Radiological Risk Assessment and Environmental Analysis

by Till, John E.; Grogan, Helen A.

• ISBN13: 9780195127270
• ISBN10: 0195127277
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-07-10
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Radiological Risk Assessment and Environmental Analysis comprehensively explains methods used for estimating risk to people exposed to radioactive materials released to the environment by nuclear facilities or in an emergency such as a nuclear terrorist event. This is the first book thatmerges the diverse disciplines necessary for estimating where radioactive materials go in the environment and the risk they present to people. It is not only essential to managers and scientists, but is also a teaching text. The chapters are arranged to guide the reader through the risk assessment process, beginning with the source term (where the radioactive material comes from) and ending with the conversion to risk. In addition to presenting mathematical models used in risk assessment, data is included so the readercan perform the calculations. Each chapter also provides example and working problems. The book will be a critical component of the rebirth of nuclear energy now taking place, as well as an essential resource to prepare for and respond to a nuclear emergency.

Author Biography

Dr. John Till is president and founder of Risk Assessment Corporation (RAC), formerly Radiological Assessments Corporation. Since its formation, RAC has played a key role in the evolution of methodologies for environmental risk analysis. Dr. Till has had responsibility for a number of major research projects over the past 25 years. These include Chairman of the Technical Steering Panel for the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project, and principal investigator in the successful completion of the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center Historical Dose Reconstruction Project, Phase II of the Rocky Flats Plant Dose Reconstruction Project, and Phases I and II of the Savannah River Site Dose Reconstruction Projects. He was also principal investigator for an analysis of exposures and risks to the public from radionuclides and chemicals released by the Cerro Grande Fire at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and for calculation of soil action levels for cleanup at Rocky Flats.
Dr. Helen A. Grogan, president and founder of Cascade Scientific, Inc., has worked with Risk Assessment Corporation (RAC) on a variety of dose reconstruction projects since the 1990s.
Dr. Grogan continues to work closely with RAC, assuming responsibilities for the technical aspects of projects conducted by RAC and its subcontractors. Those projects include developing a risk-based screening methodology to identify the most significant radionuclides released to the Columbia River from past operations of the Hanford Site in Washington State, analysis of exposures and risk to the public from radionuclides and chemicals released by the Cerro Grande Fire at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, a dose reconstruction of radionuclide releases from a uranium milling facility in the U.S., and the development of a computer-based tool to view and understand chemical and radioactive materials that are measured in the environment around Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Dr. Grogan is a graduate of the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London with an honors degree in Life Sciences. She received a doctorate degree from the same university for her work on radionuclide uptake from soils into crops. Her achievements include more than 50 scientific publications.

Table of Contents

The Radiological Assessment Process

Radionuclide Source Terms

Atmospheric Transport of Radionuclides

Surface Water Transport of Radionuclides

Transport of Radionuclides in Groundwater

Terrestrial Food Chain Pathways: Concepts and Models

Aquatic Food Chain Pathways: Concepts and Models

Site Conceptual Exposure Model

Internal Dosimetry

External Dosimetry

Estimating and Applying Uncertainty in Assessment Models

The Risks from Exposure to Ionizing Radiation

The Role of Epidemiology in Estimating Radiation Risk: Basic Methods and Applications

Model Validation

Regulations for Radionuclides in the Environment

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