AIKEN, S.C. - EM’s national laboratory and the management and operations contractor at Savannah River Site (SRS) developed an innovative system to better monitor wildlife for contamination during the site’s deer hunts.
The system designed by Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) counts trace amounts of radionuclides in harvested deer.
SRNS personnel check every animal harvested from the hunts for radionuclide concentrations, specifically cesium-137, to ensure hunter safety and collect sampling data. Although that isotope is easily detected using traditional monitoring methods, its concentrations in wildlife have significantly decreased over time, making measurements more challenging to quantify using traditional systems.
“We are excited to launch the new monitoring system at the SRS Deer Hunts this year. The teamwork between SRNS and SRNL proved to yield another technological advancement that allows SRS to continue to protect human health and the environment," said Karen Vangelas, the SRNS Wildlife Program lead.
Since 1965, thousands of hunters have helped minimize accidents on site roadways and maintain a healthy deer population. They’ve harvested more than 36,000 animals - deer, hogs, and turkeys - since the SRS Deer Hunt Program’s inception. SRS also conducts a deer hunt for Wounded Warriors and people who are mobility impaired.
After the team refined the new prototype, SRNL created computer models of wildlife containing trace amounts of cesium-137 and compared them to actual wildlife measurements to test the new system. Laboratory tests confirmed the system was 20 times more sensitive than the previous monitoring system and accurately recorded the trace amount of radionuclide contamination placed in a simulated deer.
SRNL designed graphical screens that simplify the monitoring process and improve communication between the system and the system’s operator. The lab enabled the system for quick and safe setup in the field, and configured it to self-check results of each reading to ensure accuracy.
SRNL is seeking a patent for the system, and the team is sharing the system’s capabilities with other DOE sites.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
