Beneficial uses of nuclear byproducts/sewage sludge irradiation project. Progress report, October 1982-March 1983

Gamma irradiation of various commodities in the Sandia Irradiator for Dried Sewage Solids (SIDSS) and the Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) continued during this reporting period. One truck-load of grapefruit was irradiated. Pelletized straw was irradiated to doses of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 40 megarads in SIDSS. Sludge, virus, and fungus samples were irradiated. Infected ground pork and infected pig carcasses were irradiated in the GIF as a method of Trichinella spiralis inactivation. Other experiments conducted in the GIF included irradiation of cut flowers to extend their shelf life and irradiation of kepone to induce its degradation. Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF) capsule studies at ORNL and SNLA continued. A purchase order was placed for a prototype sludge solar dryer. Sewage Sludge Irradiation Transportation System (SSITS) cask activities included thermal stress analyses of cask performance following separation from the impact limiters during a fire. Analyses of cask performance, when loaded with six strontium-90 (Sr-90) capsules, also were done