Fourth Quarter - October, Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory Las Vegas November, December 1976 94 m I iiii |w< ^•oOoC "O«o;<4 ? ^ *J>« A ------- FOURTH QUARTER REPORT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SUPPORT LABORATORY LAS VEGAS October through December 1976 U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SUPPORT LABORATORY LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114 ------- CONTENTS Page EVENTS OF GENERAL INTEREST 1 BIOLOGICAL MONITORING 4 MONITORING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT 9 EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES DEVELOPMENT 11 MONITORING 14 QUALITY ASSURANCE 17 TECHNICAL SUPPORT 18 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REPORTS 22 ------- EVENTS OF GENERAL INTEREST The Radiochemistry Sub-Group of the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Work Group (QAG) met at the Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory-Las Vegas on October 29 and 30. The pur- pose of the meeting was to review the written comments submitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Offices, the State Agencies and the participating local and private laboratories, and to prepare a revised draft of the criteria and procedures to be used for the certification of radioanalytical laboratories involved in the analysis of potable waters. The revised draft, which incorporates many of the recom- mendations and suggestions received, was completed by the Sub- Group and submitted to the QAG. These revised radiochemistry procedures, along with the chemistry and microbiology certifica- tion procedures and an implementation plan, will be included in a laboratory certification document which is to be distributed early in 1977 for additional public comments. PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS Mr. George Morgan, Acting Director of the Laboratory, delivered the keynote address, "Joint Environmental Instrumenta- tion and Control Systems," at the Instrument Society of America-76 Conference held in Houston, Texas, October 10 and 11. On November 10, Mr. Morgan chaired a session, "Gaseous Measure- ments I," at the Non-Urban Tropospheric Composition Symposium in Florida. Dr. John Santolucito, Acting Deputy Director of the Monitor- ing Systems Research and Development Division (MSD), participated in the meeting of the Air, Land, Water/Toxic Substances Control Act Working Group in Athens, Georgia, during November. The Group prepared an EPA Office of Research and Development implementation plan for the fate, transport, and monitoring testing requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Mr. Arthur Jarvis, Chief of the MSD Quality Assurance Branch, along with several other members of the EPA Drinking Water Quality Assurance Work Group, were invited speakers at the 1976 Water Quality Technology Conference sponsored by the Ameri- can Water Works Association. The Conference was held in San Diego, California, on December 7. The topic of the general session was "Laboratory Certification and Quality Assurance." 1 ------- Mr. Jarvis discussed the criteria and procedures to be used in evaluating laboratories seeking certification for the radioanaly- sis of potable water. The approach and philosophy of the radio- chemistry subcommittee as well as the implications of the current draft of the criteria and procedures were discussed. OTHER MEETINGS Messrs. Willis Corkern and Vernon Andrews of the Monitoring Operations Division attended a meeting of State Milk Sanitarians from EPA Regions IX and X in Carson City, Nevada, October 4 through 6. The Laboratory's Standby Milk Surveillance Network, a system of sample collection stations throughout Nevada and adja- cent states to monitor radioactivity releases from the Nevada Test Site, was described to the sanitarians. The discussions resulted in the designation of several new representative sam- pling locations and a better understanding of the objectives and needs of the program. VISITORS Dr. Ahmed S. El-Sheikh, Professor of Physiology and Head of the Department of Animal Production at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, met with Laboratory personnel September 27 through October 15. The purpose of Dr. El-Sheikh's visit was to discuss the technical aspects and latest developments of the PL-480 proj- ect, "Biological Effects in Animals and Man of High Concentra- tions of Airborne Particles in the Inspired Air," of which he is the principal investigator. Dr. Richard Stanley, Acting Director of the MSD, has been actively assisting in this and other Egyp- tian PL-480 projects. A 5-day seminar was conducted in Boston, Massachusetts, for the users and potential users of remote sensing data. The semi- nar brought together members of EPA Region I, State, and local agencies and private concerns interested in the uses and applica- tions of remote sensing to land use planning, monitoring and enforcement. The seminar was presented jointly by the Laboratory and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, GREENHOUSE EXPANSION A contract has been let to expand the greenhouse by an additional 1800 square feet (550 square meters). When the three new 20-foot (6-meter) sections are combined with the present area, about 5000 square feet (1500 square meters) of research space will be available. Construction is to be completed by April, Because the present greenhouse is inadequate, the extent 2 ------- of the experiments conducted there in recent years has had to be limited. Also, additional research projects that could have been initiated were delayed, or less efficient alternate approaches were taken to compensate for the lack of space. Projects that will be conducted in the modified greenhouse facility include biological monitoring studies, geothermal studies, trace-element transport and transformation in plants experiments, and the carcinogen pathway study. 3 ------- BIOLOGICAL MONITORING LEAD AND CADMIUM Studies of the transport of toxic elements related to the development of biological monitoring techniques are continuing with the sacrifice of mother rats and young that had been ingest- ing lead-contaminated water and milk. Samples of blood, hair, bone, and carcasses were collected, 200 of which were wet-ashed in preparation for analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry. In a preliminary experiment carried out to determine the importance of the biliary route for cadmium secretion, 12 rats were given a single oral dose of cadmium-109 chloride. The bile ducts in six of these rats were ligated prior to dosing to pre- vent bile from entering the gastrointestinal tract. Following the administration of radiocadmium, urine and fecal collections were analyzed for radiocadmium. Preliminary results showed most of the radionuclide in the feces. Approximately 66 percent of the administered radiocadmium was recovered in the feces of the bile duct-ligated rats and 82 percent in the controls. This would indicate that at least 16 percent of the administered cadmium observed in feces is recycled by the liver. Future plans include additional studies using the intravenous route. PLUTONIUM To evaluate the radiological hazards associated with a p Lutonium-contaminated countryside, some reliable est imate is needed to determine the extent to which plutonium isotopes are incorporated into man's food chain. Because dairy animals con- sume large quantities of food and water, and since animal prod- ucts form a direct link in man's food chain, bovine metabolism of ingested plutonium is of considerable importance for an analysis of exposure pathways to human populations. Several laboratories have employed plutonium-238 as a tracer for plutonium-239 in animal studies. The rationale for such an approach was that easily detectable quantities of plutonium-238 could be administered to animals without overloading body systems with large numbers of plutonium atoms which can cause heavy-metal 4 ------- poisoning. (A milligram of plutonium-238 is 280 times more radioactive than a milligram of plutonium-239.) In studies in which the two isotopes were administered intravenously in equal weights, the distribution patterns in the body were found to be very similar. It was therefore assumed that plutonium-238 was a su i table tracer for the more environmentally abundant plutonium-239. However, recent solubility experiments have raised questions on the validity of such tracer use, especially when the chemical form of interest is the dioxide, hydroxide, or one of the many other relatively insoluble compounds of pluto- nium. Such insoluble forms are predominant in the environment. Studies reported in the 1iterature on the solubility rates in various solutions (such as acids and animal serum) for compounds of these two isotopes indicate that, for a given chemical form, the plutonium-238 dissolves approximately 200 times faster than plutonium-239. In the past this Laboratory has conducted studies in which the soluble and insoluble forms of plutonium-238 were administered orally to dairy cows. In these studies, the uptake, distribution, and excretion of the Plutonium were measured. Although these experiments were designed for purposes other than comparing the relative metabo- lism of soluble and insoluble plutonium compounds, the data indicate that the soluble compound (plutonium citrate) has an uptake and retention in dairy cows which is about a factor of 10 higher than for plutonium dioxide. Thus, the importance of the chemical form and initial solubility of plutonium ingested has been established. The magnitude of the difference in metabolic uptake is about that predicted from studies utilizing a simulated ruminant digestive system developed at the Laboratory. However, the metabolic differences are not nearly so great as those pre- dicted from solubility rates in normal laboratory apparatus. These findings revealed some of the complexities involved in the digestive assimilative processes of the gastrointestinal tract. The Laboratory has designed a series of animal and simulated digestive system studies to establish the magnitude of any dif- ferences in metabolism between plutonium-238 and plutonium-239 dioxides. The results of these experiments are extremely impor- tant in determining whether the extensive data base for plutonium-238 can be used to assess the potential hazards for plutonium-239 in the environment. A laboratory has been found which is capable of preparing plutonium dioxide particles accord- ing to the precise criteria required, and experimental phases of the project will be conducted in the spring of 1977. An 8-month study to determine the isotopic differences between plutonium-238 and plutonium-239 uptake by selected crop plants was recently completed. In the study, alfalfa, lettuce, and radishes were grown in four different soil mixes contaminated with plutonium-238 dioxide and plutonium-239 dioxide micro- spheres. The length of exposure varied from 60 days for the 5 ------- lettuce and radishes to over 1 year for the alfalfa. Preliminary findings indicate that the magnitude of plutonium uptake by these crop plants is about the same as that reported in previous stud- ies which showed discrimination ratios on the order of 101* to 106. The relative uptake of plutonium-238 dioxide compared to that of plutonium-239 dioxide will be determined after sample analyses are completed by the contractor and the data are evaluated. Another study, the Rocky Flats Plutonium Body-Burden Study, is being conducted to determine if people residing near the Rocky Flats, Colorado, Nuclear Weapons Facility have higher body bur- dens of plutonium than people living farther away. The collec- tion of tissue samples for this study is proceeding at a slower rate than anticipated due to drastically reduced autopsy