Baseline Survey of Radionuclides in Animal Tissues at the Proposed Piñon Ridge Millsite

8/3/2019 Baseline Survey of Radionuclides in Animal Tissues at the Proposed Pion Ridge Millsite

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BASELINE SURVEY OF RADIONUCLIDES IN ANIMAL TISSUES AT THEPROPOSED PINON RIDGE MILLSITE

By

F. Ward Whicker, Professor Emeritus

Department of Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences

Colorado State UniversityFort Collins, CO 80523

August 27, 2008


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Executive Summary 3

Introduction 5

Sampling and Sample Preparation 6

Radiochemical Analyses 7

Results and Discussion 8

References Cited 10

Tables 12

Table 1. List of tissues and analytes requested for analysis. 12Table 2. Summary of tissue analysis results for natural uranium. 13

Table 3. Summary of tissue analysis results for230

Th. 14


Ra. 14Table 5. Summary of tissue analysis results for

210Po. 15


Pb. 16

Figures 17

Fig. 1. Big sagebrush-dominated habitat within the mill site property. 17

Fig. 2. Rocky habitat at the big sagebrush-pion/juniper interface. 17

Fig. 3. Havahart live trap near multi-entrance burrow system ---- 18Fig. 4. Sherman live trap in erosion gully habitat. 18

Fig. 5. Victor snap trap near burrow entrance ---- 19

Fig. 6. Victor snap traps at multi-entrance burrow system ---- 19

Fig. 7. Cottontail rabbit photographed in erosion gully on site property. 20Fig. 8. Levels of natural uranium measured in animal tissues. 20

Fig. 9. Levels of230

Th measured in animal tissues. 21


Ra measured in animal tissues. 21Fig. 11. Levels of

210Po measured in animal tissues. 22


Pb measured in animal tissues. 22

Fig. 13. Comparison of210Pb concentrations among rabbit tissues. 23

Appendices

Appendix I. Geographic coordinates and map for rabbit collection sites 24Appendix II. Basic chain of custody, QA/QC data and raw data (on CD) 26


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Executive Summary

A baseline survey of naturally-occurring radionuclides in animals was performed

in May 2008 to support the application by Energy Fuels Resources for a new uranium

mill near Naturita, Colorado. Such a survey is required by State and Federal regulations

as part of the permitting process, prior to the start of operations. The survey wasdesigned in a manner that would allow comparison to similar measurements during and

after any future mill operations. Such comparisons would facilitate an assessment of any

radiological contamination of animals resulting from mill operations. Because uranium isradioactive, its decay leads to the formation of some 17 decay products that are also

radioactive (Eisenbud and Gesell, 1997). A few of these are sufficiently abundant and

long-lived that they have potential biological significance. Because of the ubiquitouspresence of uranium in soil and rocks, some of these radionuclides can be measured in

biological tissues anywhere on earth, even in the complete absence of uranium mining or

milling activities.

The potential Pion Ridge uranium mill site is a natural landscape historicallygrazed by cattle and various wildlife species. The predominant vegetation is sagebrush

and grass in the basin area, and pion-juniper woodland along the southern boundary onthe northeast-facing slope of Monogram Mesa. The dominant resident animals on the site

include jack and cottontail rabbits, smaller mammals such as rodents, predators such as

coyotes and foxes, and various reptilian and insect species. Mule deer, elk, and variousbird species visit the site on a seasonal basis. Cattle are grazed in the area during winter

months. My original intention was to sample mule deer, cottontail rabbits, smaller

mammals, and cattle that had grazed the site the previous winter. The taking of wildliferequired a scientific collection permit, which was approved by the Colorado Division of

Wildlife, except for mule deer. The trapping effort for smaller mammals wasunsuccessful, yielding only a single kangaroo rat. However, three cottontail rabbits, three

jack rabbits, and tissues from three cows were obtained for radionuclide analysis.

The specific tissues obtained for analysis were lung, liver, muscle and bone.

These tissues were carefully dissected, cleaned, bagged, and frozen. They were

submitted to Paragon Analytics of Fort Collins, CO for analysis of uranium,230

Th,226

Ra,210

Po, and210

Pb. Some 37 different tissue samples were submitted and a total of 106radionuclide-specific results were obtained and reported here. Wet (fresh) and dry

weights of each sample were recorded, so that results can be expressed on either basis,

but the wet weight basis was used for this report. Results reported here also includelaboratory uncertainties and indication as to whether or not individual analyses were

above the minimum detectable concentrations. Detailed information on chain of custody,

QA/QC data and raw data were also provided by Paragon Analytics. These data areincluded in this report on a CD (see Appendix II).

In the case of the uranium measurements, of the 22 samples analyzed, only 12

exceeded the reporting limit. The other values are classified as U, or undetected. It isclear that the uranium contents of bone exceed those of muscle tissue, with 7 of the 12

samples containing detectable levels being bone. The error bars, representing variations


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among individual animals as well as laboratory uncertainties, were relatively large, with

coefficients of variation (standard deviation/mean value) ranging from 0.16 to 0.62.

