title: Radiocesium in the Savannah River Site environment.
abstract: The Savannah River Site has produced plutonium, tritium, and other special nuclear materials for national defense, other government programs, and some civilian purposes. Radiocesium, a waste product, has been released to the environment during the operation of five reactors, two radio-chemical processing facilities, and a high-level waste storage system. During the period 1955-1989, 130 GBq of 137Cs was released to the atmosphere and 2.2 x 10(4) GBq was released to site streams and ponds. Approximately 65% of the latter remained on the site. The maximum individual effective dose equivalent at the site boundary was estimated to be 3.3 microSv from atmospheric releases and 600 microSv from liquid releases. The 80-km population dose was 1.6 person-Sv.
authors.affiliation: Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Savannah River Technology Center, Aiken, SC 29808.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Carlton
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013022:South Carolina; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive