Environmental Radiation Data REPORT 157 January-March 2014 United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Radiation and Indoor Air ------- This page intentionally left blank 11 ------- Contents Page List of Tables v Preface vii Acknowledgments ix Data Reporting Conventions xi 1. Air Program 1 Airborne Particulates and Precipitation 1 Plutonium and Uranium in Airborne Particulates 17 2. Water Program 19 3. Milk Program 23 Pasteurized Milk 23 in ------- This page intentionally left blank iv ------- List of Tables Table Page 1 Reporting Units and Minimum Detectable Concentrations xiii 2 Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates: January 2014 2 3 Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates: February 2014 6 4 Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates: March 2014 10 5 Specific Gamma in Precipitation: January 2014 14 6 Specific Gamma in Precipitation: February 2014 15 7 Specific Gamma in Precipitation: March 2014 16 8 Tritium in Drinking Water: January-March 2014 20 9 Radionuclides in Pasteurized Milk: January-March 2014 24 v ------- This page intentionally left blank vi ------- Preface Environmental Radiation Data (ERD) contains data from the RadNet monitoring system (formerly ERAMS), which is operated by the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air's National Analytical Radiation Environmental Laboratory (NAREL) in Montgomery, Alabama. ERD is published in both hard-copy and electronic formats. Electronic reports are available online at http ://www.epa.gov/narel. RadNet data are also available online in a searchable database at: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/facts/radnet The United States Environmental Protection Agency established RadNet in 1973 with an emphasis on identifying trends in the accumulation of long-lived radionuclides in the environ- ment. RadNet is comprised of a nationwide network of sampling stations that provide air particulate, precipitation, drinking water, and milk samples. Sampling locations are selected to provide population and geographic coverage for the United States. The radiation analyses performed on RadNet samples may include gross alpha and gross beta analysis, gamma analyses, and radionuclide-specific analyses for isotopes of uranium, plutonium, strontium, iodine, radium, and tritium. This monitoring effort also provides informa- tion on natural background levels and possible accidental releases into the environment. vii ------- This page intentionally left blank viii ------- Acknowledgments All sampling for the RadNet monitoring system (formerly ERAMS) is performed by volunteer collectors who are frequently members of health departments or related environmental agencies of their respective states. The National Analytical Radiation Environmental Laboratory (NAREL), on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, would like to acknowledge the time and effort of these volunteer collectors, who are so essential to the successful operation of RadNet. The efforts of the sample collectors are especially appreciated during times of emergency operation when sampling frequencies are increased and schedules are sometimes demanding. IX ------- This page intentionally left blank x ------- Data Reporting Conventions Every laboratory measurement involves uncertainty. When there is little or no radioactivity in a sample, one consequence of measurement uncertainty is the possibility of obtaining a measured value that is less than zero. Such a negative result occurs when random effects in the measure- ment process cause the measured value for the sample to be less than that of the blank or back- ground, which is subtracted from it. From April 1991 to December 1995, negative results were reported as "not detected" or "ND," and gamma analysis results that were less than their estimated measurement uncertainties were also reported as "ND." In January 1996, both of these practices were discontinued. Although negative activities