ML12339A488
| ML12339A488 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 03/30/2012 |
| From: | Environmental Protection Agency |
| To: | Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel |
| SECY RAS | |
| References | |
| RAS 22152, 50-247-LR, 50-286-LR, ASLBP 07-858-03-LR-BD01 | |
| Download: ML12339A488 (3) | |
Text
NRC000053Submitted:March30,2012 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Official Hearing Exhibit In the Matter of
- Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Indian Point Nuclear Generating Units 2 and 3)
ASLBP #:07-858-03-LR-BD01 Docket #:05000247 l 05000286 Exhibit #:
Identified:
Admitted: Withdrawn:
Rejected: Stricken: Other: NRC000053-00-BD01 10/15/2012 10/15/2012* 0 * . * .. .... ,,1-0 .... ? ****il The Basics Wh o dis c over e d pluto n ium? Pl u to n i um w as i de n t i fied b y nuclear chemist Gle n n T. Sea b o rg an d h i s c olleag u es J o seph W. Kenned y , Ed w i n M. Mc Milla n , a nd A rthu r C. W ah l , i n 1941 at t he U n i v e r sity o f Cal i f o rn ia -B erkele y. Ho w e v e r , w a rtime se c r ecy p re v e n ted them from a nn o u ncing t he d i sc ov ery u n t i l 1 948. iTop of page Where doe s plutonium c ome from? Pl u to n i u m is c reated from u r an i um in n u cl ear r eacto r s. W h e n u r an i u m-23 8 a b so rbs a ne u t r o n , i t be c o m es u r a n i u m-239 w h ic h ult i m a t e l y deca y s to pluton i u m-239. D i fferent is o t o p es of u raniu m and d i ff eren t c o mb i n atio n s of n e ut ron abs o rptions a nd r ad i oacti v e de c a y, c reate di ff erent iso t opes of plu t on i u m. So m e of the plutoni um-2 39 i n the f u el rods b urn s (fi ssio n s) alo ng w i t h u r a n i u m and he l ps pro d uce heat, w h i c h i s c o n v erted i n to e l ectricity. A s fi ssio n c o n tin u es , the reactio n pr od u cts remain i n t he fuel pelle ts a nd a b sorb neutro n s , slo w ing (" po i s o n i ng") the fi ssio n p r o cess. Fi na ll y, t h e r atio o f p o isons t o fissio n a l m a t e ri als rea c hes a point a t w h ic h t h e fuel is said t o be " spe n t" a nd m u s t be r e p l a ced. H ow e v e r , e v e n spe nt f u e l co n tai n s some p lu t o n i u m. Th e m ajor i ty of pluto n i u m w a s pro du c ed f o r n u clear w eap o n s in se v eral go v ern m e nt reactors d esigne d to ma x i mize t h e prod u ction o f p l ut o n ium. Be t w e en 1 944 a n d 198 8 , t he U.S. b u i l t a n d operated t hese 'p ro du ct i on reactors' at h igh-secu r ity go v e rnm e n t f a c il it ies. In a ll , the U.S. prod u ce d abo u t 1 00 me t r i c t o n s of p l u to n i u m. Th e r eacto r s made plu t o n i um b y bom b ardi n g spe c ial f u el ro d s c on t ain i ng u r a n i u m w i t h ne u tro n s. O n c e t he m a x im u m amo unt of p l ut o n i u m w a s pro du ce d , w o r ke r s remo v ed the f uel rods (n ow c a ll ed 's p e nt f u el') f rom th e reactor. Th e spent f uel rods w ere extremel y r adio a cti v e , and t h e p ro c ess f or r eco v ering t h e p l ut oni u m used onl y rem o t e-con t rolle d eq u ipmen t. F i rs t w o r kers used s t rong ac i d to d iss o l v e t he fuel r o d s. Th en the y tr e at e d the mixt u re w it h c hemicals t o p recipi t ate t he p l u t o n i u m so that i t w oul d se tt le ou t. Th e pro c ess was v ery e x pensi v e and at t h e time made pluton iu m ab o u t the m o st e x pe n si v e mater i a l o n ea rt h. Th is pro c ess i ng also left be h i nd o v er 10 0 mill i o n g a ll o ns o f e x ceedi n gl y h a zardo u s mi x ed w a s t es of acids and radioact i v e fiss i on prod u cts. Pa rt o f our lega cy of nuclea r w eap o ns pr o duct i on is dea l ing w ith t h ese high-le v el w astes. I n ext r emel y r are cases , ro c k s w i th a h i gh loca l ized co n c e n t r a t ion of u r a n i u m can pro v ide the r i ght conditions fo r mak i ng sma ll amo u n t s o f plutoni um nat u ra ll y. This natural pr oc ess i s c alled sp o ntaneous fissio n. Only v ery small (tra c e) amoun t s o f na t u r a l p l u t o nium ha ve e v er been found in na t u r e. iTOp of pag e What ar e the properties of pluton i um? Pl u to n i um is a si l v e ry-gre y metal that becomes y ello wi sh w h en e x p osed to air. It i s sol i d u nder n ormal c o n dit i o n s , and is c h e m icall y r eacti v e. Pl u to n i u m has a t least 1 5 di ff erent iso t opes , a ll o f w h ich are ra d ioact i v e. The most co mm o n ones are Pu-238 , Pu*239 , a nd P u-240. P u-238 has a hal f-f i f e o f 87.7 y ears. Plut o n i u m-239 has a half-l i fe of 2 4 , 1 00 , a n d Pu-240 has a half-l i fe 6 , 560 y ears. The iso t ope Pu-23 8 gi v es off u seable heat , beca u se o f i ts r a d i o act iv ity. '9'Top of pag e What is plutonium used for? P lutonium-239 is used to make nuclear w eapons. For example , the bomb dropped on Na(lasaki, Japan , in 1945 , contained PU-239. The p l utonium irl the bomb under(loes in an arran(lement that assures enormous ener(lY (leneration and destructive potential.
