SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1980
STP35099S

New Directions in Environmental Radiological Surveillance at Commonwealth Edison's Nuclear Stations

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In 1977 Commonwealth Edison implemented a new, two-part environmental radiological monitoring program. This program was designed to meet anticipated new regulatory requirements for greater analytical sensitivity of measurements and to implement critical pathway monitoring concepts.

Part 1—The Standard Program—monitors those environmental dose pathways which are most likely to result in human radiation exposure. The three most important pathways at light water reactors in Illinois are gamma radiation exposure from noble gases, iodine-131 in milk, and radioactivity in public drinking water from rivers and lakes. Other media included in the program at a substantially reduced frequency of sampling are fish and sediment. In addition, the environmental air samplers are maintained in event of an unplanned release. The new standard program results in a savings of approximately 50 percent of cost.

Part 2—Environmental Dose Pathway Studies—consists of projects designed to improve the environmental dose models. The projects measure environmental transfer factors for the dosimetrically important radionuclides, release values for nuclides, transfer factors for pathways that have become of increased interest recently, and numerical values to check assumptions that certain sources and pathways are insignificant contributors to population dose.

The paper describes the two parts of the monitoring program and the results of pathway studies at Zion Station—two pressurized 1050-MW water reactors.

Author Information

Caldwell, LS
Commonwealth Edison Company, Chicago, Ill
Pavlick, RA
Commonwealth Edison Company, Chicago, Ill
Golden, JC
Commonwealth Edison Company, Chicago, Ill
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Details
Developed by Committee: D22
Pages: 117–124
DOI: 10.1520/STP35099S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4769-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0329-0