are physically impossible, the inclusion of negative results in the report allows better statistical analysis of the data. Results of gamma analyses are still reported as "ND" when gamma-emitting radionuclides are not detected. Measurement Uncertainty Each measured valuey is reported with an expanded uncertainty U=k uc(y), which is determined from the combined standard uncertainty uc(y) and the coverage factor k = 2. The interval from y- Utoy+ Uis estimated to have a level of confidence of approximately 95 %. Significant Figures Expanded uncertainties are reported to two significant figures. Measurement results are rounded to the corresponding number of decimal places. Detection Capability The minimum detectable concentrations (MDCs) for each radionuclide are shown in Table 1. The MDC is defined as the minimum concentration that gives a 95 % probability of detection when the detection criteria are chosen to give only a 5 % probability of false detection in a sample that is analyte-free. XI ------- This page intentionally left blank Xll ------- Table 1 Reporting Units and Minimum Detectable Concentrations for Radionuclide Analyses Radionuclide Media Reporting Unit IMinimum Detectable Concentration Gross Alpha Water pCi/L 2 Gross Beta Air pCi/m3 0.0006 Water pCi/L 2 Precipitation pCi/L 2 Tritium Water pCi/L 150 * Plutonium-23 8,23 9/240 Air aCi/m3 6 Water pCi/L 0.3 f Uranium-234,238 Air aCi/m3 7.5 Water pCi/L 0.35 f Uranium-235 Air aCi/m3 9 Water pCi/L 0.4 Radium-226 Water pCi/L 0.02 Strontium-90 Milk pCi/L 2 Water pCi/L 1 t Iodine-131 Milk (gamma) pCi/L 4 Water (gamma) pCi/L 4 Water pCi/L 0.3 Cesium-137 Milk pCi/L 5 Water pCi/L 5 { Barium-140 Milk pCi/L 15 Water pCi/L 15 Potassium Milk g/L 0.06 Water g/L 0.06 Potassium-40 Water pCi/L 50 * The MDC for air is based on an assumed total sample volume of 10,000 m3. Measurement by alpha spectrometry includes combined activities of 239Pu and 240Pu, since the relative contributions of these two isotopes cannot be determined. ¦f The MDCs for air are based on an assumed total sample volume of 10,000 m3. } Activity as of the day of counting. Xlll ------- This page intentionally left blank xiv ------- 1. Air Program Airborne Particulates and Precipitation Gross beta radioactivity measurements and certain specific analyses are performed on air partic- ulates and precipitation samples as indicator measurements in assessing the general (national) impact of all contributing sources on environmental levels of radiation. Continuous air samplers collect airborne particulates at field stations representing wide geographic coverage throughout the United States. Filters (10 cm diameter synthetic fiber) from air samplers are changed routinely, and generally field measurements are made with a dual-phosphor scintillation counter at least 5 hours after collection to allow 222Rn progeny to decay. Field estimates are reported to appropriate EPA officials by telephone or mail depending on the activity levels found; however, as of the first quarter of 2012, NAREL no longer reports field estimates in Environmental Radiation Data. The filters are sent to NAREL for more sensitive analysis in a gas proportional counter. Gamma scans are performed on all filters showing gross beta activity greater than 1 pCi/m3. All stations routinely submit precipitation samples as rainfall, snow, or sleet occurs. The precip- itation samples are composited at NAREL into single monthly samples for each station. Each month that precipitation occurs, an aliquant of the composited sample is analyzed for gamma- emitting radionuclides. NAREL discontinued gross beta analysis of precipitation in January 2010 and discontinued tritium analysis of precipitation in January 2012. 