Applied Health Physics Evaluations / Investigations
Interested in nuclear forensics? Dose modeling? Internal/external dosimetry evaluations? If so, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) can identify, measure, and assess the presence of radiological materials for you. We can also advise you on regulatory compliance issues.
Derived Concentration Guideline Levels (DCGL)
As a facility goes through the multiple steps in a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license termination process, the DCGL must be determined to define cleanup levels that will meet regulatory requirements. ORAU adopts a reasonable yet conservative approach to this analysis, using industry-accepted software codes and site-specific data. Read our project summary to learn how detailed DCGL determinations were conducted most recently for the Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) at two of its depots where thorium was stored.
Technical Evaluations of Decommissioning Plans
Having performed site surveys of decommissioned sites for more than 25 years, ORAU is well positioned to evaluate your decommissioning plans against federal requirements. ORAU conducts technical assessments—including the development of technical evaluation reports for the NRC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)—in support of the decommissioning of test reactors and the preparation of final status survey plans for the NRC and DOE. Read a project summary that describes our recent work for the NRC in this area.
Population Monitoring Following a Radiological Incident
The possibility of a terrorist attack involving radioactive materials is an unfortunate reality. If such an incident were to take place, hundreds of people might be exposed to radiation or contaminated with radioactive materials. In addition, hundreds of thousands might seek treatment for radiation exposure or reassurance that their health will not be affected.
Most communities are not prepared to deal with the large volume of people who might seek screening and monitoring for radioactive contamination and possible exposure to radiation. ORAU is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop radiological population monitoring guidelines. These will help community leaders and public health workers prepare to conduct short- and long-term monitoring of people affected by a nuclear or radiological terrorist incident or accidental release of radioactive materials into the environment.
With our experts in health physics, public health communications, and radiation emergency medicine, ORAU can also help you prepare documents specific to your organization's population monitoring plans, or review your existing information.
Nuclear and Radiological Forensics
A critical area of national security involves nuclear and radiological forensics. In responding to cases of nuclear smuggling, accurately identifying and characterizing seized nuclear materials is an important step. ORAU's health physicists possess the expertise to establish the nature, intended use, and possible origin of nuclear materials.
Determining radioisotopes, isotopic and mass ratios, material age, impurity content, chemical form, and physical parameters may reveal a "nuclear fingerprint" of the material. ORAU houses a state-of-the-art radiochemistry laboratory that allows our radiation scientists to profile any nuclear material.
Major analytical techniques include:
- alpha spectroscopy
- gamma spectroscopy
- liquid scintillation spectroscopy
- low-background gross alpha and beta assays
- radiochemical analyses for alpha and beta emitters