rates in the United States in 1976 caused by a reduction in the required autopsies necessary for accreditation requirements for teaching hospitals. In the O-kilometer to 25-kilometer radius of the Facility, samples are being collected at 56 percent of the re- quired rate. In the 25-kilometer to 50-kilometer radius of the Facility, samples are being collected at 73 percent of the required rate. In the control area, samples are being collected at only 24 percent of the required rate. Efforts are being made to expand the study to include all hospitals in the Denver metro- politan area to collect the requisite number of samples. NEPTUNIUM A study of the metabolism of neptunium in dairy goats was recently conducted to determine the extent of one of the poten- tial hazards associated with contamination of the environment with neptunium. Neptunium is a byproduct of nuclear power plants and is a waste material at nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. In this study, two lactating dairy goats received oral doses of a soluble form of neptunium and a third goat was given an intravenous injection of this element. Samples of milk, blood, urine, and feces were collected twice daily for 5 days following dosing. The goats were then sacrificed and tissue samples were collected and analyzed by gamma spectrometry. Neptunium-234 was selected as the tracer isotope of choice because of its high specific activity and rapid decay to uranium-234 which has a low specific activity. While the prin- cipal isotope of concern is neptunium-237, previous investigators had to use lethal amounts to adequately carry out such experi- ments due to its extremely low specific activity. This problem was overcome by using less toxic doses of neptunium-234 which is readily detectable by gamma-ray spectrometry. In the orally dosed goats, an average of 1.0 * 10~2 percent of the administered neptunium was recovered in the milk, 4.2 x io 2 percent in the urine, and 97.4 percent in the feces. 6 ------- Milk from the intravenously dosed goat contained 2.4 x 10 1 per- cent of the dose, urine contained 20.8 percent of the dose, and feces contained 2,2 percent of the dose. Analysis of the goat tissues after sacrifice showed that only a very small fraction of the administered neptunium was retained in the orally dosed goats (approximately 0,3 percent); most of this amount was present in liver and bone. On the other hand, tissue retention in the intravenously dosed goat was about 40 percent with 28 percent in the bone, 7 percent in liver, 2 percent in lung, and 1 percent in both muscle and kidney. Plans are being developed to carry out an experiment to study the biological transport of neptunium in dairy cows at the experimental farm on the Nevada Test Site. Experimental proce- dures similar to those developed to study plutonium and curium will be followed. Single oral or intravenous doses of neptunium will be administered to the cows. The amounts of the isotope present in blood, milk, urine, and feces will be measured for a week; the animals will then be sacrificed so that neptunium distribution in tissues can be determined. ANIMAL INVESTIGATION During the spring, summer, and fall, a large herd of mule deer resides at the higher elevations of the Nevada Test Site and migrates to unknown areas during the winter. The whereabouts of these mule deer is of interest to both the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration and the Nevada Department of Fish and Game, This interest stems from the remote possibility that some of these deer may contain elevated radionuclide concentra- tions and may be harvested by hunters. However, this interest is of a precautionary nature since the results of a continuing long- term study have not shown any significant radionuclide concentra- tions in the edible tissues of mule deer collected from the Nevada Test Site herd. Eleven deer have been equipped with radio transmitter collars and are being tracked weekly via ground and/or aerial reconnaissance. During October and November, the deer seldom moved more than 2 to 3 miles (3 to 4.8 kilometers) from the initial point of capture. However, during December they traveled greater distances and appear to be moving out of the high country toward Timber Mountain. Some deer have moved as much as 30 miles (48 km). Tracking and noting of the movements will continue on a weekly basis. During the week of October 18, 108 beef cattle in the Test Site herd were rounded up. All the animals were identified, weighed, and sprayed for ectoparasites. On October 21, six ani- mals were removed from the herd for sacrifice, necropsy, and collection of tissues for histopathological and radionuclide analyses. All 1976 calves were transported to the experimental farm for weaning and were dehorned, castrated, branded, and 7 ------- identified with tattoos and ear tags. The calves were also immunized against black leg, malignant edema, and hemorrhagic septicemia. 8 ------- MONITORING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT The five-volume report series, "Monitoring Groundwater Quality," which was prepared under contract by General Electric- TEMPO, has been completed. The last report, "Economic Framework and Principles," was received and several copies, along with copies of the report, "Illustrative Examples," were sent to each EPA Regional Administrator so that the Regions could distribute copies to designated monitoring agencies at the State and local levels of government as well as to key individuals in EPA opera- tional programs. Previously, copies of the other three reports of the series were sent to the EPA Regional Administrators; these volumes were entitled, "Data Management," "Methods and Costs," and "Monitoring Methodology." The main objective of the reports is the development and presentation of a methodology for systematically and cost- effectively monitoring groundwater