[ RadSafe ] Chernobyl's radioactive trees and the forest fire risk - Tower Shielding Facility at ORNL

[Joseph Shonka]

The DOSAR Reactor (dosimetry applications research reactor) at ORNL was a
fast pulsed reactor used for the ICHIBAN studies in support of the japanese
dosimetry.  Many of you may have participated in the annual accident
dosimetry intercomparisons held for a week during each summer.  During the
operational period, trees with the largest chromosomal volumes were
preferentially killed (if you can kill a tree?).  The forest around the
reactor building had different species of trees as a function of radius.
As I recall, the pines were most affected.

Joe Shonka

On Mon, Jul 9, 2012 at 9:10 PM, K. L. McMahan <kb60127 at comcast.net> wrote:

> The reactor you describe was almost surely the Tower Shielding Facility at
> Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A good summary description complete with
> photos and drawings of this impressive bit of history can be found at this
> link:
> http://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/Files/Pub20808.pdf
>
> Others will have to speak of the effect of the hoisted, operating reactor
> on
> pine trees (or perhaps oak trees, since this is, after all, Oak Ridge). I
> can only say trees grow pretty well around there now.
>
> Kim McMahan, CHP
> Oak Ridge, TN
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Lawrence Jacobi
> Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2012 4:38 PM
> To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Chernobyl's radioactive trees and the forest fire risk
>
> According to the story below, Professore Sergiy Zibtsev, from the Forestry
> Institute at the Kiev University of Life Sciences, is evaluating the
> potential for a fire in the pine forest around Chernobyl to spread major
> amounts of radioactivity to offsite areas, including the Ukraine and
> Western
> Europe.  While my intuition tells me that will not be the case, I was
> wondering if anyone who is more experienced than me in terrestrial
> radiation
> ecology has more insight or a different opinion.
>
> I remember reading about the "red forest" around Chernobyl caused by the
> death of the existing pine trees, which I attributed to the massive doses
> received by the forest 25 years ago; but, not necessarily attributable to
> ongoing irradiation from contamination.  I also remember reading about an
> experimental reactor in the USA that was purposelly allowed to go critical
> while suspended in air, leading to the death of nearby pine trees.  Does
> anyone remember the name of that facility?
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18721292
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