All sample results from the230

Th analyses were below the minimum detectable

concentrations. This is not surprising because thorium occurs in the environment in

chemical forms that are extremely insoluble, and as a result its transport through foodchains is very low or negligible. Thorium isotopes are not taken up to any significant

degree by plants, and when it is ingested by animals, often in the form of dust particles,

the absorption fraction is very low, typically < 10-4

.

The results for226

Ra analyses in bone samples were much more informative and

useful than for the other radionuclides. All bone samples contained226

Ra at sub-pCi/glevels when expressed on a wet mass basis, but well above the minimum detectable

concentrations, and considerably higher than measurements for human bone summarized

by Eisenbud and Gesell (1997). The coefficients of variation (CV) representingdifferences among individual animals and laboratory uncertainties were relatively small

for the jack rabbits (0.15) and cows (0.14), but higher for the cottontails (0.50). The dataindicate that rabbit bone was about three-fold higher in226

Ra than the cow bone samples.

Measurements of210

Po in animal tissues showed that 19 of the 27 sample analyses

were below the minimum analytical detection limits, and those that exceeded the

detection limits were very low (< 1 pCi/g wet tissue). Although the data reflect very lowand variable levels of

210Po in tissues, there was a tendency for the more detectable levels

to occur in cow samples, particularly the liver and lung samples. The liver and kidney

are known as main repositories of the small amounts of210

Po that might be found in thebody.

Fifteen of 28 samples contained210

Pb at levels below the minimum detectable

concentration, while 13 were above. There were no apparent differences between

species, but the differences between tissues were obvious. The pattern was for bone tocontain the highest concentrations, lung to contain the lowest levels, while liver tissues

contained intermediate amounts. Lead is well-known to be found primarily in bone, with

intermediate levels in liver and kidney. Variability among individuals of the same

species was relatively high, with CV values ranging from 0.34 to 1.76.

I am not aware of specific studies, published in the open literature, that have

reported levels of naturally-occurring radionuclides in animal tissues in the western U.S.Thus, this study did not have the benefit of previous, closely-related work to guide it.

However, the findings here will be very beneficial for any future, follow-up work. For

example, these findings can be used to make the argument that it would not likely beinstructive to perform

230Th or

210Po analyses in biological samples. Monitoring for

210Pb

in animals at the proposed mill site would be more instructive than for230

Th or210

Po,

although for biological monitoring purposes, uranium and especially226

Ra should take

precedence over the other radionuclides measured in this study.


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Based on the abundance of rabbits on the proposed mill site, the fact that they are

resident yearlong, and the fact that226

Ra levels are readily measureable in bone withrelatively small variability, I believe that this species and radionuclide should be targeted

as probably the most sensitive and useful indicator of any future changes in

radiobiological conditions. The radionuclide concentrations in animal tissues reflect

intakes through ingestion and inhalation over the lifetime of the individuals sampled, notnecessarily over the recent days, weeks or months immediately prior to collection. While

tissues of cattle, mule deer and elk could be measured for relevant radionuclides, it is my

opinion that these species would have very limited value because they do not residepermanently on the site. It would not be possible to know the location and diet history of

any specific individual deer and elk taken, so one would never know how to compare or

interpret the findings of such measurements.

Introduction

State and federal regulations applicable to the construction of new uranium mills

outline the need to develop baseline radiological surveys prior to construction andstartup. Surveys required include biota, in addition to air, water and soil in the potentially

impacted geographic area. Such media should be sampled in a manner that adequatelycharacterizes the environs of the mill and that would allow robust comparisons with

samples taken during and after plant operations. Radionuclides of interest include

uranium and selected decay products. This report focuses on a survey of naturallyoccurring radionuclides in animals taken on the proposed site of the Pion Ridge uranium

mill, to be developed and operated by Energy Fuels Resources.

The land parcel where the proposed mill would be located is private property

that historically has been grazed by cattle during the winter months. Mule deer, elk, andbirds are transitory depending on the various seasons. Based on recent surveys, local

wildlife residents tend to be the smaller mammals i.e. rabbits, coyotes, fox, ground

squirrels, etc. The radionuclides of interest include natural uranium and the specificprogeny,

230Th,

226Ra,

210Po and

210Pb.

The general goal of this work was to develop a characterization of the

background, pre-operational levels of naturally-occuring radionuclides in selected animaltissues that will be included in an environmental report (ER) to the Colorado Department

of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). This effort has involved:

A preliminary meeting with the CDPHE, Energy Fuels Resources, Kleinfelder,and other parties to define the scope of effort and specifically the sampling andanalysis plan,

Refinement of this initial proposed plan, based on the preliminary meeting, Conduct of the actual sampling of animals in the relevant geographic area, Dissection and preliminary preparation of the selected tissues at Colorado State

University (CSU),

Submission of tissues to Paragon Analytics, Inc. of Fort Collins, CO for assay ofselected radionuclides,


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Analysis and interpretation of the data generated by Paragon Analytics, and Preparation of a report on radionuclides in biota to be included in the ER.