quality. This methodology is presented as a 15-step procedure in the volume entitled, "Monitoring Methodology." The reports of this series provide information on the field applications of the methodology, in- structions on how to manage effective data programs, economic considerations of groundwater monitoring, and guidelines and data on how to estimate monitoring costs. Thus far, many favorable comments have been received from persons who have read the reports. These comments and the appar- ent wide interest in these reports strongly indicate that they will be of considerable value. In particular, they are proving to be very useful in implementation programs dealing with the monitoring sections and Section 208 (areawide planning) of the 1972 Amendments of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. They further promise to be of significance to the development of the State Underground Injection Control Program as part of the provi- sions of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Two reports v/ere issued which describe a sequence of proce- dures for evaluating the effectiveness of existing air and water quality monitoring networks. These reports are the result of a contractual effort by URS Research Company. Network effective- ness ratings are made possible by evaluating the various compo- nents of the six major operational areas within a network and assigning numerical values which are then processed according to especially developed mathematical formulas. The major opera- tional areas are: (1) Network Design, (2) Personnel, 9 ------- (3) Facilities and Equipment, (4) Sampling, (5) Quality Assur- ance, and (6) Data Distribution. The application of these procedures will permit the intercomparison of characteristics and may serve as a guide for reapportioning resources in order to more effectively meet stated objectives. The two reports are: "Procedures for Evaluating Operations of Water Monitoring Net- works," EPA-600/4-76-050, and "Procedures for Evaluating Opera- tions of Ambient Air Monitoring Networks - A Manual," EPA-600/4-76-043. A final report, "Measurement and Instrumentation Techniques for Monitoring Plutonium and Uranium Particulates Released from Nuclear Facilities," has been received from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL). This report was prepared under contract with LBL for the Office of Energy, Minerals, and Industry. The pur- pose of this work was to analyze and evaluate state-of-the-art measurement and instrumentation techniques for the measurement of plutonium and uranium particulates. Possible improvements in monitoring capabilities due to changes in instrumentation, data analysis, or programs are also presented in the report. The Laboratory's proposed soil and vegetation sampling pro- grams at geothermal sites in the Imperial Valley of California have been judged adequate to meet the goals of other concerned research groups. This judgment was made by the Lawrence Liver- more Laboratory, the Phillips Petroleum Company, and the Union Oi1 Company on the basis of the quality and thoroughness of the samp 1ing programs implemented to date by the Las Vegas Laboratory in the Imperial Valley. An ecological investigation has begun on the Roosevelt Hot Springs geothermal area of Utah to assess the environmental impact of geothermal resource development. This area is rela- tively pristine and remote compared to the intensively farmed Imperial Valley of California. The land around the Hot Springs is primarily used for cattle grazing, hunting, recreation, and the private development of geothermal resources. Basic data on the meteorology, soils, species of plants and animals, and vege- tation types have been compiled in preparation for an ecological sampling program to be conducted in the spring of 1977. 10 ------- EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIHUES DEVELOPMENT ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES A method was developed for determining plutonium in glass- fiber and microsorban air filters. An interlaboratory collabora- tive testing program will be conducted during 1977. Efforts are also underway to develop methods for the determination of polonium-210 in microsorban air filters. In addition, work has begun to improve the existing methodology for the determination of uranium in soils, in glass-fiber air filters, and in samples from mill tailing sites and phosphate plants. A new atomic absorption spectrometer has been acquired for the analysis of trace metals in liquid samples. The new instru- ment is equipped to do both flame and furnace analyses. It is designed to measure the concentration of a single element and can be used for any of 60 different elements, mostly metals. The instrument uses automatic sample changers which allow very pre- cise analysis at the rate of one every 30 seconds in the flame mode and one per minute with the furnace. Detection limits are as low as 0.001 micrograms per milliliter with the furnace. In the furnace mode, samples can be analyzed with volumes as small as 5 microliters. The instrument is being used to determine the lead content of gasoline for Region IX, to measure trace metals in groundwater and in soil around geothermal power plants, and to trace various metallic pollutants through the food chain. REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES In the development of aerial infrared scanner survey tech- niques to determine ground temperatures which are displayed on isothermal contour maps, efforts during this period were confined to the preparation of ancillary equipment. The ground station tape-to-film recorder was benchtested. The scanner/receiver was tested and its timing aligned for use with the thermal detectors in a test flight scheduled for January. An active airborne dye laser fluorosensor installed in a Huey helicopter is being evaluated as a means for remotely moni- toring the concentration