Measurement of radioxenon and radioargon in soil gas collected in the region of Kvarntorp, Sweden.

Over 40 soil gas samples were collected both in post-industrial areas as well as in undisturbed areas in the region of Kvarntorp, Sweden. Radioxenon (133Xe) was detected in 15 samples and radioargon was detected in 7 from 10 samples analysed. The concentration of radioxenon and radioargon in soil gas ranged up to 109 mBq/m3 and 19 mBq/m3, respectively. During sample collection other soil gases such as radon, CO2 and O2 were also measured and soil samples were taken along with dose rate measurements. The field experiment presented here shows that it is possible to detect naturally occurring radioxenon and radioargon in soil gas simultaneously.

Measurement of radioxenon and radioargon in air from soil with elevated uranium concentration.

Among the most important indicators for an underground nuclear explosion are the radioactive xenon isotopes 131mXe, 133Xe, 133mXe and 135Xe and the radioactive argon isotope 37Ar. In order to evaluate a detection of these nuclides in the context of a nuclear test verification regime it is crucial to have knowledge about expected background concentrations. Sub soil gas sampling was carried out on the oil shale ash waste pile in Kvarntorp, Sweden, a location with known elevated uranium content where 133Xe and 37Ar were detected in concentrations up to 120 mBq/m3 and 40 mBq/m3 respectively. These data provides one of the first times when xenon and argon were both detected in the same sub soil gas. This, and the correlations between the radionuclides, the sub soil gas contents (i.e. CO2, O2, and radon) and uranium concentration in the pile, provide very interesting information regarding the natural background and the xenon concentration levels and can most likely be used as an upper limit on what to be expected naturally occurring.

[Brief Introduction of Pollution Sites Remediation and Risk Assessment and Its Policy Making in United States].

Site remediation has become an imperative part of environmental protection in China due to recent economic development, urban spreading, new industries replacing old ones, relocation of old industrial sites, and increased environmental conscience. This paper mainly introduced the concept, method, calculation, risk assessment and management for polluted sites remediation based on experience from California, USA. Further, the paper presented the concept of vapor intrusion and how to use vapor intrusion methodology to determine site remediation standard. Mathematical modeling approaches were also discussed in terms of how to determine the residual pollutant concentrations in soil and how to calculate indoor vapor concentrations. Based on risk assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resources Control Board issued a 'Low Threat Underground Storage Tank Case Closure Policy' for impacted underground storage tank sites. The numerical criteria in the Policy were based on calculations of human health risk assessment. Finally, a real case study in California, USA, was presented to demonstrate how the risk assessment calculations were applied in polluted site remediation, which helps to answer the question of 'how clean is clean'.