Third Quarter 2010
INL Quarterly Site Environmental Report
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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 a special waterfowl sample collected during the the third quarter of 2010.
Milk samples were collected weekly in Idaho Falls. Monthly samples were
collected at six other locations around the INL Site (Figure 11) during the
third quarter of 2010. In addition, commercially-available organic milk was
purchased as a control sample. All samples were analyzed for gamma emitting
radionuclides. 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.
Lettuce sampling was completed during the third quarter but all final results were not available. These will be reported in the next quarterly report.
Grain sampling (wheat and barley) was completed during the third quarter of 2010. A total of 13 grain samples (including one duplicate) were collected from local grain growers. In addition, a commercially-available sample was obtained from outside the local area. All samples were analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides and 90Sr. No manmade gamma-emitting radionuclides were detected in any grain sample. Strontium-90 was detected in six of the samples, including the control sample, within the range of historical concentrations. Data for 137Cs and 90Sr in all grain samples taken during the third quarter are listed in Appendix C, Table C-7.Large Game Animal Sampling
Three large game animals (all pronghorn) were available for sampling during the third quarter. Man-made radionuclides were not detected in any of the tissue samples collected. Results are presented in Appendix C, Table C-8.
Third Quarter 2010
INL Quarterly Site Environmental Report
Return to Index