of surface water chlorophyll. Contour maps produced to date in flights over Lake Mead at altitudes of 1000 feet (305 meters) under full daylight conditions show good agreement between the relative trends in the airborne data and 11 ------- the ground truth data collected by the University of Nevada-Las Vogas. Plans are now underway to provide an absolute calibration for the airborne system. This latter goal will, however, require investigation of potential interferences, environmental factors affecting chlorophyll fluorescence quantum yield and the effects of changes in transmission of surface waters on the laser excita- tion and chlorophyll fluorescence emission light. Concurrent ground truth measurements are to be made by the University. On completion of phase I of the project to quantitatively determine turbidity through the use of aerial multispectral techniques, a report, "An Investigation into the Feasibility of Multispectral Techniques for Remote Monitoring of Sediment in Water," was prepared. In phase II now underway, corrections for atmospheric attenuation at different altitudes are being made to prepare for use of the multisnectral scanner scheduled to arrive from the contractor in March as Dart of the data analysis system. The tape recorders for the data recording system were received and are presently undergoing checkout tests. The mounting and support hardware has been fabricated and the system is being prepared for installation in the helicopter. An infrared scanner was installed in the Monarch aircraft as part of the airborne system being developed to image non-visible gases such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Flight tests of the system are scheduled for late January. Clearances are being obtained from potential test facilities to conduct the tests and arrangements are being made to coordinate ground truth activities with optimum data-collection time periods. Ground testing of the Airborne Infrared Earth-Reflected Differential Absorption System was completed. In these tests, the system was aimed horizontally and nearby buildings served as reflectors. Because concentrations of ozone in the Las Vegas valley are not high (less than 40 parts per billion) in the fall, a eel 1 filled with ozone was placed in front of each laser. The variation between one ratio and the next was 5 percent at most without the cells, and with the cells this variation increased to around 20 percent. This may be due to the windows in the cells causing complex interference phenomena in the laser beams as they pass through. Even with this interference the changes in the concentration of ozone in the cells were easily tracked by the system. Ethylene, which is the main interfering compound in polluted urban areas, was also placed in the cells. The effect of this compound on the ratio of the two wavelengths was minimal compared to that effect caused by ozone. The system is being installed in an H-34 helicopter and plans are to fly the system over Las Vegas and Los Angeles in January. Design and specifications were completed for the telescope/ transmitter assembly for the Two-Wavelength Downlooking Airborne 12 ------- LIDAR System for further characterizing power plant plumes. Bids for construciton of the assembly are being reviewed. Meanwhile, the electronics package is under development. This includes the procurement and testing of analog-to-digital converters and the development of software for implementing a color real-time display of the data. Data display formats are also being evalu- ated using digital data recently acquired from the Dye LIDAR System. 13 ------- MONITORING AIR The final helicopter field portion of the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) was performed in St. Louis, Missouri, in 113 hours of flying from October 25 through November 18. Most of the flying time was devoted to collecting data in support of the surface monitoring network. Three of the flights were performed to support principal investigators. As this was the final field portion of the study, the St. Louis operations base was deacti- vated and all equipment and supplies removed. Work is now under- way processing the data collected and preparing the final report. The Monarch air monitoring aircraft has performed eight wide-area monitoring flights in central Utah in support of the Western Energy Resource Development Area Study. This study is designed to evaluate the present and future air quality impact of energy-related developments in the western United States. An initial inventory of present and proposed energy-related air quality emission sources, meteorological observing stations, and air quality monitoring stations has been made and this informa- tion has been put into an "Energy Atlas." WATER Intensive sampling of selected water quality management units of the Atchafalaya Basin continued on a monthly basis. The major water inputs and outlets of the Basin were also sampled. In November, a helicopter team collected samples from 108 sam- pling sites established throughout the Basin to provide synoptic water quality data. These activities were a continuation of the EPA study to assess the impact of Corps of Engineers channeling and dredging in the Basin. Individual lake reports resulting from the National Eutroph- ication Survey (NES) sampling effort are in review or in the printing process for various lakes in the states of Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Idaho, Washington, and Arizona. In the Phytoplankton Identification and Enumeration Study, counts and species lists for approximately 260 samples were performed during the quarter. Analysis of all 1974 samples was completed and data summaries were prepared for incorporation into NES lake reports. State phytoplankton species lists, 14 ------- complete with diversity and pollution indices, were released to the states of South Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Maryland for review. The field effort was completed for a project involving the field testing of non-point source water quality monitoring tech- niques in the oil shale area of eastern Utah. The project was initiated to test and validate monitoring techniques and proce- dures appropriate to quantitating the contribution of non-point source pollutants to surface waters in an area of anticipated oil shale development. The information derived from the field effort will provide for the design of an optimal water quality monitor- ing procedure for the stream under investigation. A report for this study is currently undergoing internal review. RADIATION In conjunction with the Off-Site Human Surveillance Program conducted by the Laboratory since 1966, whole-body counts were made on 30 residents (10 families) to measure body burdens of radioactive contamination in off-site residents who may have been exposed to radioactivity from nuclear testing activities at the Nevada Test Site. As in the past, medical examinations of these persons has revealed a generally healthy population. Part of the radiation monitoring effort conducted by the Laboratory in the off-site areas was devoted to monitoring for environmental radioactivity resulting from two atmospheric nuclear detonations by the People's Republic of China. The first occurred at 0100 hours EDT, September 26. As a result of that test the quarterly activation of the standby stations of the Air Surveillance Network (ASN), which the Laboratory operates for the Nevada Operations Office of the U.S. Energy Research and Develop- ment Administration, was initiated on September 29. Fresh fission products were detected throughout the Network starting at 8 days after the test through the remainder of the quarter. After it became apparent that airborne radioactivity concentra- tions were uniformly low (in the range of 2 to 3 picocuries per cubic meter), the standby stations were shut down October 15, Isotopes detected by gamma spectrometry included zirconium-95, iodine-131, tellur i um-132, barium-140, and cerium-141, all in the range of a few hundredths to a few tenths of a picocurie per cubic meter of air. The second atmospheric detonation occurred at 0100 hours EST, November 17. The standby ASN stations were again activated, starting November 17 to 19. Additional thermoluminescent dosim- eters (TLB's) were put out at the 80 TLD stations around the Nevada Test Site in Nevada, California, and Utah. Milk samples were collected from eight locations around the Site to serve as ------- background references in case radioactivity from the second test indicated the need for milk-sample collection. The ASN stations were operated until November 27 when it was determined that no airborne radioactivity from the second test would be detected. The milk samples contained no detectable fission products from the first test. The TLD's which had been put out were collected after 23 to 25 days. Preliminary evaluation of the data indi- cated a possible net exposure of approximately 1 milliroentgen during that period as a result of the September 26 test. Two preliminary reports of analytical results of the ASN samples were prepared and distributed. During the quarter, 27 water samples were collected on and around the Test Site as part of the Long-Term Hydrological Moni- toring Program. Eleven water samples were also collected from Well U5E on the Site as part of an on-going study of the migra- tion of radionuclides in groundwater. A TLD fade study which involves placing pre-dosed TLD's at all stations monitored by TLD's around the Test Site was started in June 1976. Even though a manufacturer-recommended program of post-irradiation annealing should have eliminated any fade prob- lem, it was felt that some such fade might exist during the hot summer months. Although the program will continue until at least a year of data has been accumulated, it has already been shown that some fade (up to about 5%) does occur and that the amount of fade correlates with the trends in ambient temperature. The results of a year of study of external radiation expo- sure rates measured at the TLD stations around the Nevada Test Site have been used in a Master's Thesis by Mr. Michael Lantz. The thesis, which has been accepted by San Diego State Univer- sity, is titled "Prediction Model for Radiation Exposure Rates Around NTS." It provides a method for examining past trends in radiation exposure at each station to predict the background exposure rate for the current exposure period. 16 ff ------- QUALITY ASSURANCE BIOLOGICAL REFERENCE MATERIALS Plant and animal tissues containing known amounts of in vivo incorporated pollutants are needed by analytical laboratories as reference materials. These reference materials are used to meas- ure the accuracy of analytical instruments and procedures. At present, in-house experimentation is being directed at evaluating the performance of the Laboratory's milling and sifting equipment and operational procedures for processing dried plant material. In addition, experiments are underway to determine how critical inhomogeneity is on the usefulness of the powdered material resulting from the milling and sifting operations. INTERCOMPARI SON STUDIES Final reports were issued to participants in the Environ- mental Radioactivity Laboratory Intercomparison Studies Program for seven different cross-check analyses: August - tritium in water, gamma in water and food; September - milk, tritium in urine, gross alpha and gross beta in water, and air filter. The types of cross-check analyses and the number of participating laboratories during this quarter are shown in the following table. Type of Cross-Check October November December Air Filter — — 57 Gamma in water 68 — 67 Gross alpha and gross beta in water -- 69 Milk — 62 Radium-226 in water — — 34 Tritium in urine — — 16 Tritium in water 68 — 73 Food — 25 Krypton-85 in air 17 CALIBRATED SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION During this quarter, 121 calibrated samples including 12 different radionuclides were distributed to user laboratories. 