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[en] The purpose of this work is to examine the relationships between radiation dose-response models and associated regulations. The objective of radiation protection regulations is to protect workers and the public from harm resulting from excessive exposure to radiation. The regulations generally stipulate various levels of radiation dose rate to individuals or limit concentrations of radionuclides in releases to water or the atmosphere. The cleanup standards applied in remedial action for contaminated sites limit the concentrations of radionuclides in soil, groundwater, or structures, for release of sites to other uses. The guiding philosophy is that less is better and none is better yet. This has culminated with the concept of as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). In fact, all regulations currently in place are arbitrarily based on the linear no-threshold hypothesis (LNTH) dose-response relationship. This concept came into use several decades ago and simply assumes that the incidence of health effects observed at a high dose or high dose rate will decrease linearly with dose or dose rate all the way down to zero, with no threshold level. Subsequent data have accumulated and continue to accumulate, demonstrating that there is a threshold level for net damage and, further, that there is a net benefit (radiation hormesis) at levels below the threshold level. It is concluded that recognition of the validity of a threshold model can be done on the basis of presently known data and that changes in regulations should be started at this time to avoid further unnecessary losses due to continued excessive regulation. As results from new research come in, refinement of interim values proposed in revised regulations can be incorporated

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[en] A Radioactive Waste Management Systems Model, is presented. The systems model and associated computer code called AMRAW (Assessment Method for Radioactive Waste), has two parts. The first part, AMRAW-A, consists of the Source Term (radioactive inventory versus time), the Release Model, and the Environmental Model. The second part of the systems model, AMRAW-B, is the Economic Model which calculates health effects corresponding to the various organ dose rates from AMRAW-A, collects these health effects in terms of economic costs and attributes these costs to radionuclides, decay groups, and elements initially in the waste inventory. A user's guide for AMRAW-A is presented in Part 1 and for AMRAW-B in Part 2 of this volume

[en] A Radioactive Waste Management Systems Model, is presented. The systems model and associated computer code called AMRAW (Assessment Method for Radioactive Waste), has two parts. The first part, AMRAW-A, consists of the Source Term (radioactive inventory versus time), the Release Model, and the Environmental Model. The second part of the systems model, AMRAW-B, is the Economic Model which calculates health effects corresponding to the various organ dose rates from AMRAW-A, collects these health effects in terms of economic costs and attributes these costs to radionuclides, decay groups, and elements initially in the waste inventory. The generic description of AMRAW-A is presented in Vol. I. Implementation of the model and computer code for terminal storage in a bedded salt reference repository is presented in Part 1 of this volume. The model is not limited to the application described here; demonstration applications to other phases of the radioactive waste management sequence, and to another geologic setting are given in Part 2 of this volume

[en] A Radioactive Waste Management Systems Model, is presented. The systems model and associated computer code called AMRAW (Assessment Method for Radioactive Waste), has two parts. The first part, AMRAW-A, consists of the Source Term (radioactive inventory versus time), the Release Model, and the Environmental Model. The Release Model considers various geologic and man-caused events which are potential mechanisms for release of radioactive material beyond the immediate environs of a repository or other location; the risk analysis mode uses events distributed probabilistically over time, and the consequence analysis mode uses discrete events occurring at specified times. The Environmental Model includes: (1) the transport to and accumulations at various receptors in the biosphere, (2) pathways from these environmental concentrations, and (3) resulting radiation dose to man. The second part of the systems model, AMRAW-B, is the Economic Model which calculates health effects corresponding to the various organ dose rates from AMRAW-A, collects these health effects in terms of economic costs and attributes these costs to radionuclides, decay groups, and elements initially in the waste inventory. Implementation, with calculated results, of AMRAW for Terminal Storage in a Bedded Salt Reference Repository are presented. Preliminary demonstrations for the repository operations phase of waste management and terminal storage in a shale formation are described; possible applications to other radioactive and nonradioactive hazardous materials are discussed. AMRAW uniquely links all steps together in a continuous calculation sequence

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No abstract available

[en] A Radioactive Waste Management Systems Model, is presented. The systems model and associated computer code called AMRAW (Assessment Method for Radioactive Waste), has two parts. The first part, AMRAW-A, consists of the Source Term (radioactive inventory versus time), the Release Model, and the Environmental Model. The second part of the systems model, AMRAW-B, is the Economic Model which calculates health effects corresponding to the various organ dose rates from AMRAW-A, collects these health effects in terms of economic costs and attributes these costs to radionuclides, decay groups, and elements initially in the waste inventory. This volume describes AMRAW-B, the Economics Model, and is in two parts: Part 1 presents a generic description of the AMRAW-B model, background economic theory and a description of the AMRAW-B computer code, and Part 2 presents implementation of the model with an application to terminal storage in a bedded salt reference repository

[en] Under contract to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the University of New Mexico is developing a computer based assessment methodology for evaluating public health and environmental impacts from the disposal of radioactive waste in geologic formations. Methodology incorporates a release or fault tree model, an environmental model, and an economic model. The release model and its application to a model repository in bedded salt is described. Fault trees are constructed to provide the relationships between various geologic and man-caused events which are potential mechanisms for release of radioactive material beyond the immediate environs of the repository. The environmental model includes: 1) the transport to and accumulations at various receptors in the biosphere, 2) pathways from these environmental concentrations, and 3) radiation dose to man. Finally, economic results are used to compare and assess various disposal configurations as a basis for formulatin