1 ------- Table 2 Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates January 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) AK: Anchorage 4 0.005 0.001 0.003 AK: Fairbanks 8 0.012 0.003 0.007 AK: Juneau 6 0.002 0.001 0.001 AL: Birmingham 9 0.019 0.004 0.008 AL: Montgomery/408 7 0.015 0.004 0.008 AR: Little Rock 3 0.010 0.003 0.006 AZ: Phoenix/956 7 0.024 0.012 0.019 AZ: Tucson 8 0.025 0.014 0.017 CA: Anaheim 9 0.027 0.008 0.017 CA: Eureka 5 0.009 0.005 0.008 CA: Los Angeles 9 0.040 0.009 0.023 CA: Richmond 4 0.035 0.007 0.025 CA: Riverside 8 0.038 0.014 0.021 CA: Sacramento 5 0.031 0.012 0.024 CA: San Bernardino Cty. 6 0.041 0.013 0.022 CA: San Diego 1 0.016 0.016 0.016 CA: San Francisco 9 0.032 0.002 0.019 CA: San Jose 7 0.036 0.003 0.022 CO: Denver 9 0.012 0.004 0.008 CO: Grand Junction 2 0.020 0.019 0.019 CT: Hartford 9 0.010 0.006 0.008 DC: Washington 9 0.013 0.006 0.009 DE: Dover 6 0.008 0.005 0.006 FL: Jacksonville 5 0.011 0.004 0.007 FL: Orlando 4 0.008 0.003 0.006 FL: Tallahassee 4 0.010 0.004 0.006 FL: Tampa 8 0.010 0.004 0.006 GA: Atlanta 3 0.012 0.005 0.008 GA: Augusta 6 0.007 0.002 0.004 HI: Honolulu 9 0.003 0.001 0.002 IA: Des Moines 8 0.023 0.005 0.010 IA: Mason City 5 0.019 0.008 0.014 ID: Boise 5 0.036 0.012 0.025 ID: Idaho Falls 9 0.032 0.003 0.019 IL: Aurora 2 0.011 0.008 0.009 IL: Champaign 8 0.013 0.005 0.009 IL: Chicago 5 0.014 0.007 0.011 IN: Fort Wayne 4 0.014 0.006 0.010 2 ------- Table 2 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates January 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) IN: Indianapolis 8 0.015 0.005 0.010 KS: Kansas City 5 0.015 0.005 0.010 KS: Wichita 8 0.017 0.004 0.010 KY: Lexington 5 0.012 0.006 0.010 LA: Baton Rouge 7 0.022 0.004 0.009 LA: Shreveport 4 0.015 0.003 0.008 MA: Boston 5 0.008 0.007 0.008 MA: Worcester 6 0.012 0.008 0.010 MD: Baltimore 7 0.012 0.007 0.009 ME: Orono 1 0.008 0.008 0.008 ME: Portland 8 0.007 0.003 0.005 MI: Bay City 48708 8 0.016 0.005 0.010 MI: Detroit 9 0.015 0.007 0.010 MI: Grand Rapids 5 0.014 0.006 0.011 MN: Duluth 8 0.015 0.005 0.009 MN: St. Paul 4 0.022 0.009 0.017 MO: Jefferson City 9 0.014 0.005 0.008 MO: Springfield 1 0.014 0.014 0.014 MO: St. Louis 4 0.011 0.005 0.008 MS: Jackson/Deq 4 0.015 0.005 0.009 MT: Billings 5 0.009 0.003 0.007 NC: Charlotte 9 0.007 0.004 0.005 NC: Greensboro 2 0.009 0.007 0.008 NC: Raleigh 2 0.005 0.003 0.004 NC: Wilmington 5 0.005 0.003 0.004 ND: Bismarck 5 0.016 0.004 0.008 NE: Lincoln 9 0.015 0.003 0.007 NE: Omaha 4 0.014 0.004 0.009 NH: Concord 7 0.010 0.004 0.006 NJ: Edison 8 0.010 0.005 0.007 NM: Albuquerque 1 0.017 0.017 0.017 NM: Carlsbad 6 0.013 0.007 0.009 NM: Navajo Lake St Park 3 0.015 0.007 0.011 NV: Las Vegas/913 8 0.014 0.007 0.011 NV: Reno 7 0.052 0.006 0.029 NY: Albany 7 0.013 0.005 0.010 NY: Lockport 7 0.011 0.007 0.009 NY: New York City 5 0.009 0.005 0.007 3 ------- Table 2 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates January 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) NY: Rochester 5 0.008 0.003 0.005 NY: Yaphank 5 0.006 0.004 0.005 OH: Cincinnati 8 0.013 0.006 0.009 OH: Cleveland 9 0.015 0.007 0.011 OH: Columbus 1 0.012 0.012 0.012 OH: Painesville 7 0.012 0.006 0.009 OH: Toledo 8 0.014 0.003 0.007 OK: Oklahoma City 9 0.018 0.005 0.010 OK: Tulsa 9 0.021 0.003 0.009 OR: Corvallis 9 0.013 0.002 0.007 OR: Portland 9 0.014 0.003 0.007 PA: Bloomsburg 7 0.007 0.005 0.006 PA: Philadelphia 4 0.009 0.005 0.008 PA: Pittsburgh 5 0.010 0.005 0.009 PR: San Juan 8 0.005 0.001 0.002 RI: Providence 3 0.008 0.005 0.006 SC: Columbia 8 0.011 0.005 0.009 SD: Pierre 8 0.020 0.004 0.010 SD: Rapid City 8 0.018 0.003 0.007 TN: Knoxville 4 0.013 0.008 0.010 TN: Memphis 7 0.017 0.005 0.008 TN: Nashville 5 0.013 0.005 0.007 TN: Oak Ridge/Bethel 7 0.013 0.008 0.010 TN: Oak Ridge/K25 7 0.014 0.008 0.011 TN: Oak Ridge/Melton 7 0.011 0.006 0.008 TN: Oak Ridgc/Y 12 E 7 0.013 0.008 0.010 TN: Oak Ridge/Y12 W 7 0.014 0.007 0.011 TX: Amarillo 4 0.019 0.008 0.012 TX: Austin 4 0.011 0.007 0.009 TX: Dallas 5 0.014 0.006 0.011 TX: El Paso 1 0.017 0.017 0.017 TX: Ft. Worth 4 0.015 0.007 0.010 TX: Houston 9 0.024 0.004 0.009 TX: Lubbock 7 0.002 0.002 0.002 TX: San Angelo 2 0.009 0.008 0.009 TX: San Antonio 6 0.015 0.004 0.008 UT: Salt Lake City 9 0.040 