Re: What is a contaminated soil ?

[azapantis@mgdestmx01.erin.gov.au]

Subject: What is a contaminated soil ?
From:    radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at mgdestmx01
Date:    14/1/97  10:45 AM

I think it has less to do with the specific astivity of the soil and more to do
with how the acvtivity got there. That is, is the activity in the soil naturally
occurring or is it technically enhanced? If the activity is technically enhanced
then the soil is contaminated. The next step is intervention, if justified by a
site specific assessment, a major part of which will be the calculation of doses
to people who occupy the site.

In a past life I measured gamma dose rates of about 1uSv/hr @ 1m above ground
level over backyards with technically enhanced levels of radionukes in topfill.
These sites required remediation. Recently I have measured dose rates of the
order of tens of micro Sv/hr over out cropping uranium orebodies which had not
been worked in any way. In the first example the soil was contaminated. In the
second, it was not even though the specific activity was very much higher.

Just my (probably misinformed) ramblings.....

Regards
_______________________________________________________________________________



Alex Zapantis                                  
Environmental Radiation Officer     
Office of the Supervising Scientist		
40 Blackall Street 														
Barton ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA 
            
Email: azapantis@mgdestmx01.erin.gov.au
Fax : (int+) 61 6 274 1519
Phone: (int+) 61 6 274 1642

The Office of the Supervising Scientist is a Branch of the 
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