17 ------- TECHNICAL SUPPORT REGION I The Laboratory conducted an aerial reconnaissance of bulk oil storage facilities in Region I in support of the Spill Pre- vention Control and Countermeasures Program. The interpretation and analysis of the color photography on oil product spillage, the absence or adequacy of secondary containment, potential spill threats and other hazardous conditions within each storage facil- ity indicated that most sites had deficiencies in terms of product spill prevention, containment and recovery. REGION II An aerial remote sensor survey was performed to display the thermal discharges from an industrial site emptying into the Arthur Kill River near Linden, New Jersey, on September 23. An approximate 5-mile stretch of the Buffalo River in Buffalo, New York, was surveyed on October 4. Annotated selected frames of both color photography and infrared imagery were produced. REGION IV On request of the Laboratory Services Branch of Region IV, Mr. Lee Ziegler of the Las Vegas Laboratory conducted a survey of the Mississippi Radiological Laboratory on December 7 and 8. He examined laboratory facilities and discussed programs, plans and the current and future needs of the Mississippi Laboratory with personnel from the State laboratory and from the Region. Recom- mendations were also provided to the Region concerning the use of EPA grant funds for purchasing instrumentation required to moni- tor for radionuclides under the provisions of the National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations. REGION V Historical and current photographic imagery was analyzed along with wind and tide data at the Laboratory's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Complex to determine the changes that occurred before and after the construction of a power plant and 18 ------- breakwater on Lake Erie. A report on Lake Erie beach changes in the vicinity of East Lake Ohio was completed. REGION VIII The Anaconda, Montana, Smelter Study began on October 1 to measure plume rise, horizontal and vertical dispersion coeffi- cients, and centerline concentrations of the stack plume from the smelter and to obtain ground-level sulfur dioxide (SOg) concen- trations averaged over 3-hour to 24-hour periods during times when the plume is at or near the surface of elevated terrain in the vicinity of the smelter. An H-34 helicopter equipped with air quality and 3-dimensional position equipment flew 42 mis- sions, totalling 108 hours, between October 1 and December 11. In addition, the helicopter-transportable SOg monitoring system began operation on October 13 and, by December 31, 12 sampling missions were performed. Theodolite wind measurements were taken beginning October 1. The airborne dye LIDAR system was used in missions between December 3 and 10, three of which were flown to obtain a 3-dimensional map of plume particulate distributions. Two of these missions were in conjunction with mapping flights of the H-34. Data obtained by the LIDAR system were used to assist in placing airborne in-situ instrumentation within the plume. As part of the Region's Spill Prevention Control and Coun- termeasures (SPCC) program, color aerial photography was col- lected over oil and railroad facilities in the Denver, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming areas. Image analysis was performed to determine oil product spillage, conditions of secondary contain- ment structures and other spill and spill threat conditions. Black and white and color infrared aerial photography was obtained on June 10 through 21 of four rivers within Teton County, Wyoming. Positive correlations between film densities and suspended sediment and turbidity water quality values were inconclusive. Possible error sources are being examined. REGION IX Equipment was procured and three air monitoring systems have been fabricated for the Sulfur Dioxide Monitoring Study in Hawaii. In this study, the Laboratory will collect ambient sulfur dioxide and particulate data, as well as meteorological data, in the general downwind vicinity of two fuel oil-fired electrical generating plants. The air quality and meteorological data, along with measurements of the dispersive characteristics of the individual plumes, will then be used to validate a disper- sion model for each plant location. 19 ------- An aerial survey was made of selected refineries and bulk oil storage facilities in support of the Region's SPCC program. This project is in three parts: covering the northern, middle, and southern areas of San Francisco Bay. Interpretation and analysis of the color photography revealed that most facilities had some deficiencies in terms of product spill prevention, containment and recovery. On October 1, the Laboratory began analysis of gasoline samples collected in the Region. The purpose of this program is to monitor the lead content of unleaded gasoline to assure that it is below the maximum acceptable limit (0.05 grams per gallon) for use in motor vehicles equipped with catalytic converters. Analytical results showing that unleaded gasoline contains more than 0.05 grams per gallon may be grounds for legal action by the EPA. At the Laboratory, samples of unleaded gasoline are ana- lyzed for lead content by the standard EPA procedure using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Cross-check programs with the Califor- nia State Laboratory and the Fuels Analysis Laboratory in Re- search Triangle Park, North Carolina, as well as National Bureau of Standards certified gasoline samples and chain-of-custody procedures, are employed to ensure the validity of the analyses. During this period, about 120 gasoline samples were