0.004 0.022 UT: St. George 1 0.028 0.028 0.028 4 ------- Table 2 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates January 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) VA: Harrisonburg 6 0.009 0.005 0.007 VA: Lynchburg 9 0.009 0.006 0.008 VA: Richmond 9 0.007 0.005 0.006 VA: Virginia Beach 6 0.008 0.004 0.006 VT: Burlington 6 0.010 0.007 0.009 WA: Olympia 7 0.016 0.001 0.007 WA: Richland 7 0.037 0.002 0.019 WA: Seattle 3 0.004 0.003 0.003 WA: Spokane 7 0.037 0.002 0.020 WI: Lacrosse 2 0.015 0.014 0.014 WI: Madison 9 0.019 0.009 0.015 WI: Shawano 9 0.015 0.005 0.009 WV: Charleston 5 0.008 0.006 0.007 WY: Casper 3 0.014 0.005 0.008 5 ------- Table 3 Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates February 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) AK: Anchorage 4 0.008 0.003 0.005 AK: Fairbanks 8 0.021 0.007 0.012 AK: Juneau 5 0.014 0.003 0.005 AL: Birmingham 8 0.017 0.005 0.011 AL: Montgomery/408 7 0.010 0.004 0.006 AR: Fort Smith 3 0.012 0.003 0.009 AR: Little Rock 1 0.011 0.011 0.011 AZ: Phoenix/956 6 0.015 0.006 0.010 AZ: Tucson 8 0.020 0.005 0.011 CA: Anaheim 8 0.011 0.002 0.006 CA: Eureka 3 0.002 0.001 0.001 CA: Los Angeles 5 0.020 0.006 0.012 CA: Richmond 4 0.005 0.002 0.003 CA: Riverside 8 0.029 0.011 0.016 CA: Sacramento 8 0.012 0.002 0.006 CA: San Bernardino Cty. 8 0.023 0.009 0.017 CA: San Francisco 8 0.007 0.001 0.003 CA: San Jose 7 0.008 0.002 0.004 CO: Denver 5 0.027 0.009 0.018 CO: Grand Junction 4 0.013 0.006 0.010 CT: Hartford 8 0.013 0.003 0.009 DC: Washington 8 0.022 0.005 0.011 DE: Dover 4 0.014 0.004 0.008 FL: Jacksonville 5 0.013 0.006 0.010 FL: Orlando 3 0.008 0.003 0.005 FL: Tallahassee 4 0.007 0.004 0.005 FL: Tampa 8 0.030 0.003 0.008 GA: Atlanta 3 0.008 0.005 0.007 GA: Augusta 4 0.006 0.002 0.004 HI: Honolulu 8 0.003 0.001 0.002 IA: Des Moines 8 0.014 0.004 0.009 IA: Mason City 5 0.014 0.007 0.010 ID: Boise 4 0.011 0.002 0.005 ID: Idaho Falls 8 0.011 0.003 0.006 IL: Champaign 7 0.018 0.006 0.010 IL: Chicago 7 0.016 0.009 0.012 IN: Fort Wayne 4 0.015 0.009 0.012 IN: Indianapolis 8 0.024 0.007 0.013 6 ------- Table 3 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates February 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) KS: Kansas City 7 0.019 0.005 0.012 KS: Wichita 8 0.019 0.006 0.012 KY: Lexington 8 0.024 0.005 0.014 KY: Louisville 6 0.013 0.004 0.009 LA: Baton Rouge 8 0.016 0.005 0.009 LA: Shreveport 4 0.009 0.004 0.006 MA: Boston 6 0.011 0.003 0.007 MA: Worcester 6 0.014 0.005 0.010 MD: Baltimore 7 0.020 0.005 0.010 ME: Portland 7 0.008 0.003 0.005 MI: Bay City 48708 8 0.019 0.008 0.011 MI: Detroit 8 0.015 0.008 0.011 MI: Grand Rapids 4 0.014 0.010 0.012 MN: Duluth 5 0.013 0.002 0.008 MN: St. Paul 4 0.019 0.010 0.014 MO: Jefferson City 8 0.020 0.007 0.012 MO: St. Louis 4 0.014 0.006 0.010 MS: Jackson/Deq 4 0.014 0.007 0.010 MT: Billings 4 0.015 0.003 0.009 NC: Charlotte 7 0.012 0.003 0.008 NC: Greensboro 1 0.010 0.010 0.010 NC: Raleigh 1 0.003 0.003 0.003 NC: Wilmington 2 0.007 0.003 0.005 ND: Bismarck 6 0.015 0.003 0.010 NE: Kearney 3 0.011 0.003 0.007 NE: Lincoln 7 0.012 0.003 0.009 NE: Omaha 5 0.014 0.006 0.009 NH: Concord 6 0.009 0.002 0.006 NJ: Edison 6 0.014 0.005 0.009 NM: Albuquerque 2 0.018 0.012 0.015 NM: Carlsbad 7 0.024 0.005 0.012 NM: Navajo Lake St Park 4 0.011 0.007 0.009 NV: Las Vegas/913 7 0.008 0.002 0.005 NV: Reno 7 0.026 0.002 0.009 NY: Albany 3 0.011 0.010 0.010 NY: New York City 4 0.010 0.005 0.007 NY: Rochester 7 0.009 0.005 0.006 NY: Yaphank 3 0.005 0.003 0.004 7 ------- Table 3 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates February 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) OH: Cincinnati 8 0.016 0.005 0.010 OH: Cleveland 8 0.020 0.008 0.013 OH: Columbus 1 0.012 0.012 0.012 OH: Painesville 6 0.013 0.009 0.012 OH: Toledo 8 0.009 0.006 0.008 OK: Oklahoma City 8 0.028 0.007 0.015 OK: Tulsa 8 0.018 0.007 0.012 OR: Corvallis 8 0.011 0.001 0.003 OR: Portland 7 0.011 0.001 0.005 PA: Bloomsburg 6 0.009 0.003 