SWRHL-lOr
FINAL REPORT OF OFF-SITE SURVEILLANCE
                   FOR THE
               TORY II-C TESTS
                     by the
  Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory

                    for the
          Atomic Energy Commission
               September  1, 1964
             Public Health Service

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                                               SWRHL-lOr
FINAL REPORT OF OFF-SITE SURVEILLANCE

          FOR  THE TORY II-C TESTS
                     by the
      Off-Site Radiological Safety Program
  Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory
               Las Vegas, Nevada

                      for
           Operational Safety Division
            Nevada Operations Office
          Atomic Energy Commission
     Copy No.  1

     O.  R. Placak, Officer in Charge

       SWRHL, Las  Vegas, Nevada
               September  1,  1964
 Department of Health,  Education, and Welfare
             Public Health Service

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                            ABSTRACT
The Public Health Service  provided off-site  surveillance  in support of



the TORY II-C reactor tests conducted on May 12 and May 20,  1964.



This  support consisted of tracking the effluent,  monitoring radiation



dosage to the off-site population, and collecting environmental samples.



The data collected indicate that no hazard to the off-site population was



created as a result of the  TORY tests.

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                          TORY U-C TESTS
           OFF-SITE RADIOLOGICAL, SAFETY PROGRAM
      SOUTHWESTERN RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH LABORATORY
                               STAFF
                          Oliver R. Placak
                          Officer in Charge
                           Morgan S. Seal
                      Deputy Officer in Charge
                          John R. McBride
                     Assistant Officer  in Charge
   J. S. Coogan,  Chief                        Daniel L. Wait,  Chief
AEC-PHS Special Projects                    Off-Site Surveillance
                              Writer

                          Donald T. Oakley
                       Reactor Project Officer
                               Editor

                           R.  Dennis Tate
                       Technical Reports Unit
                                  11

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                       TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT                                                    i



STAFF                                                        ii



TABLE OF CONTENTS                                        iii



LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES                              iv



I.   INTRODUCTION                                           1



II.  OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES                             3



    A.   EXTERNAL MEASUREMENTS                         3



    B.   ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS                  4



III. RESULTS                                                  8



    A.   TORY II-C INTERMEDIATE POWER RUN              8



    B.   TORY II-C FULL POWER RUN                        8



IV. CONCLUSIONS                                           11



DISTRIBUTION LIST
                                 111

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                   LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES


                                                               Page
Table 1.  Dose rates off the test range complex on May 20,
          1964.                                                    8

Table 2.  Results of air samples collected following the
          TORY II-C full power test, May 20, 1964, in
          pc/M3  at end of sample  collection.                      10
Figure 1.  Environmental sampling locations.
                                  IV

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                        I.  INTRODUCTION









      On May 1Z and May 20, 1964, the TORY II-C nuclear reactor was



tested at  the  Nevada Test Site  at a  location approximately 7. 7 miles



southwest of  CP-1.  The  May 12  test, conducted  at 1315 hours  PDT,



was anajintermediate power test (sixty per cent of design power). The



May 20 test was a  full power test conducted at 1350 hours PDT.   The



reactor was tested in a  position such that the  exhaust and escaping fis-



sion products  were directed  toward the north.  The two  tests resulted



in the release of fission  products which were detected in off-site areas.





      Under a Memorandum of  Understanding between the U. S. Atomic



Energy Commission (AEC) and the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS)



the Off-Site Radiological Safety Organization was established in 1954 to



conduct radiological surveillance of the area  within a 300-mile  radius



surrounding the Commission's Nevada Test Site.  A Commissioned Of-



ficer  of the  Public Health Service was designated by the AEC as Off-Site



Radiological Safety  Officer, and was responsible  to the  Test Manager



for directing the surveillance activities.





      Since  that time, the PHS has established  in Las Vegas, Nevada,



its Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory (SWRHL).  The off-site



surveillance of nuclear testing conducted by the Nevada Test Site Organ-



ization at the  Nevada Test Site has  become  one of the Laboratory's reg-



ular operational programs, and the Officer  in Charge of the  Laboratory



serves as Off-Site  Radiological Safety Officer to the Operational Safety



Division,  AEC-Nevada Operations Office.

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    The Off-Site Radiological Safety Program of  SWRHL conducts its



present program  of  radiation monitoring and environmental sampling



in the off-site area  surrounding the restricted area  enclosed by the



Nevada Test Site (NTS) and the Nellis Air Force Range.  The NTS and



Nellis  Air Force Range complex includes the  NTS proper, the Nuclear



Rocket Development Station (NRDS), the  Tonopah Test Range (TTR),



and the Nellis Air Force Range proper and for simplicity will be called



the  test range complex throughout the remainder of this report.