Sampling and Sample Preparation

Originally, I proposed to sample mule deer, range cattle, cottontail rabbits anddeer mice in locations as near as practical to the site of the proposed mill. At least three

individual animals of each species were to be taken. The taking of mule deer and otherwildlife requires a scientific collection license from the Colorado Division of Wildlife

(CDOW). I applied for the collection license in early April, 2008, and received it May

19, 2008. However, approval to take mule deer was not given. The CDOW wanted us tofirst attempt to collect road-killed animals, and failing that, to take animals during the

normal big-game hunting season with a regularly-purchased license. The scientificcollection license received (No. 08TR2013), did include jack and cottontail rabbits and

other small mammals. The cattle tissues were provided by a local rancher. These

animals were allowed to graze the proposed mill site property the previous winter.

The main collection effort occurred during the week of May 19, 2008, and it was

completely restricted to the proposed mill site property (see Appendix I for geo-

coordinates of sampling locations and a map). The trapping effort for ground squirrelsand mice was not successful. Five different habitats were trapped using various trap

designs (Figs. 1-6). Baits included peanut butter mixed with rolled oats, and small apple

pieces. Focus was placed on areas that exhibited burrow systems, often with numerousentrances. Only those burrow entrances that appeared active, based on tracks and the lack

of spider webs, were used for trap sets. Over a three day period with 36 individual trap

sets, we caught only one animal, a kangaroo rat. This was quite disappointing. The

reasons for the poor success are not clear. It could have been the lack of time for the

animals to adjust to the presence of the traps, a lack of animals (we did not actually seeany squirrels or mice, despite being in the field at nearly all hours), the bait, or other

factors. The carcass of the kangaroo rat was processed and analyzed, but results fromthis single animal have very limited value.

The original plan was to collect only one rabbit species, but given the poorsuccess in collecting smaller mammals, I decided to collect both jack and cottontail

rabbits (Fig. 7). These species appear to represent the dominant herbivorous mammals

on the site, and both could be hunted and consumed by people. These species, beingresident to the site yearlong, provide a much better representation of the local radiological

conditions than would large game such as deer or elk that mainly use the site during

seasonal migration periods. Another advantage of rabbits as indicators is that they arelarge enough to provide ample tissue for reasonably accurate radionuclide analysis.Smaller mammals would have required pooling of tissues from several individuals in

order to have sufficient tissue for a reliable analysis.

Both rabbit species were plentiful and relatively easy to take by 22-caliber rifle in

the early morning and late evening hours. The cottontails were most numerous along the

southern boundary of the site near the pion-juniper woodland, while the jack rabbits


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appeared more numerous toward the northern and central portions of the site, which are

dominated by sagebrush and grass. Geographic coordinates were recorded for each killlocation (see Appendix I). We killed three individuals of each species in representative

habitats across the site and did preliminary tissue dissections in the field. Liver, lung,

hind leg and shoulder were dissected in the field, doubly bagged, labeled, and placed on

ice. Care was taken to keep the samples clean. This involved the use of clean plasticsheeting on which to work, the use of disposable gloves, rinsing of tissues with water,

and cleaning of tools between each tissue dissection. Samples were placed in a freezer

the evening after collection, and kept in a frozen state until they were more carefullyprepared in the laboratory.

Tissue samples from three cows were taken through arrangements betweenEnergy Fuels and a local rancher. The tissues included liver, lung, muscle, and bone

(scapula). These samples were located in a freezer at Energy Fuels headquarters in

Nucla, CO, and were transported in a frozen state to Fort Collins along with the frozenrabbit tissues on May 23, 2008. The cattle were slaughtered April 7, 12 and 13, 2008.

They were reportedly grazed on the proposed mill site property the previous winter/earlyspring.

More precise rabbit and cattle tissue dissections were completed in the laboratory.

Lung and liver samples were thoroughly isolated from other tissues, rinsed with clean

water, patted dry with paper towel, re-bagged, and re-labeled. Muscle tissues werecarefully separated from bone, fat or other tissue, rinsed with clean water, patted dry with

paper towel, re-bagged, and re-labeled. Bone samples (scapula) were dissected from

flesh and scrapped free of muscle or other tissue. In the case of rabbit bone, the entirescapula was bagged for analysis, while a roughly 20 g sample of cow scapula was sawed

out of the thinner section for analysis. Where possible, extra tissue not needed foranalysis was bagged, labeled and placed in a freezer. These samples, mainly cattle bone,

liver, lung and muscle, and rabbit muscle and bone (femur & humerus), will serve as an

archive in case there is a need for additional analyses at a later date. After consultationwith Paragon Analytics, I decided for the rabbit tissues, to add leg bone to the scapula

samples (which were quite small) to provide a greater mass, which in turn would improve

the radionuclide detection and measurement capability of the laboratory procedures. This

was not necessary for the cattle bone samples.

Radiochemical Analysis

All tissue samples were delivered to Paragon Analytics on May 27, 2008. The

specific radionuclide analyses requested for each tissue sample are listed in Table 1. Soft

tissue samples were weighed wet (fresh), dried at 90 deg. Celsius to a constant mass, thenreweighed. This allowed the expression of concentrations on a dry or wet mass basis.