0.007 PA: Philadelphia 4 0.012 0.006 0.008 PA: Pittsburgh 5 0.014 0.006 0.009 PR: San Juan 5 0.002 0.001 0.001 RI: Providence 2 0.009 0.008 0.009 SC: Columbia 5 0.010 0.000 0.006 SD: Pierre 7 0.022 0.003 0.012 SD: Rapid City 6 0.016 0.003 0.009 TN: Knoxville 4 0.019 0.007 0.012 TN: Memphis 8 0.022 0.005 0.015 TN: Nashville 4 0.013 0.009 0.011 TN: Oak Ridge/Bethel 7 0.016 0.003 0.010 TN: Oak Ridge/K25 7 0.017 0.004 0.011 TN: Oak Ridge/Melton 7 0.012 0.003 0.008 TN: Oak Ridgc/Y12 E 7 0.017 0.004 0.011 TN: Oak Ridge/Y12 W 7 0.017 0.004 0.011 TX: Amarillo 6 0.021 0.008 0.012 TX: Austin 3 0.012 0.009 0.010 TX: El Paso 3 0.016 0.010 0.013 TX: Ft. Worth 3 0.013 0.009 0.011 TX: Houston 8 0.018 0.005 0.010 TX: Lubbock 7 0.009 0.001 0.003 TX: San Angelo 4 0.014 0.011 0.013 TX: San Antonio 8 0.013 0.007 0.011 UT: Salt Lake City 8 0.007 0.003 0.005 UT: St. George 4 0.021 0.011 0.014 VA: Harrisonburg 5 0.013 0.005 0.008 VA: Lynchburg 6 0.016 0.004 0.009 VA: Richmond 7 0.015 0.003 0.007 8 ------- Table 3 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates February 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) VA: Virginia Beach 6 0.014 0.004 0.007 VT: Burlington 7 0.012 0.006 0.009 WA: Olympia 8 0.009 0.001 0.004 WA: Richland 8 0.019 0.001 0.008 WA: Seattle 2 0.006 0.001 0.003 WA: Spokane 6 0.013 0.002 0.008 WI: Lacrosse 1 0.015 0.015 0.015 WI: Madison 8 0.021 0.008 0.016 WI: Milwaukee 3 0.014 0.014 0.014 WI: Shawano 8 0.015 0.006 0.010 WV: Charleston 3 0.016 0.008 0.013 WY: Casper 5 0.010 0.005 0.008 9 ------- Table 4 Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates March 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) AK: Anchorage 5 0.009 0.003 0.005 AK: Fairbanks 8 0.014 0.006 0.008 AK: Juneau 7 0.008 0.001 0.005 AL: Birmingham 9 0.013 0.006 0.010 AL: Montgomery/408 8 0.010 0.004 0.007 AR: Fort Smith 4 0.019 0.008 0.013 AR: Little Rock 4 0.010 0.006 0.008 AZ: Phoenix/956 5 0.012 0.004 0.009 AZ: Tucson 7 0.011 0.002 0.007 CA: Anaheim 8 0.006 0.001 0.004 CA: Eureka 4 0.003 0.001 0.002 CA: Los Angeles 6 0.010 0.002 0.007 CA: Richmond 4 0.004 0.003 0.003 CA: Riverside 8 0.015 0.002 0.009 CA: Sacramento 8 0.008 0.002 0.005 CA: San Bernardino Cty. 8 0.016 0.003 0.009 CA: San Francisco 9 0.004 0.002 0.003 CA: San Jose 7 0.006 0.002 0.004 CO: Colorado Springs 2 0.011 0.006 0.008 CO: Denver 8 0.027 0.006 0.011 CO: Grand Junction 3 0.006 0.005 0.005 CT: Hartford 8 0.014 0.005 0.009 DC: Washington 7 0.013 0.005 0.009 DE: Dover 4 0.009 0.005 0.006 FL: Jacksonville 6 0.011 0.004 0.008 FL: Orlando 8 0.010 0.002 0.006 FL: Tallahassee 3 0.008 0.003 0.005 FL: Tampa 8 0.010 0.002 0.007 GA: Atlanta 4 0.009 0.005 0.008 GA: Augusta 2 0.006 0.003 0.004 HI: Honolulu 9 0.006 0.002 0.003 IA: Des Moines 9 0.012 0.005 0.009 IA: Mason City 4 0.016 0.007 0.011 ID: Boise 6 0.004 0.001 0.003 ID: Idaho Falls 7 0.013 0.004 0.007 IL: Aurora 1 0.005 0.005 0.005 IL: Champaign 9 0.013 0.006 0.009 IL: Chicago 8 0.011 0.007 0.009 10 ------- Table 4 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates March 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) IN: Fort Wayne 5 0.017 0.008 0.012 IN: Indianapolis 7 0.018 0.008 0.012 KS: Kansas City 7 0.016 0.006 0.011 KS: Wichita 7 0.021 0.006 0.012 KY: Lexington 8 0.016 0.009 0.012 KY: Louisville 4 0.011 0.006 0.007 LA: Baton Rouge 7 0.009 0.006 0.007 LA: Shreveport 2 0.008 0.003 0.006 MA: Boston 9 0.012 0.004 0.007 MA: Worcester 4 0.012 0.009 0.010 MD: Baltimore 6 0.016 0.008 0.011 ME: Portland 6 0.014 0.006 0.008 MI: Bay City 48708 8 0.016 0.006 0.011 MI: Detroit 7 0.016 0.009 0.013 MI: Grand Rapids 4 0.015 0.008 0.012 MN: Duluth 8 0.011 0.007 0.009 MN: St. Paul 4 0.018 0.013 0.015 MO: Jefferson City 8 0.019 0.007 0.012 MO: St. Louis 5 0.014 0.007 0.010 MS: Jackson/Deq 5 0.011 0.007 0.009 MT: Billings 4 0.015 0.005 0.010 NC: Greensboro 2 0.010 0.007 0.008 NC: Raleigh 4 0.008 0.003 0.005 NC: Wilmington 4 0.009 0.003 0.006 ND: Bismarck 6 0.014 0.007 0.009 NE: Kearney 8 0.015 0.005 0.009 NE: Lincoln 