analyzed. REGION X Color imagery was collected to document and classify silvi- cultural practices within three watersheds in the Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, on August 22. Results of photo interpretation indicated surface erosion, channel erosion, or mass wasting. Measurements were made of total harvest area and road mileage and compared to results from imagery collected on June 28 and 29. Color aerial photography was collected on four river and stream courses in southwest Washington on June 28 and 29 to identify and document forest practice problems by photo analysis. Problems surveyed included mass wasting, cut and fill failure, drainage across road, culvert erosion, channel erosion, and debris accumulations. Aerial measurements of those problems that would significantly affect water quality were also taken. OFFICE OF PESTICIDES The Laboratory is cooperating with the Pesticides Office in supporting the National Soils Monitoring Program. The California sampling project, which included collecting soil and crop samples as well as classifying agricultural soils at 45 sites, was com- pleted this quarter. Analysis of the soil and crop samples 20 ------- collected for this program will reveal changes in pesticide residue levels at selected agricultural sites around the nation. 21 ------- SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REPORTS EPA PUBLICATIONS During this quarter, four project reports were published: "Procedure for evaluating operations of water monitoring networks," by R. W. Schnider and E. S. Shapiro of URS Research Company, under the direction of E. A. Schuck, project officer. (EPA-600/4-76-050). "Noble gases," by R. E. Stanley and A. A. Moghissi (edi- tors). (EPA-600/9-76-026). This publication of selected papers presented in a symposium on noble gases is available from both the Government Printing Office and the National Technical Infor- mation Service. "Radioactivity standards distribution program—FY-1977," by L. H. Ziegler. (EPA-600/4-76-053). "Interlaboratory intercomparison of polonium-210 measure- ments," by L. H. Ziegler. (EPA-600/4-76-054). PAPERS PRESENTED OR PUBLISHED Five papers by Laboratory personnel were presented at the Nevada Applied Ecology Group symposium, "Dynamics of Transuranics in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments," held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, October 5 through 7: "Transuranium elements in terrestrial animals and the environment: An introduction," by G. D. Potter. "Transport of plutonium via food products of animal origin," by W. VV. Sutton. "Review of grazing studies on plutonium-contaminated range- lands," by D. D. Smith. "Application of the artificial rumen and simulated bovine gastrointestinal fluids in the study of the bioavailability of field-deposited transuranics," by J. Barth. 22 ------- "Soil microorganisms—contributors to mobility of trans- uranics," by F. H. F. Au. Three reports from the Laboratory were published in scien- tific journals during the quarter: "Tritium fractionation in plants," by J. C. McFarlane. Environmental and Experimental Botany 16:9-14. "Radiation environment of growth chambers," by T. W. Tibbits, J. C. McFarlane, D. T. Krizek, W. L. Berry, P. A. Hammer, R. W. Langhans, R. A. Larson, and D. P. Ormrod. Journal of American Society for Horticultural Science 101(2):164-170. "Somatic crossing over in glycine max. L. (Merrill): sensi- tivity to and saturation of the system at low levels of tritium- emitted beta radiation," by B. K. Vig and J. C. McFarlane. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 46:331-337. The paper, "Terrestrial monitoring of elemental contaminants around geothermal power plants," by A. B. Crockett, was presented by the author at the Geothermal Environmental Symposium-1976, held at Clear Lake, California, October 28. The paper, "Methylation of mercury by a sodium hydroxide extract of soil," by R. D. Rogers, was presented by the author at a joint annual meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America, held at Houston, Texas, December 2. In addition, an invited paper authored by R. R. Kinnison and A. N. Jarvis entitled, "Some new statistical concepts for quality control of laboratory analysis of soil," was read at the sympo- sium by R. Gilbert of the Battelle Northwest Laboratory, because the authors were unable to attend. 23 ------- ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SUPPORT LABORATORY P.O. BOX 15027 944 EAST HARMON AVENUE LAS VEGAS. NEVADA B9114 TEL (702) 736-2969 FTS 595-2969 TENANT ORGANIZATIONS PERSONNEL OFFICE LAS VEGAS A SANDOVAL. JR REGIONAL SERVICES STAFF R E. JAOUISH LAS VEGAS ACCOUNTING OFFICE L A DEMERS REGION IX LAS VEGAS UNIT R CUMMINS OFFICE OF RADIATION PR06RAMS. LAS VE6AS FACILITY D W HENDRICKS MONITORING SYSTEMS DESIGN AND ANALYSIS STAFF E SCHUCK HEALTH AND SAFETY STAFF DR M.E KAYE INFORMATION SERVICES STAFF G S DOUGLAS DIRECTOR G.B MORGAN. ACTG DEPUTY OIRECTOR (VACANT) BRANCHES: 6ENERAL SERVICES M CARPENTER COMPUTER SERVICES G. ALLISON FACILITIES AND ENGINEERING SERVICES R COULTER OFFICE OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT W.E PETRIE BRANCHES: REMOTE SENSING OPERATIONS R HOLMES REMOTE MONITORING METHODS J ECKERT ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION COMPLEX V WEBB REMOTE SENSING DIVISION DR S H MELFI BRANCHES: WATER AND LAND QUALITY V LAMBOU AIR QUALITY R. EVANS ENVIRONMENTAL RAOIATION C COSTA AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS C DROPP MONITORING OPERATIONS DIVISION D T WRUBLE BRANCHES: METHOOS DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYTICAL SUPPORT E BRETTHAUER QUALITY ASSURANCE A JARVIS POLLUTANT PATHWAYS DR G WIERSMA EXPOSURE/DOSE ASSESSMENT DR G. POTTER FARM AND ANIMAL INVESTIGATION DR D SMITH MONITORING SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION DR R E STANLEY. 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