Abstract:
Radiation in the environment originates from cosmic, terrestrial and anthropogenic sources, including nuclear power plants and nuclear detonations. Radiation from muclear facility emissions is a major public concern, and extensive monitoring is carried out in the environs of nuclear facilities. Environmental radiation from cosmic, terrestrial and human activities is determined using dosimeter, for direct radiation measurements and by radiochemical analysis of air, water, aand biota samples collected at suitable locations. The contribution from each source is measured and interpreted to show the impact to the environment and humans. Studies of environmental non-penetrating radiation measurements are not well documented in the literature. NCRP Report 50, Environmental Radiation Measurements lists six different references which provide actual measurements of non-penetrating radiation in the environment. A monitoring program is underway at and around a large nuclear facility in eastern Washington State to determine the environmental impact of the site's operations but does not quantify the non-penetrating dose.
Few studies have documented the non-penetrating dose contribution from a nuclear facility. Those studies reporting actual measurement of non-penetrating doses include Hess et al, 1951, Hess et al, 1953, Miranda 1958, Kawano et al, 1969, Ikebe 1970, and Iida et al, 1972. None of these measurements were of the non-penetrating radiation in eastern Washington. The objective of this research is to:
1. Measure the total dose rate in the environment, non-penetrating and photon, outside of a nuclear facility using previously developed multi-element dosimetry.
2. Provide empirical measurements where previously only calculated data on the national scale exist.
3. Distinguish between the natural background non-penetrating dose and the non-penetrating dose contributions from a nuclear facility.
Taken from the beginning of thesis.