Results of a Cleanup and Treatment Test at the Nevada Test Site

Abstract

We have conducted experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of removing contaminated soils from the Nevada Test Site with a large truck-mounted vacuum cleaner. Our results show that this method is effective, relatively easy, and safe for equipment operators. With four passes of the truck-mounted vacuum, 92% of the 241Am (and the accompanying 239 + 240Pu) was removed and resuspension rates were reduced by more than 99%. The ecological impact was, however, serious in terms of soil erosion and destruction of small animal habitats. Compared to standard earth-moving techniques, vacuuming permits a significant reduction in the volume of soil collected to achieve the desired level of decontamination, and the volume reduction could result in cost savings for packaging, shipment, and burial. This cost savings would only be realized for projects involving decontamination of the top 5 cm of soil.

Site restoration: Estimation of attributable costs from plutonium-dispersal accidents

“…Similar results were reported by Shinn et al (1989a); a truck mounted vacuum apparatus reduced "'Am in the soil by 92% after four passes. Motor scrapers, like vacuums, actually remove surface soil.…”

“…Brown et al (1988) reported a marked decrease after one year in the effectiveness of removing one centimeter of soil, due largely to downward migration. Shinn et al (1989a) reported that the fractions of %*Am in the top 5 centimeters of plutonium contaminated NTS soils ranged from 62-92%. Howorth and Sandalls (1987) reported on a test of plutonium migration in soil near Seascale in the UK; 90% of the total deposit was found in the top 15 centimeters.…”

“…Wallace and Romney (1974) reported on several successful attempts to restore desert flora in Nevada. Small burrowing mammals do not return (Shinn et al, 1989a), at least within the first two years, and would need to be reintroduced after mature flora had been established.…”

Soil-Related Input Parameters for the Bioshere Model

“…In several instances (Shinn et al 1989 , the distributions of suspended mass and suspended activity were very similar. In such cases it is possible to characterize the corresponding distributions by one value of MAD.…”

Protocols of radiocontaminant air monitoring for inhalation exposure estimates

“…Complementary meterological measurements are used (Shinn et al, 1989) to determine relevant weather data at any time during the period of measurement of concentration in air. This is done with an automatic weather station which measures continuously the wind speed, wind direction, and energy budget components of radiant energy.…”