    Since Public  Health  Service monitors  must begin tracking and



monitoring  an effluent cloud close to  its point of origin,  measure-



ments  are made within the test range complex,  but  are used only as



a guide to trajectory determination,  or  for  purposes  of  checking



instrumentation and methodology.  They do not serve  as  parameters



in determining dose to people or contamination of  property  in the off-



site area, and are not a subject of this report.

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                 II.  OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
A.  EXTERNAL MEASUREMENTS





Ground Monitors



      Ten ground monitors tracked the  reactor effluent from both tests



with portable instruments.  Each monitor -was equipped with the follow-



ing radiation monitoring instruments: anEberline E-500B,  a Precision



Model 111  Standard "Scintillator",  a  Beckman MX-5, and  a Tracerlab



AN/PDR TIB.





      The Eberline E-500B  has a range of  0 - 200  milliroentgens  per



hour (mr/hr) gamma and beta-gamma  detection in four scales with an



external halogen filled G M tube and a 0 - 2000 mr/hr  range from an



internal Anton  302 tube. The PrecisionModel 111  "Scintillator" is used



primarily for low level detection and provides for a range of 0 - 5 mr/hr



in six scales.  The Beckman MX-5 instrument has a range of 0-20 mr/hr



in three scales. It is equipped with an external Geiger tube with a slide -



open  beta  shield.  The  Tracerlab AN/PDR TIB has  a range of  0 to



50,000 mr/hr in five scales.  This  instrument employs an  air ioniza-



tion chamber  detector.  These instruments  are  accurate to ±20%,  and



readings can be taken to two significant figures.





Remote Dose Rate Recorders



      Eberline  RM-11  dose  rate recorders were placed at  sixteen sta



tions around the test range complex.  These  recorders utilize a Geiger



tube detector to document radiation levels at specific  locations.  The



instrument  operates on 110V AC and has  a 0. 01 - 100 mr/hr range.

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Gamma dose rate is recorded on a 30-hour strip chart.  The instrument



is accurate to .+20%.  The locations of dose rate recorders are present-



ed in Figure 1.





Aircraft Cloud Tracking



      An Air Force U3-A aircraft manned by two Public Health Service



monitors  equipped with portable instruments  identical to those of the



ground monitors tracked the reactor effluent from both tests , and served



to position ground monitors.





Film Badges



      The PHS maintains 65 film badge stations off the test range com-



plex and assigns badges to 166 off-site residents.  The badge used is



made up of Dupont  type 555 film. Dose, as determined from this film,



is accurate to +.50%  in the 20 - 100 mr  range and +10%  in the  100 to



2000 mr range.








B.  ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS





      The PHS maintains routine air, milk, and water sampling stations



off the test range complex and analyzes the samples on a regular basis.



Onlyair samples were  analyzed specifically for theTORYtests because



of the overlapping  sampling program for the KIWI test.  The locations



of sampling stations are shown in Figure  1.





      On the test days, the PHS maintained  General Metal Works high



volume  air  samplers containing glass fiber  prefilters and MSA* char-



coal filters  at off-site  locations. These  are air sampling stations  that



are operated under the routine surveillance program of  SWRHL.  All



air sample  prefilters  collected following the TORY reactor tests were
*Mine Safety Appliance Company

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                                                                                                        UTAH
                                                                                                        LAKESJ)
AMANHATTAN
                                                          PiOCHE
                                                           PAN AC A |
                      -  AIR FORCE  SUMMIT &PAHRANAGAT
                      \	,       '	1   TO,    I £ Iff?

                           \             '
        NEVADA
          TEST   '     RANGE
            SITE
   ,    ,       CP-I
   I	1       O
BEATTY]     o    .
       .      TORY TEST CELL

         AtHROP WELLi 1 J
                    ,' INDIAN SPR1NSS
               CACTUS
               SPRiNSS
                                                                                               0   10   20  30   40   60

                                                                                                  SCALI  IN   MiLSS
                                                                                                AIR SAMPLER WITH CHARCOAL
                                                                                                CARTRIDGE
        DEATH \AA
                                                                                                MILK SAMPLE

                                                                                                WATER SAMPLE

                                                                                                DOSE RATE RECORDER

                                                                                                RANCH
                            Figure  1.   Environmental sampling locations.

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returned to Las Vegas  and counted for gross beta activity with a thin



window, large area gas flow proportional probe connected to a high speed



sealer.  The system is designed to count the 8"x  10" glass fiber filter



and has an efficiency of approximately 30% for 1. 5 mev betas.  The sys-



tem background is 575 +20 counts per minute.





      All  samples  were  counted  as soon as  possible after collection,



and activity levels were  computed at the time of count for the  purpose



of screening samples and delineating the cloud pattern. These samples



were  then  stored for five days to  allow natural activity to decay.  They



were  recounted at this time and again seven days later.  Activity levels



were  then  recomputed to end of sample collection  from these two  later



counts. The air samples  exhibiting levels of activity significantly above



natural background were  recounted frequently to obtain a decay curve.



