Re: Natural versus Man-made Radioactivity: Differing Public andRegulatory Perceptions

[Doug Aitken <daitken@sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com>]

At 10:47 AM 6/12/2003 -0400, Susan L Gawarecki wrote:



>"Natural versus Man-made Radioactivity: Differing Public and Regulatory

>Perceptions"

>

>by Kent Williams, Systems Analyst and Engineering Economist, Systems

>Engineering Analysis Group, Nuclear Science and Technology Division,

>ORNL

>

>Short Synopsis:

>

>Most in the nuclear field, but only a small fraction of the public, do

>not realize the extent to which radionuclides exist in nature and are

>products arising from fuel cycles other than nuclear.  Oil and natural

>gas drilling and the combustion of coal produce NORMs or "Naturally

>Occurring Radioactive Materials" that are released by the physical or

>chemical processes involved in these cycles.  ..........



As there was a recent post regarding cleaning production pipe scale, and 

now this synopsis, I thought I should point out that radioactive material 

produced during industrial processes (such as the accumulation of 

radioactive scale on oilfield production equipment, mine tailings, etc.) is 

generally now referred to as TENORM - "Technologically-Enhanced Naturally 

Occurring Radioactive Material"



As one example to justify this distinction, the characteristics 

(specifically the activity) of the scales produced on production equipment 

by the deposition of radioactive salts normally dissolved in the well 

fluids differ slightly from NORM - Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material.



A useful accumulation of information on this topic is available at:

http://www.tenorm.com/intro.htm



Regards







Doug Aitken		Schlumberger Drilling and Measurements QHSE 

Advisor

Phone (Sugarland):   	281 285-8009

Phone (Home office): 	713 797-0919	

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Principal E-mail: jdaitken@earthlink.net

Schlumberger E-mail: daitken@sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com

Mail: 	300 Schlumberger Drive MD2, Room 111

	Sugar Land, TX 77478









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