Using Isotopic Ratios for Discrimination of Environmental Anthropogenic Radioactivity

Abstract

When air is pulled into the WIPP repository for ventilation purposes, this air is unfiltered and contains all the components of ubiquitous anthropogenic radionuclides from global nuclear fallout (including Cs and Pu isotopes). Although the NORM in aeolian sand and dust contribute to the gross alpha beta activity on effluent air filters, there remains a need to discriminate effluent TRU generated in the disposal process at WIPP from TRU being pulled into the repository with the unfiltered surface air. This is only evaluated using ratios of Cs and Pu activity found through radioassay of air filters taken from the mine effluent. By characterizing both the credible range of Cs/Pu ratios from the environment and those known to exist in the waste, a rigorous test criteria is attained. The use of HPGE to assay Cs in the intake dust plated out in the mine allowed a gross assay of total TRU radioactivity pulled into the mine over time from global fallout. Radiochemistry of samples from deposition in the mine's air intake shaft was also carried out. The use of net activity ratios at background levels is also shown to follow a Cauchy distribution in terms of their expected statistical distributions.