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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