HEALTH CONSULTATION

Tritium Releases and Potential Offsite Exposures

LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY (U.S. DOE)
[a/k/a LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY (USDOE)]
LIVERMORE, ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
EPA FACILITY ID: CA2890012584
AND
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY (U.S. DOE)
[a/k/a LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY (USDOE)]
LIVERMORE, ALAMEDA AND JOAQUIN COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA
EPA FACILITY ID: CA2890090002
AND
THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE (U.S. DOE)
[a/k/a SAVANNAH RIVER SITE (USDOE))]
AIKEN, AIKEN, BARNWELL AND ALLENDALE COUNTIES, SOUTH CAROLINA
EPA FACILITY ID: SC1890008989

March 11, 2002

Prepared by:

Energy Section
Federal Facilities Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Statement of the Problem
1.2 Expert Panel Process
1.3 Background

2 CONSIDERATIONS IN DETERMINING THE DOSE FROM ORGANICALLY-BOUND TRITIUM RESULTING FROM TRITIUM RELEASED TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN VARIOUS CHEMICAL FORMS

2.1 OBT formation in the environment
2.2 OBT in foodstuffs contaminated with tritium
2.3 Relative daily intakes of HTO and OBT in foodstuffs from an environment contaminated with tritium.
2.4 Doses from intakes of tritium as HTO and OBT

3 SAVANNAH RIVER SITE (SRS)

3.1 Sources of tritium releases at SRS
3.2 Monitoring of releases of tritium
3.2.1 Air effluents from separations plants
3.2.2 Air effluents from reactors
3.2.3 Liquid effluents
3.2.4 Environmental media and biota
3.3 Estimated releases and environmental concentrations
3.3.1 Tritium in general
3.3.2 Releases and environmental concentrations of OBT
3.4 Estimated radiation doses
3.4.1 Doses from intakes of tritiated water
3.4.2 Doses from intakes of organically bound tritium

4 LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY

4.1 Sources and monitoring of tritium released from LLNL
4.1.1 Air effluents
4.1.2 ambient air
4.1.3 Sewage
4.1.4 Surface water
4.1.5 Groundwater
4.1.6 Sediments
4.1.7 Vegetation
4.1.8 Wine
4.1.9 Commentary
4.2 Estimated releases and environmental concentrations
4.2.1 Tritium in general
4.2.2 Releases and environmental concentrations of OBT
4.2.3 Commentary
4.3 Estimated radiation doses
4.3.1 Doses from intakes of tritiated water
4.3.2 Doses from intakes of OBT
4.3.3 Commentary

5 CONSIDERATIONS IN ASSESSING THE RISK FROM TRITIUM

5.1 Basis for the nominal risk coefficient
5.2 Relative biological effectiveness of tritium
5.3 Special tritium effects
5.3.1 Heterogeneity of the distribution of tritium in cells
5.3.2 Transmutation effects
5.3.3 Tritium in oocytes
5.4 Overall uncertainties in estimating risks from tritium
5.5 Adjusted nominal risk coefficient for tritium exposures

6 PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

7 FURTHER CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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