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Preliminary Analysis of Important Site-Specific Dose Assessment Parameters and Exposure Pathways Applicable to a Groundwater Release Scenario at Yucca Mountain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

P. A. Laplante ,
S. J. Maheras  and
M. S. Jarzemba
P. A. Laplante
Affiliation:
Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, 12300 Twinbrook Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20852
S. J. Maheras
Affiliation:
Independent Consultant, 366 Ranch Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83404
M. S. Jarzemba
Affiliation:
Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, 6220 Culebra Rd, San Antonio, TX 78238
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Abstract

To develop capabilities for compliance determination, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducts total system performance assessment (TSPA) for the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain (YM) in an iterative manner. Because the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard for YM may set a dose or risk limit, an auxiliary study was conducted to develop estimates of site-specific dose assessment parameters for future TSPAs. YM site-relevant data was obtained for irrigation, agriculture, resuspension, crop interception, and soil. A Monte Carlo based importance analysis was used to identify predominant parameters for the groundwater pathway. In this analysis, the GENII-S code generated individual annual total effective dose equivalents (TEDEs) for 20 nuclides and 43 sampled parameters based upon unit groundwater concentrations. Scatter plots and correlation results indicate the crop interception fraction, food transfer factors, consumption rates, and irrigation rate are correlated with TEDEs for specific nuclides. Influential parameter groups correspond to expected pathway behavior of specific nuclides. Results for nuclides that transfer more readily to plants, such as 99Tc, indicate crop ingestion pathway parameters are most highly correlated with the TEDE, and those that transfer to milk (59Ni) or beef (79Se, 129I, 135Cs, 137Cs) show predominant correlations with animal product ingestion pathway parameters. Such relationships provide useful insight to important parameters and exposure pathways applicable to doses from specific nuclides.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 412: Symposium V – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XIX , 1995 , 897
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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