63 research outputs found
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Surveillance of Site A and Plot M - Report for 2006.
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2006 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of water from the burial ground (PlotM) to the hand pumped picnic wells, (2) establish if buried radionuclides other than hydrogen-3 have migrated, and (3) monitor the presence of radioactive and chemically hazardous materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red GateWoods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity
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Surveillance of Site A and Plot M - Report for 2005.
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2005 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby handpumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the handpumped picnic wells, (2) establish if buried radionuclides other than hydrogen-3 have migrated, and (3) monitor the presence of radioactive and chemically hazardous materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity
ARIS-Campaign: intercomparison of three ground based 22 GHz radiometers for middle atmospheric water vapor at the Zugspitze in winter 2009
This paper presents the Alpine Radiometer Intercomparison at the Schneefernerhaus (ARIS), which took place in winter 2009 at the high altitude station at the Zugspitze, Germany (47.42° N, 10.98° E, 2650 m). This campaign was the first direct intercomparison between three new ground based 22 GHz water vapor radiometers for middle atmospheric profiling with the following instruments participating: MIRA 5 (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), cWASPAM3 (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau) and MIAWARA-C (Institute of Applied Physics, University of Bern). Even though the three radiometers all measure middle atmospheric water vapor using the same rotational transition line and similar fundamental set-ups, there are major differences between the front ends, the back ends, the calibration concepts and the profile retrieval. The spectrum comparison shows that all three radiometers measure spectra without severe baseline artifacts and that the measurements are in good general agreement. The measurement noise shows good agreement to the values theoretically expected from the radiometer noise formula. At the same time the comparison of the noise levels shows that there is room for instrumental and calibration improvement, emphasizing the importance of low elevation angles for the observation, a low receiver noise temperature and an efficient calibration scheme. <br><br> The comparisons of the retrieved profiles show that the agreement between the profiles of MIAWARA-C and cWASPAM3 with the ones of MLS is better than 0.3 ppmv (6%) at all altitudes. MIRA 5 has a dry bias of approximately 0.5 ppm (8%) below 0.1 hPa with respect to all other instruments. The profiles of cWASPAM3 and MIAWARA-C could not be directly compared because the vertical region of overlap was too small. The comparison of the time series at different altitude levels show a similar evolution of the H<sub>2</sub>O volume mixing ratio (VMR) for the ground based instruments as well as the space borne sensor MLS
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Surveillance of Site A and Plot M, Report for 2008.
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2008 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of hydrogen-3 contaminated water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the hand-pumped picnic wells, (2) establish if other buried radionuclides have migrated, and (3) monitor for the presence of radioactive materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity
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Surveillance of site A and plot M - report for 2002.
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2002 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the handpumped picnic wells, (2) establish if buried radionuclides other than hydrogen-3 have migrated, and (3) monitor the presence of radioactive and chemically hazardous materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity
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Argonne National Laboratory Report ANL-95/7
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for 1994 are presented. The surveillance program is the ongoing remedial action that resulted from the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site. That study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current program consists of sample collection and analysis of air, surface and subsurface water, and bottom sediment
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Surveillance of Site A and Plot M - Report for 1999.
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 1999 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the handpumped picnic wells, (2) establish if buried radionuclides other than hydrogen-3 have migrated, and (3) generally characterize the radiological environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Tritiated water continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. For many years it was the only radionuclide found to have migrated in measurable quantities. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The available data does not allow a firm conclusion as to whether the presence of this nuclide represents migration prior to the installation of the boreholes or movement that may have occurred before Plot M was capped. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity
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Argonne National Laboratory Report ANL-92/13
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for CY 1991 are presented. The surveillance program is the ongoing remedial action that resulted from the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site. That study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current program consists of sample collection and analysis of air, surface and subsurface water, and bottom sediment
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Surveillance of Site A and Plot M - Report for 2004.
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2004 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the handpumped picnic wells, (2) establish if buried radionuclides other than hydrogen-3 have migrated, and (3) monitor the presence of radioactive and chemically hazardous materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity
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Argonne National Laboratory Summary Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2007.
This summary of Argonne National Laboratory's Site Environmental Report for calendar year 2007 was written by 20 students at Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Ill. The student authors are classmates in Mr. Howard's Bio II course. Biology II is a research-based class that teaches students the process of research by showing them how the sciences apply to daily life. For the past seven years, Argonne has worked with Biology II students to create a short document summarizing the Site Environmental Report to provide the public with an easy-to-read summary of the annual 300-page technical report on the results of Argonne's on-site environmental monitoring program. The summary is made available online and given to visitors to Argonne, researchers interested in collaborating with Argonne, future employees, and many others. In addition to providing Argonne and the public with an easily understandable short summary of a large technical document, the participating students learn about professional environmental monitoring procedures, achieve a better understanding of the time and effort put forth into summarizing and publishing research, and gain confidence in their own abilities to express themselves in writing. The Argonne Summary Site Environmental Report fits into the educational needs for 12th grade students. Illinois State Educational Goal 12 states that a student should understand the fundamental concepts, principles, and interconnections of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences. To create this summary booklet, the students had to read and understand the larger technical report, which discusses in-depth many activities and programs that have been established by Argonne to maintain a safe local environment. Creating this Summary Site Environmental Report also helps students fulfill Illinois State Learning Standard 12B5a, which requires that students be able to analyze and explain biodiversity issues, and the causes and effects of extinction. The same standard requires that Illinois students examine the impact of diminishing biodiversity due to human activity. An example of this would be the Argonne Restoration Prairie, which is discussed within the report. Because humans had to destroy part of a natural prairie in order to build, they must also plant an equivalent amount of prairie to make up for what was destroyed. The summary project perfectly meets Illinois State Learning Standard 13B section 5b, which requires students to be able to design and conduct an environmental impact study, analyze findings, and justify recommendations. Students volunteered for the project for two main reasons: We would become published authors, and could include that fact on important documents, like college applications, and we felt we were doing a good deed for the public, considering that without our summary the public may have no real idea how Argonne complies with various environmental protection acts and programs within the state. The summarization process was not easy, considering that we had never seen much of this kind of information before, especially in such detail. The project required a high level of commitment from all involved. This commitment ensured that the summary would be done on time and would be available to the public in the shortest time possible. Argonne representatives Norbert Golchert and Dave Baurac met with students and gave background information on Argonne and explained the importance of the research being done. In addition, they explained in-depth how the public benefits from the summarization. At the end of the presentation, students asked some questions, which were answered in specifics. The Report was divided into 10 sections, with groups of two students covering each section. The groups were eager to begin work on their assigned sections. After reading the complete report each group focused on a particular section. After much careful reading and analysis, we produced an outline. From the outline, partners divided work equally and began to carefully summarize. Groups summaries were edited, not only within groups, but also by other groups, in order to acquire a different perspective. Finally, Mr. Howard, our Biology II instructor, took a final look at the products before sending them off for the final review by Argonne. The final project was a 16-page pamphlet. The students reacted positively to the project. Asked if she was glad that she chose to work on the Argonne project, Katie Hanson said, 'Yes. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to become a published author. Also, it is an honor to be able to work with a prestigious, nationally recognized laboratory such as Argonne'. There were difficult aspects as well. Student Olga Zagariya said the hardest part of the project was 'trying to choose which information to put in the summary and which information to leave out, because it all seemed to be important'. It seems that everyone was satisfied with his or her section
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