Sample results shown in this report are expressed as pCi/g wet (fresh) tissue because this

is the typical practice in monitoring studies of this kind. However, dry masses tend to be

more consistent than wet masses due to often differing degrees of moisture loss in thelatter case. Therefore, the wet/dry tissue mass ratios are provided in the basic data tables

to allow results to be expressed either way. Sample masses used for analysis varied


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among tissue types and specific analyses. Approximately 5 g fresh tissue were used for

uranium,230

Th and210

Pb in soft tissues (liver, lung and muscle). About 0.5 g fresh tissuewas used for

210Po in soft tissues. Aliquots in the range of 2-5 grams were used for

226Ra,

230Th, and uranium in bone. Approximately 0.5 -1 g aliquots were used for

210Pb in bone.

These sample masses were expected to provide a reasonable balance between the cost of

digesting the samples, the ability to chemically isolate the basic elements from interferingsubstances, and having sufficient analyte to obtain reasonable measurement accuracy.

Individual sample aliquot masses used in each case are provided in the basic data tables.

Similar aliquot masses should be used in subsequent studies to provide data that can becredibly compared to the data set prepared in this report.

All samples required chemical digestion in strong acids to obtain the samples insolution form. The different elements were then isolated chemically, prior to further

processing. Uranium was measured using ICP mass spectrometry. This provided the

total uranium content in g, and was not isotope-specific. However, the isotopes ofnatural uranium include

238U,

235U and

234U, and the normal abundances of these are well-

known. This allowed the calculation of the natural uranium in activity units (pCi/g)representing the sum of activities of the three uranium isotopes. It can be shown from

basic physical principles that 1 g Unat/kg tissue equals 6.83 x 10-4

pCi/g. After chemicalisolation and plating on a disk,

230Th and

210Po were measured by alpha spectrometry.

Liquid scintillation counting was used to measure210

Pb.226

Ra was measured by

emanation of222

Rn, allowing in-growth of the progeny, and counting of the progenyusing gamma spectrometry.

Laboratory results, which were received June 27, 2008, provided minimumdetection limits and total propagated uncertainties in addition to the basic data on

radionuclide concentrations in tissues. The detection limits are affected primarily by thesample masses analyzed, the concentration of the analyte in the samples, and counting

times for the radionuclides analyzed by radiation event counting (alpha and gamma

spectrometry and liquid scintillation). Total propagated uncertainties include countingerror, determined by count rate and count time, as well as other laboratory error such as

weighing, chemical recovery, accuracy of standards, etc. Detailed information on chain

of custody, QA/QC data and raw data were also provided by Paragon Analytics. These

data are included in this report on a CD (see Appendix II).

Results and Discussion

Uranium, in general, is relatively low in its tendency to be transported in food

chains (Whicker and Schultz, 1982). The fraction of uranium ingested that is assimilated

after ingestion is generally < 10-4, and approximately 85% of that which accumulates inthe body is expected to be found in bone (ICRP Committee II, 1960). Basic data for

natural uranium in animal tissues from the present study are provided in Table 2, and

mean values in g/kg with error bars are illustrated in Fig. 8. Of the 21 samples listed in

Table 2, only 12 exceeded the reporting limit. The other values are classified as U, orundetected. The reporting limits, which are sample-specific and represent the ability of

the ICP mass spectrometry analysis procedure to detect and measure uranium, were used


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to represent the upper-bound of the actual uranium present in those samples flagged with

a U. The actual uranium contents of these samples are very likely to be lower than thereporting limits. It is clear that the uranium contents of bone exceed those of muscle and

liver tissue, with 7 of the 12 samples containing detectable levels being bone. The error

bars (Fig. 8) are relatively large, with coefficients of variation (standard deviation/mean

value) ranging from 0.16 to 0.62. Such large variations are not unexpected when thelevels are very low and near or below the limit of detection. Any true differences

between species are likely to be relatively low, and certainly not demonstrable in this

case, given the low uranium levels, the small sample size in terms of animal numbers (3),and the relatively high variation among individual animals.

The results of the230

Th analyses are shown in Table 3 and Fig. 9. All sampleswere below the minimum detectable concentrations. This is not surprising because

thorium occurs in the environment in chemical forms that are extremely insoluble, and as

a result, its transport through food chains is very low or negligible (Whicker and Schultz,1982). Thorium isotopes are not taken up to any significant degree by plants, and when it

is ingested by animals, often in the form of dust particles, the absorption fraction is verylow, typically < 10-4

(ICRP Committee II, 1960). In the future, and with respect to

monitoring radionuclides around the Pion Ridge uranium mill, these findings can beused to bolster the argument that it would not likely be instructive to perform

230Th

analyses in biological samples.

