Second Quarter 2009
INL Quarterly Site Environmental Report
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AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT AND WILDLIFE SAMPLING

Another potential pathway for contaminants to reach humans is through the food chain. The ESER Program samples multiple agricultural products and game animals from around the INL Site and Southeast Idaho. Specifically, milk, wheat, potatoes, garden lettuce, large game animals, and waterfowl are sampled. Milk is sampled throughout the year and large game animals are sampled whenever large game animals are killed onsite from vehicle collisions. Lettuce and wheat are sampled during the third quarter, while potatoes are collected during the fourth quarter. Waterfowl are collected in either the third or fourth quarter. See Table A-1, Appendix A, for more details on agricultural product and wildlife sampling. This section discusses results from milk and large game animals sampled during the second quarter of 2009.

Milk Sampling

Milk samples were collected weekly in Idaho Falls. Monthly samples were collected at five other locations around the INL Site (Figure 11) during the second quarter of 2009. During the quarter, the dairy at Moreland ceased operations. All samples were analyzed for gamma emitting radionuclides. During the second quarter, samples from half of the locations were analyzed for 90Sr and half were analyzed for tritium. In the fourth quarter the analyses are reversed, so that each location receives one analysis for 90Sr and tritium each year.

No Iodine-131 or other gamma-emitting radionuclides were detected in any sample. Data for 131I and 137Cs in milk samples are listed in Appendix C, Table C-6.

Strontium-90 was detected in all three samples analyzed at levels within historical measurements, ranging from 0.58 to 1.21 pCi/L (Table C-7 in Appendix C.) Tritium was detected in two of four samples analyzed, also well within the range of historical measurements (Table C-7).
 

Figure 11.   ESER milk sampling locations.

LARGE GAME ANIMAL SAMPLING

One large game animal (a pronghorn) was sampled on the INL Site during the second quarter of 2009. No manmade radionuclides were found in the muscle, thyroid and liver samples. The data for 137Cs and 131I are listed in Appendix C, Table C-8.


Second Quarter 2009
INL Quarterly Site Environmental Report
Return to Index