7 0.011 0.005 0.009 NE: Omaha 4 0.014 0.006 0.010 NH: Concord 7 0.013 0.004 0.007 NJ: Edison 5 0.012 0.005 0.008 NM: Albuquerque 2 0.009 0.007 0.008 NM: Carlsbad 3 0.012 0.009 0.010 NM: Navajo Lake St Park 4 0.011 0.006 0.008 NV: Las Vegas/913 8 0.008 0.002 0.004 NV: Reno 8 0.015 0.002 0.007 NY: Lockport 7 0.015 0.008 0.011 NY: New York City 4 0.011 0.005 0.008 NY: Rochester 5 0.013 0.008 0.009 11 ------- Table 4 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates March 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) NY: Syracuse 1 0.008 0.008 0.008 NY: Yaphank 1 0.006 0.006 0.006 OH: Cincinnati 7 0.015 0.007 0.010 OH: Cleveland 9 0.016 0.006 0.012 OH: Painesville 1 0.013 0.013 0.013 OH: Toledo 9 0.010 0.004 0.008 OK: Oklahoma City 8 0.026 0.007 0.014 OK: Tulsa 9 0.020 0.006 0.012 OR: Corvallis 7 0.006 0.001 0.003 OR: Portland 8 0.008 0.001 0.003 PA: Bloomsburg 9 0.011 0.002 0.005 PA: Philadelphia 4 0.014 0.007 0.009 PA: Pittsburgh 5 0.012 0.007 0.009 PR: San Juan 9 0.007 0.001 0.003 RI: Providence 1 0.009 0.009 0.009 SC: Columbia 6 0.016 0.004 0.010 SD: Pierre 9 0.019 0.005 0.012 SD: Rapid City 7 0.014 0.005 0.010 TN: Knoxville 4 0.012 0.007 0.010 TN: Memphis 4 0.018 0.011 0.014 TN: Nashville 9 0.011 0.006 0.008 TN: Oak Ridge/Bethel 9 0.013 0.006 0.009 TN: Oak Ridge/K25 9 0.036 0.007 0.013 TN: Oak Ridge/Melton 9 0.011 0.004 0.008 TN: Oak Ridgc/Y 12 E 9 0.016 0.006 0.011 TN: Oak Ridge/Y12 W 9 0.015 0.006 0.010 TX: Amarillo 3 0.019 0.010 0.013 TX: Austin 4 0.010 0.008 0.009 TX: Ft. Worth 2 0.009 0.006 0.007 TX: Houston 8 0.012 0.007 0.009 TX: Lubbock 6 0.003 0.001 0.002 TX: San Angelo 2 0.018 0.017 0.017 TX: San Antonio 8 0.021 0.006 0.011 UT: Salt Lake City 9 0.007 0.002 0.004 UT: St. George 3 0.009 0.005 0.007 VA: Harrisonburg 9 0.017 0.007 0.009 VA: Lynchburg 8 0.013 0.006 0.008 VA: Richmond 7 0.015 0.007 0.009 12 ------- Table 4 (continued) Gross Beta in Airborne Particulates March 2014 NAREL Lab Number Measurement of Max IMin Avj? Location Samples (pCi/m3) VA: Virginia Beach 8 0.013 0.005 0.007 VT: Burlington 7 0.014 0.007 0.010 WA: Olympia 9 0.006 0.001 0.002 WA: Richland 9 0.017 0.001 0.004 WA: Spokane 7 0.022 0.001 0.006 WI: Lacrosse 4 0.013 0.007 0.009 WI: Madison 8 0.016 0.009 0.013 WI: Milwaukee 3 0.014 0.009 0.012 WI: Shawano 9 0.013 0.007 0.010 WV: Charleston 5 0.015 0.006 0.011 WY: Casper 3 0.010 0.005 0.008 13 ------- Table 5 Specific Gamma in Precipitation January 2014 Location Nuclide pCi/L ± 2 u AL: Montgomery/408 Be-7 13 13 AR: Little Rock Be-7 50 20 CT: Hartford Be-7 67 22 FL: Jacksonville Be-7 35 20 HI: Honolulu Ra-228 3.0 2.9 ID: Idaho Falls ND KS: Kansas City Be-7 16 15 MA: Boston Be-7 46 22 MN: St. Paul ND NC: Charlotte Be-7 38 18 NC: Wilmington Be-7 17.4 9.7 NH: Concord ND NY: Albany Be-7 19 18 PA: Harrisburg Be-7 35 16 TN: Nashville Be-7 43 20 TN: Oak Ridge/K25 Be-7 64 23 TN: Oak Ridge/Melton Be-7 65 21 TN: Oak Ridgc/Y 12 E Be-7 37 20 UT: Salt Lake City Be-7 46 25 VA: Lynchburg ND WA: Olympia ND 14 ------- Table 6 Specific Gamma in Precipitation February 2014 Location Nuclide pCi/L ± 2 u AL: Montgomery/408 ND CA: Richmond Be-7 20 15 CT: Hartford Be-7 52 14 FL: Jacksonville Be-7 52 18 GA: Atlanta Be-7 20 10 HI: Honolulu Be-7 38 14 ID: Idaho Falls ND KS: Kansas City ND MA: Boston Be-7 59 17 MN: St. Paul ND MN: Welch/510 ND NC: Charlotte ND NC: Wilmington ND NY: Albany Be-7 12.4 9.9 OH: Painesville Be-7 29 16 Ra-228 3.8 3.5 OR: Portland ND PA: Harrisburg ND TN: Nashville Be-7 32 15 TN: Oak Ridge/K25 Be-7 46 19 TN: Oak Ridge/Melton Be-7 42 18 TN: Oak Ridge/Y12 E Be-7 51 19 UT: Salt Lake City Ra-228 4.0 3.8 VA: Lynchburg ND WA: Olympia Be-7 29 16 15 ------- Table 7 Specific Gamma in Precipitation March 2014 Location Nuclide pCi/L ± 2 u AL: Montgomery/408 Be-7 35 13 AR: Little Rock Be-7 45 20 AZ: Phoenix ND CA: Richmond Be-7 48 18 CT: Hartford Be-7 42 16 FL: Jacksonville Be-7 39 16 GA: Atlanta Be-7 35 15 HI: Honolulu ND ID: Idaho Falls Be-7 13.0 9.7 KS: Kansas City ND MA: Boston Be-7 63 22 MN: St. Paul