Presented to the NCSS Symposium: Nuclear Science in the Environment

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Applications of Nuclear Science and Technology
for Environmental Remediation

• Presented to the NCSS Symposium Nuclear Science
  in the Environment
• Paul Kalb
• Environmental Research Technology Division
• Environmental Sciences Department
• July 18, 2006

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Overview

• Who we are
• What we do
• Overview of environmental remediation technology
  applications
• Rapid, comprehensive in-situ radiological
  characterization
• Wheres the leak? i.e.,finding the needle in the
  haystack
• Near Real-time Soil Characterization
• Summary/Conclusions

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Who We Are

• ERTD staff includes 36 scientists,
  professionals, technicians, post-docs and
  administrative support
• Four groups
• Molecular Environmental Science
• Technology Development/Applications
• Tracer Technologies
• Carbon Cycle Science and Technology

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What we do
The Environmental Research and Technology
Division (ERTD) conducts basic and applied
research on critical environmental issues
including the effects of elevated carbon dioxide
and other pollutants, fate and transport of
contaminants in air, soil, and water,
environmental restoration, and waste treatment.
ERTD research spans the molecular scale through
large field studies and the development of
innovative technologies from proof-of-principle
through applied technology development,
demonstration and deployment.
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Environmental RD Flow Chart
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Environmental Restoration
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Waste Treatment

• Radioactive, Hazardous, and Mixed Waste

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Waste Characterization

• Real time characterization for DD

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Decontamination Decommissioning

• DD Technologies
• Citric Acid DD Process
• Polymer Spray
• Soil Washing
• COIL Laser Cutting

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From Bench-Scale to Commercialization
BNL Polyethylene Microencapsulation and
Macroencapsulation Technologies
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• Three examples of science and technology
  applications for enhanced environmental
  restoration

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Radiological Characterization of the BGRR
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Background
BGRR is a graphite moderated, air cooled research
reactor that operated from 1950 -1968
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Background
Many BGRR sub-components were scheduled for DD
including Above and Below Ground Air Ducts, Fan
House,
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Background
Fuel Transfer Canal House and Instrument House
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Technology Need

• DD characterization is required to
• minimize worker exposure
• plan for appropriate disposition of materials and
  remaining facilities
• demonstrate compliance with applicable
  environmental regulations
• Characterization applied in three stages
• Pre DD scoping
• During DD operations
• Post DD final status survey

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Baseline Characterization

• Baseline approach is time consuming and costly
• collect thousands of surface smear, volumetric,
  and core samples
• ship samples for analysis
• wait for results (14 -28 day turn around typical)
• Many areas difficult to access or highly
  contaminated
• Difficult to measure heterogeneous contamination

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Innovative Characterization

• Multi Agency Radiation Survey Site
  Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) process
• optimize survey design
• reduce unnecessary sampling
• save time and money
• In situ techniques
• monitor remotely, reducing personnel exposures
• improved characterization of heterogeneous
  distribution of contamination
• faster turn-around time
• lower analytical costs

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Canberra In Situ Object Counting System (ISOCS)

• Field deployable gamma spectroscopy
• Broad energy range (30 keV - 3 MeV)
• Monte Carlo modeling in place of conventional
  source calibrations
• Ability to model complex geometries

Canberra In Situ Object Counting System (ISOCS)
measuring contamination within a pipe
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ISOCS Technical Progress
ISOCS Characterization of BGRR Above Ground Ducts
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Characterization of the Pile
Fuel channels viewed from the South Face of the
Pile
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Characterization of the Pile
Far view of the Reactor Pile West Face
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Characterization of the Pile
Close-up view of West Face Experimental Ports
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In Situ ISOCS vs. EML Intercomparison Data
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In Situ ISOCS vs. Lab AnalysesContaminated
Landscape Soil
Cs-137 in Contaminated BNL Soil Lab Samples Taken
at 0 - 6 depth
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BetaScint Fiber Optic Sensor

• Field deployable, near real-time analysis for
  Sr-90 and U-238 _at_ 35 -60/sample
• Conventional techniques require 1 - 4 wks _at_ 200
  - 300/sample
• 1 pCi/g detection limit

Schematic cross-section of Sr-90 sensor
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BetaScint Technical Progress
BetaScint Field Lab deployed at BGRR
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BetaScint vs. Baseline Analyses
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Wheres the Leak?
Cooling Air Flow

• Two separate plenums each measuring 10 X 14
  x 170
• Known to have collected rain water following
  shut down
• Potential source of subsurface soil contamination

Steel Liner
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Background
14.5 ft.
10.5 ft.
View inside Below Grade Primary Cooling Air Duct
section during construction.
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Comparison with Baseline

• Baseline Approach
• Complete removal of BGD and characterization of
  large volumes of soil
• Benefits of Innovative Approach
• Accelerate DD process
• Prioritize resources for cleanup where most
  needed
• Lower overall costs

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Technical Approach

• Deploy suite of innovative technologies to
  characterize subsurface contaminants

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Tracer Gas Study

• Deployed PFTs to identify potential leak pathways
  from the ducts
• Used information on leak pathways to help
  determine soil sampling requirements
• Provided guidance for developing Sampling and
  Analysis Plan
• Concentrate sampling in areas most likely to be
  contaminated reduce sampling frequency elsewhere

