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Radiochemical analyses of samples from beneath a solid radioactive waste disposal pit at Los Alamos, New Mexico

Description: Solid radioactive wastes are disposed of by burial in pits excavated in rhyolite tuff at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). Contaminants in the waste include fission products, uranium, and transuranic elements. In 1976, horizontal core holes were drilled beneath a waste disposal pit that was used from 1963 to 1966. Samples of the core were analyzed for gross alpha, gross beta, total uranium, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Am. The measured gro… more
Date: June 1, 1980
Creator: Purtymun, W. D.; Rogers, M. A. & Wheeler, M. L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Stability of plutonium contaminated sediments in the Miami--Erie Canal. [Mound Facility, Ohio, radioactive effluents monitoring]

Description: This study was conducted to evaluate the stability of plutonium-contaminated sediment in the Miami-Erie Canal. Correlations were sought to relate concentrations at air sampling stations to plutonium-238 concentrations in air and stack emissions, wind direction, particulate loading, rainfall, and construction activities. There appears to be some impact on airborne concentrations at air sampling stations 122 and 123 from the contaminated sediment in the canal and ponds area. For purposes of this … more
Date: March 1, 1978
Creator: Farmer, Billy M. & Carfagno, Daniel G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Kilowatt isotope power system. Phase II plan. Volume V. Safety, quality assurance and reliability

Description: The development of a Kilowatt Isotope Power System (KIPS) was begun in 1975 for the purpose of satisfying the power requirements of satellites in the 1980's. The KIPS is a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/-fueled organic Rankine cycle turbine power system to provide a design output of 500 to 2000 W. Included in this volume are: launch and flight safety considerations; quality assurance techniques and procedures to be followed through system fabrication, assembly and inspection; and the reliability program ma… more
Date: March 15, 1978
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Environmental radiation safety: source term modification by soil aerosols. Interim report

Description: The goal of this project is to provide information useful in estimating hazards related to the use of a pure refractory oxide of /sup 238/Pu as a power source in some of the space vehicles to be launched during the next few years. Although the sources are designed and built to withstand re-entry into the earth's atmosphere, and to impact with the earth's surface without releasing any plutonium, the possibility that such an event might produce aerosols composed of soil and /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ ca… more
Date: August 1, 1980
Creator: Moss, O.R.; Allen, M.D.; Rossignol, E.J. & Cannon, W.C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Environmental studies group. Annual report for 1978

Description: Group projects included radioecological studies of aquatic and terrestrial systems, land management activities, foodstuff monitoring, dust transport studies including fugitive dust measurements and modeling, and several support programs involving evaluation of the plant's ambient air samplers and airborne tritium monitoring techniques. Some salient results from the several project reports include determination of an appropriate model for mechanically generated fugitive dust dispersion, a r… more
Date: August 21, 1980
Creator: Hunt, D. C. & Hurley, J. D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1987

Description: This report describes the environmental surveillance program conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory during 1987. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical materials is conducted on the Laboratory site as well as in the surrounding region. Monitoring results are used to determine compliance with appropriate standards and to permit early identification of potentially undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of data for 1987 cover: external penetrating radiation; quan… more
Date: May 1, 1988
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sediment and radionuclide transport in rivers. Phase 3. Field sampling program for Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, New York

Description: A field sampling program was conducted on Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, New York during April 1979 to investigate the transport of radionuclides in surface waters as part of a continuing program to provide data for application and verification of Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) sediment and radionuclide transport model, SERATRA. Bed sediment, suspended sediment and water samples were collected during unsteady flow conditions over a 45 mile reach of stream channel. Radiological an… more
Date: August 1, 1982
Creator: Ecker, R. M.; Walters, W. H. & Onishi, Y.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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/sup 238/Pu fuel-form processes. Quarterly report, October-December 1981

Description: Progress in the Savannah River /sup 238/Pu Fuel Form Program is summarized. Work during this period concentrated on the extensive cracking of the /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ fuel form prior to encapsulation in the iridium containment shell for heat sources. This cracking results in increased recycle cost and decreased production efficiency. To better understand this cracking, Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) has made an extensive review of the development of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ fuel forms from small-sca… more
Date: May 1, 1982
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Milliwatt generator project: Progress report, April 1983--March 1984

Description: This report covers progress on the Milliwatt Generator Project during April 1983--March 1984. Activities included (plutonium 238 oxide) fuel processing and characterization, production of heat sources, fabrication of pressure-burst test units, compatibility studies, impact testing, examination of surveillance units, Inconel weld development, and qualilty assurance.
Date: May 1, 1988
Creator: Rinehart, G.H. & Latimer, T.W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Flight-systems safety program. Progress report, February 1982

Description: This technical monthly report covers studies related to the use of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ in radioisotope power systems carried out for the Office of Coordination and Special Projects of the US Department of Energy by los Alamos National Laboratory. Most of the studies discussed here are ongoing. Results and conclusions described may change as the work continues. Published reference of the results cited in this report should not be made without the explicit permission of the person in charge of th… more
Date: February 1, 1982
Creator: Bronisz, S. E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Radionuclide distributions and migration mechanisms at shallow land burial sites. Annual report of research investigations on the distribution, migration and containment of radionuclides at Maxey Flats, Kentucky. [Maxey Flats]

Description: Subsurface waters at Maxey Flats are anoxic systems with high alkalinity and high concentrations of dissolved ferrous ion. Americium and cobalt in these trench waters are made more soluble by the presence of EDTA, while strontium and cesium are unaffected under the same conditions. EDTA is the major organic complexing component in waste trench 27 leachate, but other polar, water-soluble organics are also present. Evidence points to the migration of plutonium between waste trench 27 and inert at… more
Date: July 1, 1982
Creator: Kirby, L. J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Space nuclear safety and fuels program. Progress report

