Evaluation of models for assessing compliance with environmental radiation regulations [electronic resource].

Published: Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1977.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Physical Description: Pages: 8 : digital, PDF file
Additional Creators: Oak Ridge National Laboratory and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Access Online

www.osti.gov

Availability

Finding items...

Restrictions on Access

Free-to-read Unrestricted online access

Summary

The use of environmental transport and dosimetry models to predict the consequences of radionuclide releases from nuclear facilities is discussed. It is pointed out that many input parameters, and hence the predictions, of these models have a high degree of variability. The determination of the uncertainties of the predictions of these models is essential for assessing the adequacy of their use to ensure compliance with radiation protection standards. Estimation of the depletion of an airborne plume via dry deposition and the subsequent transfer of materials from air to ground were studied because values of deposition velocity as applied in assessment models are often misinterpretations of the values obtained from field studies. A sensitivity analysis revealed that at distances where most maximum individual exposures would likely occur as a result of routine releases from a nuclear installation, the plume depletion model commonly used is virtually insensitive to variations in deposition velocity. This is not true, however, for the estimation of deposition, which is a linear function of deposition velocity. Therefore, any variation in the value of the deposition velocity will bring about a like variation in the estimated deposition onto vegetation or ground. The uncertainty associated with the calculation of dose to an infant's thyroid as a consequence of the transport of elemental /sup 131/I via the grass-cow-milk pathway was studied as a function of air concentration. Probabilities were determined from a statistical analysis of reported values for deposition velocity, vegetation retention, and the grass-to-milk transfer coefficient.

Report Numbers

E 1.99:conf-771109-51
conf-771109-51

Subject(s)

Other Subject(s)

Note

Published through SciTech Connect.
01/01/1977.
"conf-771109-51"
ANS winter meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, 27 Nov 1977.
Miller, C.W.; Hoffman, F.O.; Shaeffer, D.L.; Garten, C.T. Jr.

Funding Information

W-7405-ENG-26

View MARC record | catkey: 14152368