Radium-226 is a well-known bone-seeking radionuclide that accumulates in

calcareous tissues because of its chemical similarity to calcium (Whicker and Schultz,

1982). Its movement through food chains is moderate, and some 99 % of the totalbody content is expected to be found in bone (ICRP Committee II, 1960). I fully

expected that226

Ra would be present in bone tissues because it tends to be moderatelysoluble in the environment. It is taken up by vegetation from the soil and it is

assimilated fairly efficiently from the gut when ingested by animals (NCRP, 1999). Its

retention in bone is high, thus it accumulates over time under conditions of chronicintake. Levels measured in human bone from a few mostly urban locations have ranged

from about 0.001 to 0.01 pCi/g (Eisenbud and Gesell, 1997).

In the present study, results for226

Ra analyses in bone samples were much moreinformative and useful than data for the other radionuclides (Table 4 and Fig. 10). All

bone samples contained226

Ra at sub-pCi/g levels when expressed on a wet mass basis,

but well above the minimum detectable concentrations, and considerably higher thanmeasurements for human bone summarized by Eisenbud and Gesell (1997). The level in

the kangaroo rat carcass was not detectable because of the small sample size and the fact

that muscle tissue was present, causing a dilution in the concentration. The coefficientsof variation (CV) were relatively small for the jack rabbits (0.15) and cows (0.14), but

higher for the cottontails (0.50). The data indicate that the rabbit bone was about three-

fold higher in226

Ra than the cow bone samples. With a sample size of only three, it

would not be particularly meaningful to try and draw any inference to the population ofrabbits vs. cows. The specific dietary history of the cows is not known to me, other than

the statement that the cattle were grazed on the site property for a period of time prior to


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slaughter. Appendix I provides locations of rabbit kills and external gamma radiation

levels at those and other locations along access roads within the site. There was nocorrelation between gamma radiation levels at collection sites and

226Ra concentrations in

rabbit bone. This was not surprising because of the variable home ranges of the animals

and other factors that affect tissue concentrations. Based on the abundance of rabbits on

the proposed mill site, and the fact that

226

Ra levels are readily measureable in bone withrelatively small variability, I believe that this animal and radionuclide should be targeted

as perhaps the most sensitive and useful indicator of any future changes in

radiobiological conditions.

Concentrations of210

Po measured in animal tissues are summarized in Table 5

and illustrated in Fig. 11. Nineteen of the 27 sample analyses were below the minimumanalytical detection limits, and those that exceeded the detection limits were very low in210

Po (< 1 pCi/g wet tissue). Although the data reflect very low and variable levels of210

Po in tissues, there was a tendency for the more detectable levels to occur in cowsamples, particularly the liver and lung samples. The liver and kidney are known as main

repositories of the small amounts of

210

Po that might be found in the body (ICRPCommittee II, 1960). The very low levels of210

Po, and the substantial degree of

variability between individual animals (CV values ranged from 0.37 to 3.01, with mostexceeding 1.0), makes comparisons somewhat meaningless. Overall, my opinion is that

future sampling and analysis considerations for monitoring the Pion Ridge uranium mill

should raise doubts about the utility of performing tissue analyses for210

Po.

Results for210

Pb in animal tissues are provided in Table 6 and illustrated in Fig.

12. Fifteen of 28 samples contained210

Pb at levels below the minimum detectableconcentration, while 13 were above. There were no apparent differences between

species, but the differences between tissues were obvious (Fig. 12). The pattern was forbone to contain the highest concentration, lung to contain the lowest level, and liver was

intermediate (Fig. 13). Lead is well-known to be found primarily in bone, with

intermediate levels in liver and kidney (ICRP Committee II, 1960). Variability amongindividuals of the same species was relatively high, with CV values ranging from 0.34 to

1.76. It appears that monitoring for210

Pb in animals at the proposed mill site would be

more instructive than for210

Po, although for biological monitoring purposes, uranium and

especially226

Ra should take precedence over the other radionuclides measured in thisstudy.

References Cited

Eisenbud, M. and T. Gesell. 1997. Environmental radioactivity from natural, industrial

and military sources, Fourth edition. Academic Press, New York.

ICRP Committee II. 1960. Report of Committee II on permissible dose for internal

radiation (1959). Health Physics 3: 217-226.

NCRP. 1999. Recommended screening limits for contaminated surface soil and review


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of factors relevant to site-specific studies. NCRP Report No. 129. National

Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Bethesda, MD 20814-3095.

Whicker, F.W. and V. Schultz. 1982. Radioecology: Nuclear energy and the

environment, Vol. I. CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton, FL.


