&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Radiation Programs National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory EPA 520/5-91-0011 April 1991 National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory A Leader in Environmental Radiation Measurement ------- I he National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory (NAREL) is a comprehensive environmen- tal filiation laboratory managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Radiation Pro- grams. The NAREL is located on Gunter Air Force Base in Montgom- ery, Alabama, and provides services to a wide range of clients, including other EPA offices, Federal and State agencies, and, in some cases, the private sector. The NAREL facilities incorporate state-of-the-art laboratory technology and equipment and include the latest health and safety techniques, as well as strict monitor- ing and control of laboratory emis- sions. The NAREL staff is highly trained with professional backgrounds encompassing health physics, radiochemistry, engineering, math- ematics, and computer science. Fundamental to the NAREL mission is the commitment to developing and applying the most advanced methods for measuring environmental radioac- tivity and evaluating its risk to the public. For further information please call (205) 270-3400 or FAX NAREL at (205)270-3454. Alpha/bets systems used lor radiological analysis. RADON The NAREL provides analytical support to surveys of radon concentrations in homes, schools, and other public buildings across the United States. Measurements are mads using a charcoal radon collector developed by the NAREL. Well over Environmental radon chambers. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING The Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System (ERAMS) is a national network of monitoring stations that regularly collect air, water, precipitation, Over 6.000 ERAMS samples are received and analyzed annually. NUCLEAR EMERGENCY RESPONSE The NAREL emergency response team is trained and equipped to respond to nuclear emergencies anywhere in the world. A mobile radioanalytical laboratory and the Team personnel and equipment can be deployed within 24 hours of a radiological emergency. SUPERFUND AND FEDERAL FACILITY CLEANUP A growing concern for the country is radioactive contamination at Superfund and Federal facility sites. NAREL is a leader in developing procedures for site Contaminated soil from Superfund site being packaged for disposal RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS The NAREL analyzes about 10,000 samples annually. Typical samples can include air, water, soil, vegetation, human tissue, and food and are analyzed for a number of radionuclides. NAREL chemists are continuously refining and updating their Laboratory preparation of radium sample. ------- 50,000 canisters are analyzed each year. NAREL's radon exposure chambers represent the most advanced technology. Over 700 companies participating in EPA's Radon Measurement Proficiency Program have come to the laboratory to demonstrate their proficiency in measur- ing radon by exposing their measurement devices in these chambers. Successful companies are listed in an EPA publication that is distributed to State health agencies and the public. L oading charcoal canisters into lead shield lor radon analysis. and milk samples for analysis of radioac- tivity. The ERAMS network, which has stations in each State, has been used to track environmental releases of radioactiv- ity from nuclear weapons tests and nuclear accidents. ERAMS also documents the status and trends of environmental Changing the titter on an air sampler. radioactivity; these data are published by the NAREL in a quarterly report entitled Environmental Radiation Data. Future uses of this network might include monitoring waste disposal and radioactive cleanup sites. latest radiation survey and communica- tions equipment are maintained in a constant state of readiness for deployment at a moment's notice. The NAREL staff responded at Three Mile Island and provides support to NASA launches carrying nuclear-powered satellites. assessment and demonstrating remedial technology to minimize the amount of radioactively-contaminated soil that will ultimately require permanent disposal. This latter effort will soon be field tested at a 95 acre site in New Jersey which was formerly a landfill that received waste from a radium processing facility. analytical methods to respond to emerging environmental problems, such as the disposal of waste products contaminated with both radioactivity and toxic chemicals. The strictest quality assurance standards are applied to all analyses performed in the laboratory. The NAREL routinely participates in intercomparison programs with groups such as the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and with the EPA Quality Assurance Program operated by the Agency's Office of Research and Development. ------- COMPUTER DOSE MODELS The dispersion of radioactivity into the environment and the resulting risks to the public are assessed at the NAREL using highly sophisticated computer models. This capability is critical in assessing real- Computer cluster and communications center support national radiological databases. life events, such as the Chernobyl accident in the Soviet Union, and in predicting the consequences of potential releases of radioactivity into the air, land, or water. INTERAGENCY PROGRAMS The quality of NAREL staff and facilities is well recognized by States and other Federal agencies. The laboratory has in the past performed surveys, at the request of the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command, of harbors serving naval nuclear vessels. Dredging for sediment samples during harbor survey. The NAREL has conducted indoor radon survey programs nationally for agencies such as the National Park Service, the U.S. Forestry Service, and the General Service Administration. States rely on the NAREL for training, instrument calibration, and radio- chemical analysis. Cooperative effort between EPA and other Federal and State agencies is a hallmark of the NAREL program. SERA United States Environmental Protection Agency National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory 1504 Avenue A Montgomery, AL 36115-2601 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 ------- |