514 



natural radioactivity were much higher. In addition, the fraction of 

 total human background radiation exposure due to oceanic 

 radioactivity is extremely small. 



(b) Special concentration mechanisms considering biological pathways of 

 exposure would apply to the natural radioactivity in a manner similar 

 to those of the radioactive waste components. 



(c) Oceanic radioactivity due to worldwide fallout from atmospheric and 

 undersea nuclear weapons testing was not considered in this 

 analysis. In itself, this fallout would largely account for observed 

 patterns of radioactivity in environmental samples in the Farallons 

 vicinity. This will be discussed in greater detail later in this 

 report. 



(d) Although comparisons based on airborne pathways (inhalation as 

 opposed to ingestion pathways) might have provided a somewhat 

 different result, such analyses have not been performed since only a 

 miniscule fraction of oceanic radioactivity could conceivably reach 

 man via air. This would be true for either the natural or waste 

 radioactivity. 



Comparison with International Recommendations 



The International Atomic Energy Agency (^) has recommended standards for 

 limitations of radioactive disposal in the sea as follows: 



"high-level radioactive wastes or other high-level radioactive matter 

 unsuitable for dumping means any material with a concentration in 

 curies per unit-gross mass (in tonnes) exceeding: 



(a) 10 Ci/t for a-active waste for half life greater than 50 years. In 

 the case of 226Ra^ not more than 100 Ci/yr may be dumped at any one 

 site); 



(b) 103 Ci/t for 0/7-active waste (excluding tritium) but the limit for 

 90Sr plus 137cs is 102 Ci/t; and 



(c) 105 Ci/t for tritium. 



The definition is based on an assumed upper limit to the dumping rate 

 of 100,000 tonnes per year at any one site." 



Assuming 47,500 containers at the Farallon dumpsite (0.2 Tons/container), 

 14,000 curies of beta-gamma radioactivity and 30 curies of alpha activity, 

 the dumpsite contains 1/1000 of the allowable annual dumping limit for 

 beta-gamma and 3/10,000 of the annual limit for alpha waste at an 

 individual site. 



If the Farallon dumpsite could conceivably be considered a hazard, then 

 the IAEA recommendations are too lenient by many thousand fold. This is 

 highly unlikely, however, since considerable scientific deliberation went 

 into them. As a reasonable guideline to these deliberations, the 

 occurrence of natural radioactivity was considered. This is precisely the 

 approach used in this report in assessing the hazard of the Farallon 

 dumpsite. 