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Tables

Table 1. List of tissues and analytes requested for analysis.Analytes requested

Sample # species tissue

Collection

Date U-nat Th-230 Ra-226 Po-210 Pb-210CSUPR-1 CTAIL liver 5/20/2008 X X X

CSUPR-2 CTAIL lung 5/20/2008 X X

CSUPR-3 CTAIL muscle 5/20/2008 X X

CSUPR-4 CTAIL bone 5/20/2008 X X X X

CSUPR-5 CTAIL liver 5/20/2008 X X X




CSUPR-9 CTAIL liver 5/20/2008 X X X




CSUPR-13 JACK liver 5/19/2008 X X X

CSUPR-14 JACK lung 5/19/2008 X X

CSUPR-15 JACK muscle 5/19/2008 X X

CSUPR-16 JACK bone 5/19/2008 X X X X




CSUPR-20 JACK bone 5/19/2008 X X X X




CSUPR-24 JACK bone 5/19/2008 X X X XCSUPR-25 K-RAT carcass 5/20/2008 X X X X

CSUPR-26 COW liver 4/7/2008 X X X X

CSUPR-27 COW lung 4/7/2008 X X

CSUPR-28 COW muscle 4/7/2008 X X

CSUPR-29 COW bone 4/7/2008 X X X X



CSUPR-32 COW muscle 4/12/2008 X X

CSUPR-33 COW bone 4/12/2008 X X X X



CSUPR-36 COW muscle 4/13/2008 X XCSUPR-37 COW bone 4/13/2008 X X X X


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Table 2. Summary of tissue analysis results for natural uranium. Results given

in wet (fresh) tissue mass basis. Multiply by column 5 to get results on dry mass basis.

Sample ID

Species

Tissue

Wetaliquotmass (g)

Ratio:wet/drymass

g/kgwet

pCi/gwet Flag

a

Reportinglimit

b

CSUPR-3 CTail-1 muscle 5.06 4.29 0.47 0.0003 U 0.47

CSUPR-4 bone 1.37 1.64 7.4 0.005 6.2

CSUPR-7 CTail-2 muscle 5.09 4.02 1.3 0.0009 0.37

CSUPR-8 bone 1.44 1.67 16 0.011 5.9

CSUPR-11 CTail-3 muscle 5.08 4.22 0.65 0.0004 0.37

CSUPR-12 bone 1.31 1.93 6.5 0.004 U 6.5

CSUPR-15 Jack-1 muscle 5.04 4.18 0.31 0.0002 0.3

CSUPR-16 bone 3.06 1.69 4 0.003 3.3

CSUPR-19 Jack-2 muscle 5.11 4.01 0.23 0.0002 U 0.23CSUPR-20 bone 2.99 1.60 3.6 0.002 U 3.6

CSUPR-23 Jack-3 muscle 5.32 4.23 0.23 0.0002 U 0.23

CSUPR-24 bone 3.06 1.51 6.1 0.004 2.6

CSUPR-25 K-rat carcass 2.00 4.11 1.2 0.001 U 1.2

CSUPR-28 Cow-7 muscle 5.23 8.19 0.38 0.0003 U 0.38

CSUPR-29 bone 1.98 1.21 6.9 0.005 5.4

CSUPR-26 liver 12.5 4.60 0.63 0.0004 0.42

CSUPR-32 Cow-45 muscle 5.17 4.91 0.5 0.0005 U 0.5

CSUPR-33 bone 2.93 1.32 4.5 0.003 3.7

CSUPR-30 liver 9.43 3.79 0.50 0.0003 U 0.50

CSUPR-36 Cow-524 muscle 5.16 4.91 0.39 0.0003 U 0.39CSUPR-37 bone 2.25 1.23 6 0.004 4.8

CSUPR-34 liver 3.05 4.84 0.97 0.0007 0.72

______________________________________________________________________aFlag: U = Sample analyzed but not detected.

bValues in column = Reporting limits for specific samples based on uranium mass.


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Th. Results given


Sample ID

Species

Tissue

Wet

aliquotmass (g)

Ratio:

wet/drymass

pCi/gwet

TPUa

+/-

Flagb

CSUPR-4 CTail-1 bone 2.26 1.64 0 0.018 UCSUPR-1 liver 5.03 3.79 0.0048 0.0093 U

CSUPR-8 CTail-2 bone 2.36 1.67 -0.014 0.016 U

CSUPR-5 liver 5.00 3.83 0.0015 0.0083 U

CSUPR-12 CTail-3 bone 2.15 1.93 0.003 0.02 U

CSUPR-9 liver 3.70 4.23 -0.0069 0.0091 U

CSUPR-16 Jack-1 bone 5.04 1.69 0.004 0.016 U

CSUPR-13 liver 5.03 3.81 -0.0054 0.0072 U

CSUPR-20 Jack-2 bone 4.97 1.60 0.002 0.018 U

CSUPR-17 liver 5.08 3.89 -0.0006 0.007 U

CSUPR-24 Jack-3 bone 5.17 1.51 0.015 0.019 U

CSUPR-21 liver 5.14 3.91 -0.0004 0.0073 UCSUPR-25 K-rat carcass 2.00 4.11 0 0.017 U

CSUPR-29 Cow-7 bone 3.29 1.21 0.038 0.032 U

CSUPR-26 liver 5.18 4.60 0.0029 0.0077 U

CSUPR-33 Cow-45 bone 4.87 1.32 0.006 0.017 U

CSUPR-30 liver 5.02 3.79 -0.002 0.0089 U

CSUPR-37 Cow-524 bone 3.73 1.23 -0.003 0.02 U

CSUPR-34 liver 5.14 4.84 -0.0057 0.0075 UaTPU = Total propagated uncertainty (2 standard deviations).

bU = Result is less than minimum detectable concentration.

