Jason T. Harris, Ph.D. Idaho State University/NATC Radiological Impact of Radiological Impact of Commercial Nuclear Power Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Releases: a 12-year Plant Releases: a 12-year Study Study 1 18 th Annual RETS-REMP Workshop June 23-25, 2008
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Jason T. Harris, Ph.D. Idaho State University/NATC Radiological Impact of Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Releases: a 12-year Study 1 18 th Annual RETS-REMP.
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Jason T. Harris, Ph.D.Idaho State University/NATC
Radiological Impact of Radiological Impact of Commercial Nuclear Power Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Releases: a 12-year Plant Releases: a 12-year
StudyStudy
1
18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
IntroductionIntroduction General Theory and MethodologyGeneral Theory and Methodology Radiological Impact of Effluent Radiological Impact of Effluent
ReleasesReleases Correlation between Effluent Correlation between Effluent
Releases and Electrical Releases and Electrical GenerationGeneration
REMP EvaluationREMP Evaluation Summary and Future WorkSummary and Future Work
Presentation Outline
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
NPP Radiological ReleasesNPP Radiological Releases Small amounts of radiation released during normal
10 CFR 50 NPP operations, technical specs. on effluents (Appendix I – numerical guides)
NUREG-0133 Radiological effluent technical specs.
Reg. Guide 1.109, 1.111, 1.112
Effluent and Solid Waste Release calcs.
NUREG-0016, 0017 BWR and PWR effluent calcs. (computer codes)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
REMPREMP NPPs required to monitor the radiological impact
of reactor operations on the environment and public (NEPA 1969 and FWPCA 1976)
Program Preoperational and operational components Trend and assess radiation exposure rates and conc. in
the environment Annual report submitted (and for releases)
Problem – decreased programs, decreased LLDs (positive results), public opinion, recent unexpected releases, and staff turnover
Introduction (3/5)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
Although effluent releases are well below regulatory limits (1%) it is important to continually monitor and scrutinize effluent release programs Effluent releases have a direct financial impact on nuclear liability
insurance premiums via the ERF (Engineering rating Factor) program. There is also an indirect financial impact. Performance information also plays an important part in the development of insurance risk profiles that support loss control strategies at each nuclear power plant facility.
As technology improves, MDAs will decrease and what may not have been there in the past, may now appear
Increased environmental findings at several operating and decommissioned plants
Public perception and confidence (Reputation!)
Introduction (4/5)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
Purpose of ResearchPurpose of Research Protection of public health and safety Study for entire U.S. commercial NPP industry Litigation protection, environmental pathway validity,
trending, projected impact (license renewals, new NPP construction, power-uprates), public perception
Compliance with National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended and National Cancer Institute (1990 cancer study, NIH)
11 year study of all data for U.S. NRC, NSF, NPP utilities and UNSCEAR
ICRP 2007 Recommendations (protection of non-human species)
Comprehensive database development Recent NPP groundwater contamination and environmental
release events HypothesisHypothesis
Commercial nuclear power operations continues to pose little risk to the general public (radiological releases)
Introduction (5/5)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
U.S. NRC Dose ModelsU.S. NRC Dose Models
General Theory and Methodology (1/4)
Cip = concentration of radionuclide i in the media of pathway p, (Bq L-1, Bq kg-1, or Bq m-3 );Daipj = dose factor, specific to age group a, radionuclide i, pathway, and organ j (mSv pCi-1 );Raipj = annual dose to organ j or an individual of age group a, from nuclide i via pathway p mSv y-1 ); andUap = exposure time or intake rate (usage) associated with pathway p for age group a (hr y-1, L y-1 or kg y-1 ).
