Special Submission OPERATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION PROTECTION (PROGRAM AREA COMMITTEES 2 & 5)—SESSION Q&A QUESTIONS FOR Drs. Pryor, Allard, & Hoover Q: Considering the delay in recognition of source leakage with the 238Pu, what bioassay protocol was used to assess “missed dose?” Is the issue of leakage response bioassay considered in the publications for sealed source control? Pryor: The approximate date of the initial intake was fairly well known, so the magnitude of any potential “missed dose” could be estimated and considered. Bioassay samples were collected immediately from all potentially affected workers, as well as the affected family members. Most were urine samples, but fecal samples were also collected from the individuals who had the highest potential for exposure. A series of samples was collected over time for the workers who had the highest initial bioassay results in order to characterize retention and excretion. Doses were calculated using ICRP Publication 30-based models. Emergency response is expected to be addressed in the draft report on Radiation Safety of Sealed Radioactive Sources, and that will include some discussion of the need to consider bioassay in the event of discovering a leaking source. Q: Are you tracking seismic tremors with fracking operations? Allard: No, but we have seen accounts of such associations in the press. I believe Ohio actually prohibited fracking and deep well waste disposal in an area where a small earthquake occurred last year. Q: What, if anything, is done to monitor the drinking water for radioactive material in areas where fracking is performed? Allard: As you know the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has safe drinking water standards for potable water supplies that include routine testing for radionuclides. However, this does not apply to private residential wells. Nonetheless, it is my understanding that new regulations in Pennsylvania do require oil and gas well drillers to baseline local wells within a certain distance from a drill site—if requested by the property owner. 0017-9078/15/0 Copyright © 2014 Health Physics Society DOI: 10.1097/HP.0000000000000246

That testing would normally require test parameters such as methane, other organics, and certain metals. I assume one could require EPA’s standard gross alpha/beta and gamma, total radium, and uranium testing. Having said that, one does need to consider that all of those parameters could be found in upper groundwater/drinking water from natural rock sources and have nothing to do with deep oil and gas drilling and production. Q: Now that you’ve done more accurate radon mapping (and other radionuclides), have you cross-referenced those data with cancer by county incidence maps? Allard: The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has collected millions of radon test results over the past 30 y. Some of that data has been analyzed for correlation with local soil and rock formations. I believe our Pennsylvania Department of Health does maintain comprehensive cancer registry information, and other university public health programs may have looked at this issue early on. However, I’m not sure if it has been examined recently. If an epidemiological study is to be done right, controlling for tobacco use would be key. Q: Does Pennsylvania require oil and gas companies to have their solid waste sampled for 226Ra and 228Ra to be tested and certified

Operational and environmental radiation protection (program area committees 2 & 5)-session Q&A.

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