The curve  obtained was  then  analyzed for best fit to the  general equa



tion y=ax'D. Based on an  analysis of decay curves, a T~^- " relation-



ship was  found to  exist  with  a mean  error  of+.5%.  This relationship



was then used to correct thefilters with high activity to end of collection.





      All charcoal cartridges were analyzed for gamma isotopes by plac-



ing each cartridge directly on a 4"x 4" sodium iodide crystal coupled to



a 400-channel  gamma pulse height analyzer  set to view  energies  from



0 to 2 mev. Assuming no break in the prefilters the activity on the car-



tridge should represent  the volatile or gaseous fission products such as



isotopes of iodine. Overall detection efficiency for this geometry is about



18%atO. 53mev. The  minimum  detectable activity for I131, I132 , I133,



and I135  is taken to be 200 picocuries total  (each isotope) on the  car-



tridge,  ±50% for I1 31 , I1 32 and I1 3 3 and +100% for  I1 35 .  The time of



count is taken to be  10  minutes.  Error estimates  are such that values

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less than  1 picocurie per cubic meter (pc/M3) of air collected are gen-



erally not reported.  Since it is not possible to define duration of cloud



passage at all locations, the reported values  given as pc/M3 assume an



average concentration over each entire  sampling period.

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                           III.  RESULTS
A.  THE TORY II-C INTERMEDIATE POWER RUN





      Only one indication of activity off the test range complex was found



on May 12. This was a ground monitor's  report of 0.02mr/hr net gam-



ma at 1617 hours PDT,  at the junction of Valley Road and State High-



way 25.  Readings  above background at  this  location were detected in



the time interval 1600    1645  hours PDT.  A vegetation sample collect-



ed from Gunderson's Ranch at  1700  hours PDT on  May 12 indicated no



residual activity. Gunderson's Ranch is located seven miles west north-



west of the Highway 25-Valley Road intersection.
B.  THE TORY II-C FULL POWER RUN





      The full power run yielded detectable radioactivity off the NTS.




Ground Monitor Data



      Gamma dose rates were detected at two locations off the test range



complex.  A summary of the monitoring is presented in Table  1.




Table 1.  Dose rates off the test range complex on May 20, 1964.
LOCATION
Azimuth & Distance
from CP-1
Goss Ranch
14°, 46 mi.
Queen City Summit
5°, 52 mi.
(Unpopulated)
Time Interval of Read-
ings Greater than
Background (hrs. PDT)
1630 - 1652
1640 - 1700
Time of Peak
Dose Rate
(PDT)
1939
1655
Net Peak
Dose Rate
(mr/hr)
0.05
<0. 05

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Monitors assigned to Coyote and Hancock Summits, Adaven, and Sunny-



side detected no radioactivity above background levels.





Dose Rate Recorder Data




      Dose rate recorders around the test range complex did not record



activity above background following the May 20 test.





Film Badge Data




      Stationary and personnel film badges  that were exposed off the



test range complex during May indicated no  exposure that could be as-



sociated with the TORY tests. All film badges collected north of the test



range complex indicatedno resultabove the threshold exposure (20  mr).





Air Sample Data



      Three of the samples  taken off the  test range  complex contained



fresh fission  products.  I133 -was the only isotope  detected.  Analyses



of the prefilters and charcoal filters are presented in Table 2.





Milk Sample Data



      A milk  sampling program  -was initiated following the KIWI B4D



full power test (May 13, 1964).  Twenty-five of the samples in this  pro-



gram were taken following the May 20TORYtest.  Although the presence



of I1 31 was detected in several samples taken following May 20, the  con-



tribution,  if any, from the  TORY test was  indistinguishable from the



KIWI test. Comparison of air sampling results and effluent trajectories



of the KIWI and the TORY tests tends to substantiate the  conclusion that



milk contamination was a result of the KIWI test.  These data  are  pre-



sented inSWRHL-7r; "Final Report of Off-Site Surveillance for the  KIWI



B4D Experiment".