Generalized equation for calculating annual radiation dose via liquid effluent pathways (U.S. NRC Regulatory Guides 1.109 and 1.111)
D(r,θ) = total annual dose to an individual from airborne releases at location (r,θ) (mSv yr-1 );DT = annual total body dose from noble gas releases from free-standing stacks more than 80 meters high (mSv y-1 );D∞T = annual total body dose from all other noble gas releases (mSv y-
1 );DG = annual organ dose from external irradiation from radionuclides deposited onto the ground surface (mSv y-1 );DA = annual organ dose from inhalation of radionuclides in air (mSv y-
1 ); andDD = annual organ dose from ingestion of atmospherically released radionuclides in food (mSv y-1 );
Combined equation for calculating annual radiation dose via airborne effluent pathways (USNRC Regulatory Guides 1.109 and 1.111)
DAGTT DDDDDrD ),(
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
UNSCEAR Dose ModelUNSCEAR Dose Model
General Theory and Methodology (3/4)
Generalized equation for calculating collective effective dose pathways (UNSCEAR 2000)
ii
iCE D
E
AD
Ai =activity of release category i (GBq);DCE = total collective effective dose (person-Sv GW-1 y-1);Di = collective dose for release category I (person Sv-1 PBq-1 ); andE = energy produced by the nuclear reactor (GW y-1 ).
Collective dose is divided according to release type (liquid or gaseous), radionuclide category (noble gases, tritium, C-14, iodine, particulate matter), and pathway (immersion, inhalation, ingestion, and external irradiation)
Model site and conditions
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
Censored DataCensored Data
General Theory and Methodology (4/4)
Nuclear power plant releases are very small and may be below analytical detection limits (left censored data)
RETS and REMP reporting often include LLD and/or MDA values
Interpretation of results requires different statistical methods than for non-zero or non-LLD values
Because LLDs varied from one plant to another, substitution was used for less than values Mean and median calculated for industry REMP
study
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
MethodsMethods Data from annual effluent release reports (1995-
2005) Gaseous effluents
Fission and activation products, total iodine, particulates, tritium
Liquid effluents Fission products, dissolved and entrained gases,
PWR Gaseous Total Body Dose PWR Liquid Total Body Dose
PWR TOTAL Cumulative Dose BWR Gaseous Total Body Dose
BWR Liquid Total Body Dose BWR TOTAL Cumulative Dose
1.0 × 10-3
1.0 × 10-5
1.0 × 10-2
1.0 × 10-4
Mean annual total-body dose and cumulative dose commitments received by maximally exposed individual members of the public in the U.S. from PWR and BWR nuclear power plant radiological effluent releases
ResultsResults Cumulative
doses obtained by summing total body air dose, skin air dose, critical organ air dose, total body liquid dose, critical organ liquid dose, and site direct radiation
Total cumulative dose for PWRs and BWRs similar
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
Radiological Impact of Effluent Releases (11/11)
Yearly total-body dose and cumulative dose commitments received by maximally exposed individual members of the public in the U.S. from commercial nuclear power plant radiological effluent releases
a Obtained by dividing the total cumulative dose by the annual U.S. population (see Fig. 2 for population numbers)b 2006 U.S. population = 300,889 (× 104) (U.S. Census Bureau 2007)
Doses to the general public are insignificant compared to other radiation sources
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
CorrelationCorrelation Determined to measure association between activity
released and electrical energy generated Specifically done to look at the affect of power-
uprates Release activities looked at for period of 3 years
before and after uprate took affect Normalized with capacity factor Importance – effluent dose models (UNSCEAR) and
trends normalized by plant type and electrical energy generated
Correlation between Release Activity and Electrical Generation (1/2)
Statistic is defined as the sum of the products of the standard scores of the two measures divided by the degrees of freedom
Numerical range of +1 - -1 Results
No correlation (or pattern) between any release type and electrical generation (when compared alone)
Regardless of shared data Industry mean – no correlation
Correlation between Release Activity and Electrical Generation (2/2)
1N
zzr yx
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
MethodsMethods Summary Data from annual REMP reports
Sample medium, type and number of analyses performed, LLD, mean and range of indicators, mean and range of control locations, and number of non-routine reports
Pathways and Analyses Direct radiation (TLD) Water - surface, ground, drinking (tritium, gamma) Sediments (gamma) Fish/Invertebrates (gamma) Food products, vegetation (gamma) Air particulates (gross beta) and Iodine Soil and grass (gamma) Non-routine samples (precipitation, storm water)
Number of analyses for study Sites average ~2000 y-1
Total – 1.4 x 106
REMP Evaluation (1/7)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
REMP Evaluation (2/7)
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Pathway Percent total cumulative dose contribution of various pathways resulting from U.S. nuclear power plant effluent releases.