Table 4. Summary of tissue analysis results for226Ra. Results givenin wet (fresh) tissue mass basis. Multiply by column 5 to get results on dry mass basis.

Sample ID

Species

Tissue

Wetaliquot

mass (g)

Ratio:wet/dry

mass

pCi/g

wet

TPUa

+/-

Flagb

CSUPR-4 CTail-1 bone 4.03 1.64 0.222 0.052 LT



CSUPR-16 Jack-1 bone 5.04 1.69 0.81 0.16 LT



CSUPR-25 K-rat carcass 2.00 4.11 0.029 0.045 U

CSUPR-29 Cow-7 bone 3.29 1.21 0.332 0.076 LT

CSUPR-33 Cow-45 bone 4.87 1.32 0.182 0.047 LT

CSUPR-37 Cow-524 bone 3.73 1.23 0.095 0.034 LTaTPU = Total propagated uncertainty (2 standard deviations).

bFlags: LT = Result greater than minimum detectable concentration.

U = Result is less than minimum detectable concentration.


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Po. Results given


Sample ID

Species

Tissue

Wet

aliquotmass (g)

Ratio:

wet/drymass

pCi/gwet TPU

a

+/-

Flagb

CSUPR-1 CTail-1 liver 0.56 3.79 0.027 0.034 LT

CSUPR-2 lung 0.46 4.47 0.016 0.072 U

CSUPR-3 muscle 0.63 4.29 -0.022 0.046 U

CSUPR-5 CTail-2 liver 0.50 3.83 0.021 0.035 U

CSUPR-6 lung 0.37 4.99 0.051 0.08 U

CSUPR-7 muscle 0.54 4.02 -0.024 0.03 U

CSUPR-9 CTail-3 liver 0.31 4.23 -0.055 0.066 U

CSUPR-10 lung 0.55 5.13 0.026 0.032 U

CSUPR-11 muscle 0.54 4.22 0.025 0.03 U

CSUPR-13 Jack-1 liver 0.54 3.81 0.044 0.051 UCSUPR-14 lung 0.51 4.51 0 0.035 U

CSUPR-15 muscle 0.67 4.18 0.025 0.024 LT

CSUPR-17 Jack-2 liver 0.56 3.89 0.029 0.054 U

CSUPR-18 lung 0.57 4.36 -0.006 0.029 U

CSUPR-19 muscle 0.85 4.01 -0.005 0.038 U

CSUPR-21 Jack-3 liver 0.55 3.91 0.062 0.059 U

CSUPR-22 lung 0.62 4.84 0.019 0.032 U

CSUPR-23 muscle 0.89 4.23 0 0.019 U

CSUPR-26 Cow-7 liver 0.71 4.60 0.74 0.017 LT

CSUPR-27 lung 0.60 4.42 0.29 0.1 LT

CSUPR-28 muscle 0.52 8.19 0.094 0.072 LT

CSUPR-30 Cow-45 liver 0.60 3.79 0.141 0.066 LT

CSUPR-31 lung 0.63 5.10 0.166 0.081 LT

CSUPR-32 muscle 0.60 4.91 0.027 0.033 LT

CSUPR-34 Cow-524 liver 0.56 4.84 0.025 0.06 U

CSUPR-35 lung 0.60 5.25 0.014 0.033 U

CSUPR-36 muscle 0.52 4.91 0.043 0.079 U

_____________________________________________________________aTPU = Total propagated uncertainty (2 standard deviations).




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Table 6. Summary of tissue analyses results for210

Pb. Results given


Sample ID

Species

Tissue

Wet

aliquotmass (g)

Ratio:

wet/drymass

pCi/gwet TPU

a

+/-

Flagb


CSUPR-1 liver 5.03 3.79 0.172 0.07 LT

CSUPR-2 lung 4.14 4.47 0.058 0.072 U

CSUPR-8 CTail-2 bone 0.42 1.67 0.53 0.62 U

CSUPR-5 liver 5.00 3.83 0.097 0.058 LT

CSUPR-6 lung 3.37 4.99 0.023 0.083 U


CSUPR-9 liver 3.70 4.23 0.102 0.08 U

CSUPR-10 lung 5.02 5.13 0.045 0.064 U

CSUPR-16 Jack-1 bone 1.07 1.69 0.54 0.29 LTCSUPR-13 liver 5.03 3.81 0.189 0.072 LT

CSUPR-14 lung 5.06 4.51 0.013 0.05 U


CSUPR-17 liver 5.08 3.89 0.058 0.055 U

CSUPR-18 lung 5.03 4.36 0.038 0.053 U


CSUPR-21 liver 5.14 3.91 0.102 0.057 LT

CSUPR-22 lung 5.10 4.84 -0.01 0.053 U

CSUPR-25 K-rat carcass 2.00 4.11 0.14 0.14 U

CSUPR-29 Cow-7 bone 0.66 1.21 1.47 0.61 LT

CSUPR-26 liver 5.18 4.60 0.191 0.078 LT

CSUPR-27 lung 5.11 4.42 0.011 0.06 U

CSUPR-33 Cow-45 bone 0.97 1.32 1.43 0.47 LT

CSUPR-30 liver 5.02 3.79 0.097 0.063 LT

CSUPR-31 lung 5.03 5.10 0.045 0.058 U

CSUPR-37 Cow-524 bone 0.74 1.23 0.44 0.41 U

CSUPR-34 liver 5.14 4.84 0.104 0.079 U

CSUPR-35 lung 5.09 5.25 0.003 0.059 U

____________________________________________________________aTPU = Total propagated uncertainty (2 standard deviations).




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Figures

Fig. 1. Big sagebrush-dominated habitat within the mill site property.