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Tracer Gas Study

• Time of arrival and concentrations values were
  used to determine the size and location of the
  leak(s)

• PFT measurement sensitivity down to parts per
  quadrillion

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PFTs to Locate Potential Leak Pathways in BGD

Setting up Geoprobe
Pre-drilling asphalt
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PFTs to Locate Potential Leak Pathways in BGD
PFT sampling port, pump and bag
Installing PFT port tubing
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PFTs to Locate Potential Leak Pathways in BGD
Sampling external monitoring ports
Sampling internal duct in Pile
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PFT Data Analysis

• PFT concentrations were monitored on 16 separate
  days over a total period of 28 days
• 1300 samples collected

• Analytical data input into EVS system

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Data Interpretation
PMCP Injected in South Duct Measured on 2/12/02
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Data Interpretation
PDCB Injected in North Duct Measured on 2/12/02
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Tracer Gas Study Results

• PFT tracer gas study identified areas of high,
  medium and low leakage
• North Duct leaked at higher rate large areas
  with no leakage on the South Duct
• Leakage detected primarily at the expansion
  joints and bustles
• Results from PFT tracer gas study used to
  optimize Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)
• Approx. 900 soil core samples needed for
  characterization vs. 2500 for conventional
  baseline approach

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Characterizing Below Grade Duct Soil
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Characterization Results

• Good correlation with PFT data Contamination
  only found in areas of potential leaks identified
  by tracer gas
• Contamination localized to a few hot spots, not
  broadly dispersed
• Relatively few areas with contamination levels
  higher than surface soil cleanup guidelines

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EVS 3D Visualization of PFT Data
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EVS 3D Visualization of Characterization Data
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Additional EVS Deployment
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Characterization of Contaminated Soil

• 7000 yd 3 of contaminated soil remained
  following 1997 CERCLA removal of
  Chemical/Animal/Glass Hole Disposal Pits
• Previous shipment for disposal resulted in
  non-conformance incident and increased costs due
  to unexpectedly high levels of Hg
• Evaluation determined baseline sampling frequency
  contributed to high uncertainty in
  characterization

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Technology Need/Approach

• Need/Objectives
• Improved confidence in characterization data
• Approach
• Field laboratory to provide near real-time data
  for total Hg and TCLP
• Rapid turn-around time
• Lower cost enabling far more samples

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Precision vs. Accuracy

• Precision The quality of being exactly or
  sharply defined
• Accuracy Extent to which the results approach
  the true values
• While precision in analytical methods has been
  steadily increasing with improved technology,
  accuracy in characterization is much more
  dependent on how well the sample reflects the
  actual condition of the waste

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Precision vs. Accuracy
If representativeness cannot be established, the
quality of the chemical analysis is irrelevant.
Crumbling, D.M., et al Managing Uncertainty in
Environmental Decisions, Environmental Science
and Technology, Vol. 35, pp. 404A-409A, October
1, 2001.
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Sampling Approach

• Baseline sampling frequency
• 1 sample/55 yd3
• ASTD Approach
• 2 samples taken for characterization from each
  quadrant of 20 yd3 subpiles
• ASTD sampling frequency
• 1 sample/2.5 yd3

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Analytical Methods
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Jordan Valley EX-6600A
compact field lab deployable system

• capable of detection limits to 1 ppm Hg (long
  sample prep)
• practical limit based on throughput 50 ppm
  (fast turn-around)
• limited sample prep
• 10 min sample prep and analysis
• Screening tool for 260 ppm Hg

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Analytical Methods

• Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
  (TCLP) regulatory requirement for Hg
  contaminated waste

• Universal Treatment Std (UTS) limit for Hg 25
  ppb
• Modified TCLP procedure to minimize waste
  generation (1/10 scale)
• Up to 60 samples leached/campaign
• 18 hour tumbling
• Analysis by DMA

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Analytical Methods
Direct Mercury Analyzer Milestone DMA-80 for
rapid analysis of total Hg in solid or liquid
(TCLP)

• 33 sample autosampler
• 10 min/sample analysis

• sample is heated, amalgamated, analyzed via cold
  vapor
• 0.2 ppb detection limit
• Minimal sample prep

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Analytical Methods

• Canberra In Situ Object Counting System (ISOCS)

• Portable detector for gamma emitters
• Previously deployed at BNL now baseline
  technology
• Used in field-lab mode to analyze volumetric soil
  samples
• 5 20 min. count times

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Near Real-time Characterization
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Summary of Radiological Results

• Many subpiles below detection limits for all
  nuclides
• Am-241
• Avg. stockpile activity
• Max. stockpile activity 20 pCi/g
• Preliminary Remediation Goal 40 pCi/g
• Cs-137
• Avg. stockpile activity
• Max stockpile activity 2.3 pCi/g
• Preliminary Remediation Goal 23 pCi/g

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Summary of XRF Data for Total Hg
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Summary of TCLP Data
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Summary/Conclusions

• Environmental remediation requires understanding
  of basic radiological and hazardous contamination
  processes
• Innovative approaches and techniques can be used
  to provide more efficient, cost-effective
  remediation
• Environmental restoration of BNL provides an
  opportunity for ERTD to develop/demonstrate new
  technologies