ResultsResults Taken from
effluent doses given by each pathway
Direct radiation largest contributor (especially for BWR plants
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
REMP Evaluation (3/7)
Ranking of environmental media based on potential radiation dose from BWR (above) and PWR (below) effluent releases..
Effluent Pathway/RadionuclideRelative Order of Importance
Gaseous Noble Gases
Gaseous Iodine
Gaseous Particulates
Gaseous Tritium
Liquid Tritium
Liquid Other Radionuclides
1 Direct radiation
Milk
2 Fish/invertebrates3 Drinking
water45 Particulate
submersionSubmersion
Effluent Pathway/RadionuclideRelative Order of Importance
Gaseous Noble Gases
Gaseous Iodine
Gaseous Particulates
Gaseous Tritium
Liquid Tritium
Liquid Other Radionuclides
1 Milk2 Direct
radiationDrinking water
Fish/invertebrates
34 Submersion5 Particulate
submersion
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
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Pathway and Analysis
Percent of U.S. nuclear power plants sampling different REMP pathways and performing specific analyses (as of calendar year 2005)
REMP Evaluation (4/7)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
REMP Evaluation (5/7)
Number and type of non-routine results reported in REMP samples for U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. Only 0.0116% of all analyses were non-routine.
Year
Total Number ofnon-routine results
Number of Sites
Number of pathway and analysis for detected indicators
Calvert Cliffs Control Calvert Cliffs ISFSI Columbia ControlColumbia ISFSI North Anna Control North Anna ISFSIOconee Control Oconee ISFSI Peach Bottom ControlPeach Bottom ISFSI Prairie Island Control Prairie Island ISFSIPoint Beach Control Point Beach ISFSI San Onofre ControlSan Onofre ISFSI Surry Control Surry ISFSI
1.0 × 102
1.0 × 101
1.0 × 103
10
ResultsResults Direct
radiation from ISFSIs not statistically different from control locations
One plant gave exposure rates one order of magnitude higher
Emplacement of spent fuel is leading to higher exposure rates
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
ConclusionsConclusions Summary Data
Detected radionuclides from background, weapons testing and plant produced
Use of controls and NRR isolate plant produced radionuclides
>99.9% of indicator results insignificant (compared to the controls)
Routine operation had no significant or measurable radiological impact to the environment
Releases well below regulatory limits (10 CFR 20 and 40 CFR 190)
REMP Evaluation (7/7)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
SummarySummary Comprehensive evaluation and analysis of U.S. commercial nuclear
power radiological effluent releases and REMP was conducted (1995-2005)
Effluent activities compiled and analyzed, showing trends Average CED and doses to maximally exposed individuals calculated
(continue to be very low compared to other sources of radiation and regulatory limits
No correlation found between effluent activity and electrical generation (when compared alone)
REMP evaluation showed no adverse radiological or environmental impact for the study period
Importance alone of database development can not be understated
Summary and Future Work (1/2)
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18th Annual RETS-REMP WorkshopJune 23-25, 2008
Future WorkFuture Work Total inventory still needed for radiological releases Standardization of reporting needed Standardization of LLDs More research in precipitation washout and other
pathways (particularly radionuclide concentration in ice/frost)
Continued industry analysis needed for providing accurate, scientifically bases information for the public