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Table 2.  Results of air  samples collected following the TORY II-C full power test,
          May 20,  1964, in pc/M3  at end of sample collection.
LOCATION*

Goss Ranch
Adaven
Sunnyside
Date -Time
On Hours
(PDT)
5/20-1530
5/20-1745
5/20-1621
Date -Time
Off Hours
(PDT)
5/20-1713
5/21-1000
5/21-1020
8"x 10"
Prefilter
Gross Beta
1000
2.3
8.8
Gamma Pulse Height
Analysis -
Charcoal Cartridge
I133
6.9
<1
<1
*See Figure 1

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                         IV.  CONCLUSIONS
      The TORY II-C  intermediate and full power tests yielded detect-

able radioactivity to the off-site area.  The presence of minute amounts

(<1 pc/M3 ) of I1 3 3 in the air atAdaven andSunnyside following the May 20

test was the only indication  of  radioactivity north of Highway 25  from

either test.  No off-site personnel were subjected to levels of radioac-

tivity approaching the AEC off -site safety guides as reference criteria*.
^Standard Operating Procedures AEC-NTO "Operational Guide - Radi
 ation Exposure"  NTSO-0524 -054.
                                  11

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                      DISTRIBUTION LIST

Copy
 1 - 15      SWRHL, Las Vegas,  Nevada
    16      Ferber, G.  D.  , USWB,  MRPB (R-3.3), Washington,  D. C.
    17      Allen, Phillip W- ,  USWB, NVOO, Las Vegas, Nevada
    18      Cluff,  F.  D. ,  USWB, NVOO,  Las Vegas, Nevada
    19      Halligan,  Col.  E.  G.  , DASA, NVOO,  Las Vegas, Nevada
    20      Maupin, C.  S. , REECo, Mercury, Nevada
    21      Milligan,  V. M. , REECo, Mercury,  Nevada
    22      Vespe,  Vincent, ALOO,  Albuquerque, New Mexico
23 - 25      Anton,  George  T. ,  SNPO-N, Jackass  Flats, Nevada
    26      Helgeson, B. P. ,  SNPO-N, NRDS, Jackass Flats, Nevada
    27      Gallimore,  John C. ,  WANL, NRDS, Jackass  Flats, Nevada
    28      Goldman, Morton I. ,  NUS,  Washington, D. C.
    29      Griffith, Percy, SNPO-N, Jackass Flats,  Nevada
    30      Hemmerle,  Elmer, Westinghouse Electric  Co.rp. , Pittsburgh, Pa,
    31      Smith,  David,  Lewis  Research Center, SNPO-C, Cleveland,  Ohio
    32      Wright, John M. ,  SNPO-N, Jackass Flats, Nevada
    33      Simens, Hugo G. , NERVA Test Opns. , Aerojet-Gen.  Corp. ,
                     Jackass Flats,  Nevada
    34      Kahn,  Bernd,  DRH, RATSEC,  Cincinnati,  Ohio
    35      Anderson, Ernest C.  , TOB, DRH, PHS,  Washington, D. C.
    36      Moore, Raymond, DRH,  PHS,  Region VII,  Dallas,  Texas
    37      Snow,  Donald L. ,  DRH, PHS,  Washington, D. C.
    38      Terrill, James G. , Jr., DRH, PHS, Washington, D. C.
39 - 41      Bacigalupi, Clifford  M.  , LRL,  Mercury.  Nevada
    42      Fleming, Edward H.  , LRL, Livermore, California
    43      Goeckermann,  Robert H. ,  LRL,  Livermore,  California
    44      Gofman,  John  W. , LRL, Livermore, California

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Copy

    45       Sewell, Duane E. ,  LRL, Liivermore, California

    46       Kelly, John S. , DPNE,  AEC, Washington,  D. C.

    47       Philip,  John,  San Francisco Regional Office, PHS,
                     San Francisco, California

    48       Boyer,  Keith,  LASL, Los Alamos,  New Mexico

    49       Browne, Charles I. ,  LASL,  Los Alamos, New Mexico

    50       Graves,  Alvin C. , LASL,  Los Alamos,  New Mexico

    51       Jordan, Harry S. , LASL,  Los Alamos,  New Mexico

    52       King, L. D. P. ,  LASL, Los Alamos, New Mexico

    53       Knight,  Herbert T. , LASL, NRDS,  Jackass Flats,  Nevada

    54       Ogle, William E. , LASL,  Mercury,  Nevada

    55       Sanders, Fred, LASL,  Mercury,  Nevada

    56       Stopinski, Oren,  LASL, Los Alamos, New Mexico

    57       Reeves,  James E. , Manager, NVOO, AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada

58 - 63       Roehlk, Otto H. ,  OSD,  NVOO, Las  Vegas,  Nevada

    64       Vermillion, Henry G. ,  NVOO, AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada

    65       Baker,  Robert E. , AEC, Washington, D. C.

    66       Decker,  Col.  Ralph S. ,  SNPO, Washington, D. C.

67 - 68       Dunning, Gordon M. , DOS, AEC,  Washington,  D.  C.

    69       Zanger,  Carl,  AEC,  Hanford, Washington

70- 71       Crowson, Brig. Gen.  D. L. , DMA, AEC,  Washington, D. C.

    72       Mail & Records,  NVOO, AEC, Las  Vegas,  Nevada

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