Fig. 2. Rocky habitat at the big sagebrush-pion/juniper interface.


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Fig. 3. Havahart live trap near multi-entrance burrow system in shortgrass-

dominated habitat.

Fig. 4. Sherman live trap in erosion gully habitat.


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Fig. 5. Victor snap trap near burrow entrance at edge of grass-sagebrush

gully.

Fig. 6. Victor snap traps at multi-entrance burrow system in grass-dominated

habitat.


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Fig. 7. Cottontail rabbit photographed in erosion gully on site property.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Cotton

tails(bone)

Cottonta

ils(muscle)

JackRab

bits(bone)

JackRabbits(muscle)

AllRabbits(bone)

AllRabb

its(muscle)

C

ows(bone)

Cows(muscle)

C

ows(liver)

MeanU-nat(

,uG/kg)

Fig. 8. Levels of natural uranium measured in animal tissues, inunits ofg/kg. Error bars represent one standard deviation based

on three samples.


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0.000

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

0.025

0.030

0.035

0.040

Co

ttontails(bone)

Cottontails(liver)

JackRabbits(bone)

Jac

kRabbits(liver)

AllRabbits(bone)

A

llRabbits(liver)

Cows(bone)

Cows(liver)

K-Rat(carcass)

MeanTh-230(

,pCi/g)

Fig. 9. Levels of

230Th measured in animal tissues, in

units of pCi/g. Error bars represent one standard deviation based

on three samples. All results were less than minimum detectableconcentrations.

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Cottontails

(bone)

JackRabbits

(bone)

AllRabbits

(bone)

Cows(bone)

K-Rat

(carcass)

MeanRa-226(,pCi/g)

Fig. 10. Levels of

226Ra measured in animal tissues, in


on three samples.


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0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

Cot

tontails(liver)

Cot

tontails(lung)

Cotton

tails(muscle)

JackRabbits(liver)

Jack

Rabbits(lung

JackRabbits(muscle)

All

Rabbits(liver)

All

Rabbits(lung)

AllRa

bbits(muscle)

Cows(liver)

Cows(lung)

C

ows(muscle)

K

-Rat(carcass)

MeanPo-210(

,pCi/g)

Fig. 11. Levels of

210Po measured in animal tissues, in


on three samples.

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Cottontails(bone)

Cottontails

(liver)

Cottontails

(lung)

JackRabbits(bone)

JackRabbits

(liver)

JackRabbits

(lung)

AllRabbits

(bone)

AllRabbits

(liver)

AllRabbits

(lung)

Cows

(bone)

Cows

(liver)

Cows

(lung)

K-Rat(ca

rcass)

MeanPb-210(,pCi/g

)

Fig. 12. Levels of

210Pb measured in animal tissues, in


on three samples.


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Pb-210 in Rabbits by Tissue

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

bone liver lung

Pb-210(pCi/g)

Cottontail-1

Cottontail-2

Cottontail-3

Jack Rabbit-1

Jack Rabbit-2

Jack Rabbit-3

Fig. 13. Comparison of210Pb concentrations among rabbit tissues.


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Appendix I. Geo-coordinates (in decimal degrees) for animals collected and traplocations on the Pion Ridge site.

Species

& traplocation

Field

I.D.number Lab control numbers forSpecies/tissue

Collection or

trap location(Lat, DD North)

Collection or

trap location(Long, DD West)

PR-CT-1 CSUPR-1 to CSUPR-4 38.24408 108.77359


Cottontailrabbit


PR-J-1 CSUPR-13 to CSUPR-16 38.25482 108.76395


Jack

rabbit


Kangaroo

rat

PR-K-1 CSUPR- 25 38.24787 108.76397

Trap area PR-1 38.24787 108.76397

Trap area PR-2 38.26097 108.77847

Trap area PR-3 38.25163 108.76857

Trap area PR-4 38.24441 108.76981

Trap area PR-5 38.24047 108.76994


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Appendix I. Map of trapping locations, rabbit collection locations and access roads onthe Pion Ridge site. External gamma ray exposure rates (in R/hr), measured with a

calibrated NaI detector, are shown along each road and collection location.


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Appendix II. Basic chain of custody, QA/QC information and raw data (on CD).

Documents

Baseline Survey of Radionuclides in Animal Tissues at the Proposed Piñon Ridge Millsite