pro'tetion Srandards.

Ia J3. 19 h (.";uhpalragraph (a)(2) of

(,f 1o C0 R Part 50requites the subtinjsimi or a report within ot, d-'s after JainuaryI :ie-d Jul ' I i f eacit )'ear speciriflin the quantitv of eac lih o t .prin` iial radimiuclidts released lto unrestricted areas in liquidandll in g'awous erffenlt%.

the duta taken in suppnrt of thelite'i.ee'"

en.-iroiitnential monitoring programn shriuld also he,,jonmia ltd s;emiannually.

Ir additional lime is needed, the repnrt

.sit; indicane

md the shoulJ he carried into theIo'et ,emiannua:ll report. it would greatl, r:ocililgte comparismns rnd 7.'ierrlaitil ot t ta if the en

3ind effluentniaiateirilg dat.a m.ere .mnihtited ilnto single reports.alpprolri:e.

Trie licensee should demtostiale that aillassutittiolts.

parameters and methods, used are adcqumtte and compiele Ito allow Itwhere data pertii) a c omparison

,with predicted concei.ratitms and doses based oleffluents from each nuclear power plant under license.(See Safety (uide 21).To petlmit comparison of signi'icart entvironmental mIolnitoritng data willh predicted eoncent ratiotls anid doses(bhaid on reluiretletts ol' I0 CFR Part 50). the reportshould include Ilie following i tents for each tttedii:

1:a. Samnple TypeI. Biological (it tile extent practicable.

listspecics.

life' stage. age. weight or size. biolog.ical conditiot, tissue or m1terial sampled.

sample weight.etc.).2. Non-Biological (identify type -soil, air.etc.: list actual area. depth and weight or volumesampled as appropriate, whether grab or continuous sample. number of samples.

etc.).b. Sample Localtion (also !tipply mtap showinglocations)

c. Collection Period (continuous samples)

or Daleof Collection d. Critical Pathwaye. Radionuclide f. Concentration (mCi/ml or g. specifying wet orstandard dry. weight) and/or Deposilion (jiCi/mh oriother apprupriate units of tteastire).

(List conversionti, factors relating sample activity and volume -depth Xcross section -It) total area deposition:

average andttlaXIillttt values (for each medium. etc.)g. Background Valueh. Analytical Method7j. Comparison of Observed Concentrations.

Depositions and Estimated Doses with Predicted Values(based on effluent measurenments)

j. Remarks (be sure to explain any tititstal measurements or deviations).

'I .stim-mtes i)f the error assoeinted with the: measurement ofeach environmental medium should he reported.

O04.1.4