Description: This technical monthly report covers studies related to the use of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ in radioisotope power systems. These studies are conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory for the Office of Coordination and Special Projects of the US Department of Energy. Because most of the studies discussed here are ongoing, results and conclusions may change as the work continues. Published reference of the results cited in this report should not be made without explicit permission from the person in… more
Date: January 1, 1982
Creator: Bronisz, S. E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Design and operation of a remotely operated plutonium waste size reduction and material handling process

Description: Noncombustible /sup 238/Pu and /sup 239/Pu waste is generated as a result of normal operation and decommissioning activity at the Savannah River Plant, and is being retrievably stored there. As part of the long-term plant to process the stored waste and current waste for permanent disposal, a remote size reduction and material handling process is being cold-tested at Savannah River Laboratory. The process consists of a large, low-speed shredder and material handling system, a remote worktable, … more
Date: January 1, 1986
Creator: Stewart, III, J A & Charlesworth, D L
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Plutonium and Americium Concentration Along Fresh-Water Food Chains of the Great Lakes, U. S. A. Progress Report, July 1976--September 30, 1977

Description: The primary purpose of studying the biogeochemical behavior of transuranic radionuclides in large freshwater lakes began with studies of the distribution of these radionuclides, essentially introduced from the fallout of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, in Lake Ontario. The recognition that an additional source of supply of these nuclides to Lake Ontario (subsequent to their release into Lake Erie) existed in the form of leakage from the Nuclear Fuel Services reprocessing plant at Springville… more
Date: January 1, 1977
Creator: Bowen, V. T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Welding iridium heat-source capsules for space missions

Description: A remote computer-controlled welding station was developed to encapsulate radioactive PuO/sub 2/ in iridium. Weld quench cracking caused an interruption in production of capsules for upcoming space missions. Hot crack sensitivity of the DOP-26 iridium alloy was associated with low melting constituents in the grain boundaries. The extent of cracking was reduced but could not be eliminated by changes to the welding operation. An ultrasonic test was developed to detect underbead cracks exceeding a… more
Date: March 1982
Creator: Kanne, W. R., Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Flight-systems safety program. Progress report, March 1982

Description: This technical monthly report covers studies related to the use of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ in radioisotope power systems carried out for the Office of Coordination and Special Projects of the US Department of Energy by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Most of the studies discussed here are ongoing. Results and conclusions described may change as the work continues. Published reference of the results cited in this report should not be made without the explicit permission of the person in charge of th… more
Date: July 1, 1982
Creator: Bronisz, S. E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Environmental and radiological safety studies: Interaction of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ heat sources with terrestrial and aquatic environments. Progress report, September 26-December 25, 1981

Description: Although existing radioisotope thermoelectric generator designs have proved more than adequately safe, more information is continually sought about the heat sources to improve their safety. The work here includes studies of the effects on the heat sources of terrestrial and aquatic environments and also of the effect of the heat sources on various simulated environments. This progress report presents recent data from environmental chamber and aquatic experiments and gives the present status of … more
Date: February 1, 1982
Creator: Matlack, G. M. & Patterson, J. H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Light Weight Radioisotopic Heater Unit (LWRHU) production for the Galileo Mission

Description: The Light Weight Radioisotopic Heater Unit (LWRHU) is a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2)minus/ fueled heat source designed to provide a thermal watt of power for space missions. The LWRHU will be used to maintain the temperature of various components on the spcaecraft at the required level. The heat source consists of a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ fuel pellet, a Pt-30Rh capsule, a pyrolytic graphite insulator, and a woven graphite aeroshell assembly. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has fabricated 134 heater u… more
Date: April 1, 1988
Creator: Rinehart, G.H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Particle size distribution of airborne plutonium near a chemical separations facility

Description: Particulate matter containing Pu-238 and Pu-239,240 emitted from a stack at the Savannah River Plant was collected and fractionated by size with cascade impactors. Two impactor measurements were made at a distance of 200 meters from the H-Area stack and a third was at a distance of 420 meters. Annual collections were made for three years. The Pu-238 and Pu 239,240 concentrations were determined for each of the size fractions. The fractions collected at 200 m from the 62 m stack showed a biphasi… more
Date: December 1, 1981
Creator: Gay, D. D. & Watts, J. R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Toxicity of Inhaled Particles of Sup 238 PuO2 in Dogs

Description: This study was conducted to determine the toxicity of inhaled {sup 238}PuO{sub 2} in the dog. Inhalation was selected because it is the mostly likely route of human exposure in the event of an accidental airborne release. Of 166 dog in the study, 72 inhaled 1.5{mu}m and 72 inhaled 3.0 {mu}m activity median aerodynamic diameter particles of {sup 238}PuO{sub 2}. Another 24 dogs inhaled the aerosol vector without plutonium. The aerosol exposures resulted in initial pulmonary burdens ranging from 3… more
Date: January 1, 1991
Creator: Muggenburg, B. A.; Guilmette, R. A.; Griffith, W. C., (Jr.); Hahn, F. F.; Boecker, B. B. & Gillett, N. A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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/sup 238/Pu fuel form processes. Quarterly report, April-June 1981

Description: An analytical program has been started to determine the cause of cracking in DOP-26 iridium alloy during welding of GPHS clad vent sets. Analyses revealed that (1) intergranular cracking in the interior weld bead occurs in the heat-affected zone adjacent to the arc quench taper and at weld edges, (2) grain surfaces exposed by cracking exhibit a characteristic ridge network topography, and (3) no elements that could cause hot shortness were detected in the ridge networks.
Date: December 1, 1981
Creator: Folger, R. L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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