These calculations assume that all radioactivity detected originated from BNL operations, and that an individual was exposed to the highest level detected during the year. The maximum hypothetical dose from any of those pathways was approximately five percent of the 100-millirem federal limit for public radiation exposure from BNL operations. The average individual's annual radiation dose from natural sources is approximately 300 millirems. None of the pathways influenced by BNL constitutes a significant radiation dose to humans. Among the testing data are results from ongoing monitoring of areas of the BNL site where past activities caused groundwater, soil and sediment contamination.
Ongoing monitoring helps guide the Superfund process.
The report is the latest in a series of annual summaries that BNL has issued nearly continuously since the early 1960s. The Laboratory conducts an extensive monitoring program, both at the point of release and at many locations on and off the site, to demonstrate that operations are in compliance with appropriate permits and standards for release. Environmental monitoring is also performed to assess the fate of contaminants released to the environment and to evaluate potential exposure to people from various pathways such as consumption of fish or water. This monitoring has been reported annually since 1971 and provides a valuable resource in identifying long-term trends associated with BNL activities. These trends indicate a steady reduction of BNL releases to the environment.