ND NC: Charlotte ND NC: Wilmington ND NH: Concord ND OR: Portland Be-7 19 16 PA: Harrisburg ND TN: Nashville Be-7 28.0 9.4 TN: Oak Ridge/K25 Be-7 55 17 TN: Oak Ridge/Melton Be-7 52 12 TN: Oak Ridgc/Y 12 E Be-7 45 18 TX: Austin Be-7 20 16 UT: Salt Lake City Be-7 23.1 9.9 VA: Lynchburg ND WA: Olympia Be-7 40 18 16 ------- Plutonium and Uranium in Airborne Particulates Environmental radiation levels of plutonium and uranium are determined by the analysis of annually composited samples (air filters) collected from the airborne particulate samplers. Plutonium and uranium results are published in the ERD for the third quarter of the following year. Concentrations of plutonium-238, combined plutonium-239 and 240, and uranium-234, 235, and 238 are determined by alpha-particle spectrometry following chemical separation. The total volume of air represented by all the samples received from one sampling location during a year typically ranges from 120,000 m3 to 500,000 m3. The aliquot analyzed is a fraction of the total volume and is typically between 5,000 m3 and 30,000 m3. 17 ------- This page intentionally left blank 18 ------- 2. Drinking Water Program The RadNet drinking water program provides data on radionuclide concentrations in the nation's drinking water supplies. Sampling sites are either major population centers or selected nuclear facility environs. Drinking water data are used to assess trends and anomalies in concentrations. The analysis scheme for RadNet samples is similar to that of EPA's "National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations." The analyses include (a) tritium on a quarterly basis; (b) gross alpha, gross beta, and gamma on annual composites; (c) radium-226 if the gross alpha exceeds 2 pCi/L and radium-228 if the radium-226 falls between 3 and 5 pCi/L on annual composites; (d) iodine-131 on one quarterly sample per year for each station; (e) plutonium-238, combined plutonium-239 and 240, and uranium-234, 235, and 238 for stations that demonstrate gross alpha levels greater than 2 pCi/L on annual composites; and (f) strontium-90 on one-fourth of the annual composites on a four year rotating schedule. Composite results are published in the ERD for the third quarter of the following year. RadNet drinking water data should not be used to monitor compliance with drinking water regu- lations or for comparisons to those data since different procedures for collection and analysis may be used. 19 ------- Table 8 Tritium in Drinking Water January-March 2014 Date 3H Location Collected pCi/L ± 2u AK: Fairbanks 01/15/14 -26 78 AL: Dothan 01/02/14 -14 85 AL: Montgomery 02/19/14 -43 86 AL: Muscle Shoals 01/09/14 18 88 AL: Scottsboro 01/08/14 20 88 AR: Little Rock 01/08/14 0 88 CA: Richmond 02/20/14 -30 86 CO: Denver 01/21/14 30 82 CT: Hartford 01/15/14 7 81 DE: Dover 01/09/14 co 00 1 FL: Tampa 01/30/14 259 99 GA: Baxley 03/04/14 -14 87 GA: Savannah 03/05/14 4 89 HI: Honolulu 02/18/14 -10 87 IA: Cedar Rapids 01/17/14 24 88 ID: Boise 01/09/14 -61 77 ID: Idaho Falls 01/21/14 -33 78 IL: Chicago 03/03/14 22 90 KS: Topeka 02/07/14 22 89 LA: New Orleans 01/10/14 -32 86 MD: Baltimore 01/06/14 -64 85 MD: Conowingo 01/10/14 -14 87 MI: Detroit 01/09/14 70 90 MN: St. Paul 01/08/14 22 88 MN: Welch 01/08/14 -32 85 MO: Jefferson City 01/21/14 -26 79 MS: Jackson 01/29/14 40 90 MS: Port Gibson 01/29/14 4 87 MT: Helena 01/24/14 33 82 ND: Bismarck 02/06/14 8 88 NE: Lincoln 01/07/14 -32 85 NH: Concord 03/06/14 76 83 NJ: Trenton 01/21/14 39 83 NJ: Waretown 01/21/14 -30 79 NY: Albany 03/28/14 32 81 NY: New York City 03/31/14 9 78 NY: Niagara Falls 01/14/14 66 83 NY: Syracuse 02/04/14 59 90 OH: Cincinnati 01/27/14 58 84 OH: Columbus 01/28/14 6 82 20 ------- Table 8 (continued) Tritium in Drinking Water January-March 2014 Date 3H Location Collected pCi/L ± 2u OH: E. Liverpool 02/26/14 -38 87 OH: Painesville 01/23/14 84 85 OH: Toledo 01/10/14 24 87 OK: Oklahoma City 02/19/14 -69 84 OR: Portland 03/17/14 28 79 PA: Columbia 01/08/14 -9 81 