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DOH 320-029 Environmental Radiation Program Hanford Environmental Oversight Program 2000 Data Summary Report Environmental Health Programs DOH 320-029 Environmental Radiation Program Hanford Environmental Oversight Program 2000 Data Summary Report Scott Van Verst Lynn Albin Washington State Department of Health For more information or additional copies of this report, contact: Environmental Radiation Section Office of Radiation Protection Department of Health 7171 Cleanwater Lane, Bldg. 5 P.O. Box 47827 Olympia WA 98504 360-236-3251 Email: [email protected] FAX: 360-236-2255 Summary The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has operated an environmental radiation monitoring program since 1961. The early program looked primarily at atmospheric fallout and off-site environmental impacts related to Hanford operations. Currently, the DOH conducts radiological surveillance in many geographical areas of the state and routinely splits (co-samples) environmental samples with state licensed and federal environmental monitoring programs. Since 1985, the Washington State Department of Health’s Hanford Environmental Oversight Program has participated with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the collection of environmental samples on or near the Hanford Site. The purpose of the program is to independently verify the quality of DOE environmental monitoring programs at the Hanford Site, and to assess the potential for public health impacts. This report is a summary of the data collected for the Hanford Environmental Oversight Program in 2000. The Oversight Program’s objectives are met through collection and analyses of environmental samples and interpretation of results. DOH samples are either split or co-located with samples collected by the DOE contractors. In 2000, samples of air, groundwater, surface water, riverbank seep water, drinking water, discharge water, soil, sediment, food and farm products, fish and wildlife, and vegetation were collected. In addition, dosimeters measuring ambient external radiation levels were collected. Generally there is very good agreement between DOH and DOE contractor data. The good agreement between this limited split data gives confidence that the remainder of DOE’s environmental radiation data is valid. Discrepancies between DOH and DOE data historically appear for strontium 90 (Sr-90) and uranium isotopes in solid samples such as soil, sediment, fish, and wildlife. This trend continues in 2000. The discrepancy in reported results is not random, but takes the form of a consistent bias indicating a systematic difference in a laboratory procedure. The uranium discrepancy is understood as due to a difference in laboratory analytical methods. The cause of the strontium discrepancy is not understood at this time and is currently under investigation. Results for most DOH samples are consistent with background. A few samples had concentrations elevated above background which are attributed to Hanford operations, however, in most cases the results are consistent with historical trends. For example, technetium 99 (Tc- 99), strontium 90 (Sr-90), iodine 129 (I-129), uranium isotopes, and tritium were detected above background levels in some Hanford Site groundwater wells in 2000. Strontium 90 and uranium isotopes in some Columbia River water samples were also greater than background, but at concentrations well below water quality standards. While Hanford Site operations have resulted in radionuclides entering the environment, the DOH Oversight Program’s data indicate that public exposure to radioactivity from Hanford is far below regulatory limits. i Contents Summary.............................................................................................................................. i Contents .............................................................................................................................. ii Acronyms............................................................................................................................ v 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................. 1 2. The Hanford Environmental Oversight Program Description..................................... 2 2.1 Laboratory Qualifications ............................................................................. 2 2.2 Interpretation of Results ................................................................................ 3 2.2.1 Uncertainty in Radioactivity Measurements ................................................. 3 2.2.2 Detection Limits............................................................................................ 3 2.2.3 Background and Negative Results ................................................................ 3 2.2.4 Techniques for Comparison of DOH and DOE Contractor Data.................. 4 2.2.4.1 Qualitative Comparisons............................................................................... 4 2.2.4.2 Regression Analysis...................................................................................... 4 3. Environmental Monitoring Results.............................................................................. 6 3.1 Air Monitoring.............................................................................................. 7 3.1.1 Purpose and General Discussion................................................................... 7 3.1.2 Monitoring Locations.................................................................................... 7 3.1.3 Monitoring Procedures.................................................................................. 7 3.1.4 Comparison of DOH and Contractor Data.................................................... 8 3.1.5 Discussion of Results.................................................................................... 9 Table 3.1.1 Radionuclides Monitored in Air Samples........................................... 8 Table 3.1.2 Summary Statistics for Gross Beta in Air Results ........................... 10 Figure 3.1.1 Air Monitoring Locations ................................................................. 11 Figure 3.1.2 DOH and PNNL Gross Beta in Air at Wye Barricade...................... 12 Figure 3.1.3 DOH and Duratek Gross Beta in Air at Wye Barricade ................... 12 Figure 3.1.4 DOH and Duratek Gross Beta in Air at KE Basin............................ 13 Figure 3.1.5 DOH and Duratek Gross Beta in Air at C Farm ............................... 13 Figure 3.1.6 DOH vs. PNNL Gross Beta in Air Results....................................... 14 Figure 3.1.7 DOH vs. Duratek Gross Beta in Air Results..................................... 14 Figure 3.1.8 DOH and PNNL Results for Cs-137 in Air ...................................... 15 Figure 3.1.9 DOH and Duratek Results for Pu-238 in Air ................................... 15 Figure 3.1.10 DOH and Duratek Results for Pu-239/249 in Air ............................ 16 Figure 3.1.11 DOH Historical Results for Gross Beta in Air at Wye Barricade..... 16 3.2 Groundwater, Riverbank Seep, and Surface Water Monitoring ................. 17 3.2.1 Purpose and General Discussion................................................................. 17 3.2.2 Monitoring Locations.................................................................................. 17 3.2.3 Monitoring Procedures................................................................................ 19 3.2.4 Comparison of DOH and Contractor Data.................................................. 21 3.2.5 Discussion of Results.................................................................................. 23 ii Table 3.2.1 Groundwater Samples....................................................................... 20 Table 3.2.2 Columbia Seep Sample Locations and Analytes .............................. 21 Table 3.2.3 Surface Water and Discharge Water Samples .................................. 21 Figure 3.2.1 Groundwater Monitoring Locations ................................................. 25 Figure 3.2.2 DOH vs. PNNL Split Gross Beta Water Results .............................. 26 Figure 3.2.3 DOH vs. PNNL Split H-3 Water Results.......................................... 26 Figure 3.2.4 DOH vs. PNNL Split Tc-99 Water Results ...................................... 27 Figure 3.2.5 DOH vs. PNNL Split U-238 Water Results ..................................... 27 Figure 3.2.6 Tritium in Groundwater .................................................................... 28 Figure 3.2.7 Tritium in Well 699-35-70................................................................ 28 Figure 3.2.8 Sr-90 in Groundwater at 199-K-109A .............................................. 29 Figure 3.2.9 Uranium 238 in Groundwater at 399-1-17A..................................... 29 Figure 3.2.10 Tritium in 400 Area Drinking and Ground Water ............................ 30 Figure 3.2.11 Tritium in Riverbank Seeps .............................................................. 30 Figure 3.2.12 Tc-99 in Riverbank Seep at 300 SPR Mile 28.2............................... 31 Figure 3.2.13 U-238 in Riverbank Seep at SPR Mile 42.2 ..................................... 31 Figure 3.2.14 Tritium in Columbia River Water..................................................... 32 Figure 3.2.15 Tritium in Discharge Water at the 310 TEDF .................................. 32 3.3 External Gamma Radiation Monitoring...................................................... 33 3.3.1