Tritium in the environment around the Maxey Flats Radioactive Waste Burial Facility

This study addresses the results of intentionally released tritium in the environment. The shallow land burial facility for low-level waste at Maxey Flats has received and buried about 830 kCi of tritium during its operational period. About 33 kCi have been released over an eight year period in a controlled manner from the treatment of leachate from closed disposal trenches utilizing a waste water evaporator. A summary of the tritium activity concentrations in the air and water around the facility is reported. Correlations between tritium buried, tritium released, and environmental concentrations of tritium detected are examined. Also, the radiological implications are discussed