The isotope, plutonium-238 , is rlOt uselullor nuclear w eapons. Ho w e v er it (lenerates si (ln ifocant heat throu(lh its deca y process, which make it useful as a l on(l-liv ed power source. Usin(l a thermocouple , a de v;c e that conve rt s heat i nto electlle power, satellites re ty on plutonium as a power source. T iny amounts also provide power to heart pacemakers. Some lorei (l n countries mtx isotopes 01 p l utonium and uranium to manufacture special reactor luel called mtxed-o><ide luel , lor commercial nuclear power reactors. The p l utonium ioc.-eases the power output. The u.s. does no t currently manufacture mtxed-oxide rue l, but is lundin(l research irl th i s type 01 reactor luel as a means 01 dealin (l with excess plutonium irl u.s. stodqJ i les. E x posure to Plutonium How does plutonium get into the environment?
P l utonium w as d i spersed worl d wi de from atmosphenc testin(l 01 nuclear we apons conducted durin(l the 1950s and *60 s. The lallout lrom these tests left very low concentrations 01 p l utonium in so i ls around the worl d. Nuclear w eapons production and testm(l lacilities (H anlord , WA; Sa v annah River, GA; Rocky Flats , CO; and The Nevada Test Site , irl the U nited States , and Mayak and Semi Plaf , nsk irl the lormer Soviet Union), also released small amounts. Some releases have occurred irl a cci dents w ith nuclear w eapons , the reentry 01 satellites that used Pu-238 , and from the Chemobyl nuclear reactor a cci dent. How does plutonium c hange in the environment?
Al l isotopes 01 plutonium under(lo radioactive decay. A s plutonium deca ys, it releases rad i ation and lorms other radioactive isotopes.
For example, Pu-238 emits an alpha particle and becomes uranium-234; Pu-239 emits an alpha particle and becomes uranium-235. Th i s process happens slo wty s inc e the 01 p l utonium isotopes tend to be relative ty Ion(l: Pu-238 has a 0187.7 y ears; Pu-239 has a i s 24 , 100 y ears , and Pu-240 has a 01 6,560 y ears. The deca y process continues until a stable , non-radioactive element is lormed. How do people c ome in c ontact with plutonium?
Residual p l utonium from atmosphenc nuclear we apons testin(l is d i spersed wi de ty i n the environment.
As a resuit , vi rtual ty e v e ryo ne comes irl to contact w ith extremety small amounts 01 p l utonium. People who liv e near nuclear we apons production or testin(l sites ma y have iroc.-eased exposure to p l utonium , primari ty throu(lh particles i n the a ir, but possibty lrom w ater as w ell. Plants (lrowin(l irl contaminated so il can absorb small amounts 01 plutonium. How does plutonium get into the body? People ma y irl hale p l utonium as a contaminant irl dust. It can also be irl(l ested with lood or w ater. Most people have extreme ty low irl(l estion and irl halation 01 p l utonium. However, people who liv e near (lovemment w eapons production or testm(l la ci lities ma y have ioc.-eased e x posure. P l utonium exposure extemal to the body poses v e ry little heaith risk. What does plutonium do on c e it gets into the body? The stoma ch does rlOt absorb p l utonium v e ry w ell , and most p l utonium s w allo w ed w ith lood or w ater passes from the body throu(lh the leces. W hen irl haled , p l utonium can remain irl the lun(l s dependin(l upon its particle size and how w ell the particular chemicallorm d i sso lv es. The chemicallorms that d i sso lv e less eas ity ma y lod(l e irl the lun(l s or move out w ith phle(lm , and either be s w allo w ed or spit out. But , the lun(l s ma y absorb chemicallorms that d i sso lv e more eas ity and pass them in to the b l oodstream. Once i n the bloodstream, p l utonium moves throu(lhout the body and irlto the bones, liv er , or other body or(lans. P l utonium that reaches body or(lans (leneralty sta y s i n the body lor decades and continues to expose the surroundin(l tissue to rad i ation. Health Effects of Plutonium How can plutonium affect people's health? E xtemal e x posure to p l utonium poses v e ry little heaith risk, s ince p l utonium isotopes emit alpha rad i atio n, and almost no beta or (lamma rad i ation. In contrast, i ntemal exposure to plutonium is an extremety serious heaith hazard. It (leneralty sta y s irl the body lor decades , exposin(l or(lans and tissues to rad i ation , and iroc.-eas in(l the risk 01 cancer. P l utonium is also a to xic metal , and ma y cause dama(le to the kid ne y s. Is there a medical test to determine exposure to plutonium?
There are tests that can rel i ab ty measure the amount 01 plutonium irl a urine sample , e v en at very low le v els. Usirl(l these measurements , scientists can estimate the total amount 01 p l utonium present in the body. other tests can measure p l utonium irl so ft tissues (such as body or(lans) and irlleces, bones, and milk. However, these tests are not routinety a v ailable irl a doctor*s o/f oc e because the y require special laboratory equipment.
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/plutonium.html#affecthealth