PA: Harrisburg 01/02/14 -32 86 PA: Pittsburgh 02/25/14 34 89 SC: Barnwell 02/04/14 113 93 SC: Columbia 03/24/14 33 79 SC: Jenkinsville 01/16/14 -39 84 SC: Seneca 03/21/14 33 80 TN: Chattanooga 01/17/14 -8 81 TN: Knoxville 01/08/14 -38 85 TN: Oak Ridge/#360 01/14/14 9 81 TN: OakRidge/#371 01/14/14 -22 80 TN: Oak Ridge/#4442 01/14/14 -35 78 TN: Oak Ridge/#768 01/14/14 52 83 TN: Oak Ridge/#772 01/14/14 34 79 TX: Austin 01/14/14 35 88 VA: Ashland 02/20/14 2320 190 VA: Lynchburg 02/27/14 8 88 WA: Richland 02/12/14 -4 88 WI: Madison 01/27/14 48 90 21 ------- This page intentionally left blank 22 ------- 3. Milk Program Pasteurized Milk Milk is a reliable indicator of the general population's intake of certain radionuclides since it is consumed fresh by a large segment of the population and can contain several of the biologically significant radionuclides that result from environmental releases from nuclear activities. A primary function of this program is to obtain reliable monitoring data relative to current radio- nuclide concentrations and determine any long-term trends. Milk samples are collected quarterly at each of the sampling sites. The samples are analyzed for gamma-emitting nuclides, including iodine-131, barium-140, cesium-137, and potassium-40. Total potassium concentrations in g/L are determined from potassium-40 activities assuming natural isotopic abundances. During the third quarter collection, one-fourth of the samples are also analyzed for strontium-90 on a four year rotating schedule. 23 ------- Table 9 Radionuclides in Pasteurized Milk January-March 2014 Date K 137Cs 140Ba 131j Location Collected g/L ± 2 u pCi/L ± 2u pCi/L ± 2u pCi/L ± 2m AR: Little Rock 02/18/14 1.60 0.19 ND ND ND AZ: Phoenix 02/13/14 1.68 0.20 ND ND ND CA: Los Angeles 03/25/14 1.58 0.18 ND ND ND CA: Oakland 01/09/14 1.68 0.20 ND ND ND CT: Hartford 03/06/14 1.65 0.19 ND ND ND FL: Plant City 01/14/14 1.66 0.19 ND ND ND HI: Hilo 01/13/14 1.64 0.20 ND ND ND IA: Des Moines 03/10/14 1.71 0.20 ND ND ND KS: Wichita 02/28/14 1.50 0.19 ND ND ND KY: Louisville 01/13/14 1.74 0.20 ND ND ND MA: Boston 03/13/14 1.78 0.21 ND ND ND MD: Baltimore 01/14/14 1.64 0.19 ND ND ND MO: Jefferson City 01/08/14 1.59 0.19 ND ND ND NJ: Trenton 01/09/14 1.60 0.18 ND ND ND NM: Albuquerque 03/04/14 1.57 0.18 ND ND ND NV: Las Vegas 02/03/14 1.65 0.20 ND ND ND NV: Reno 03/26/14 1.74 0.20 ND ND ND NY: Buffalo 02/24/14 1.65 0.19 ND ND ND NY: Syracuse 01/06/14 1.73 0.20 ND ND ND OH: Cincinnati 02/10/14 1.70 0.19 ND ND ND OH: Cleveland 03/03/14 1.65 0.20 ND ND ND OR: Portland 01/13/14 1.64 0.20 ND ND ND PA: Pittsburgh 02/10/14 1.72 0.20 ND ND ND TN: Knoxville 02/11/14 1.61 0.18 ND ND ND TN: Memphis 01/22/14 1.57 0.19 ND ND ND TX: Dallas 01/13/14 1.60 0.20 ND ND ND TX: San Antonio 01/07/14 1.55 0.18 ND ND NR VT: Montpelier 02/04/14 1.70 0.21 ND ND ND WA: Spokane 02/11/14 1.69 0.19 ND ND ND WA: Tacoma 03/30/14 1.63 0.19 ND ND ND WV: Charleston 01/08/14 1.69 0.20 ND ND ND Note: ND = Not detected NR = No result (not analyzed within 5 half-lives of collection) 24 ------- For More Information Environmental Radiation Data (ERD) is published quarterly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. Requests for information concerning the operation of RadNet and the data that are generated should be directed as follows: Requests for information concerning the operation of RadNet, the data that are generated, or publication and distribution of ERD should be directed to: Charles M. Petko Office of the Director National Analytical Radiation Environmental Laboratory 540 South Morris Avenue Montgomery, Alabama 36115-2601 email: petko.charles@epa.gov Requests for information concerning policies of the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air should be directed to: Jonathan Edwards USEPA - ORIA Radiation Protection Division (MC6608J) 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20460 email: edwards.jonathan@epa.gov *** 25 ------- This page intentionally left blank 26 ------- |