fuel cycle will be plutonium-239 which has a 24,400 year halflife.
In other words,
in 240,000 years
the inventory of this
hazardous matcrial woulji be reduced by only a factor of 1009
due to natural radioactive decay.
This matcrial must be
isolated from the environment in perpetuity.
Itt. Existing Standards
for Plutonium Cxposure
Radiation exposure standards have been established
because radiation is known to produce cancer and genetic
mutations in individuals irradiated.
in turn cause genetic defects
The mutations can
in subsequent generations.
~
The macnituce of the piological effect has >een
shown to be related to the radiation dose.
dose the greater the effect.
The higher the
Therefore, the primary radia-
cion exposure standard is one that limits the radiation
dose.
v~
damage.
te wee.
The intent of the exposure standards is to limit this biological
This primary standard is generally referred to as the
maximum permissible dose and is given in units of rem/yr.
the nature of this unit subsequently.
An individual can be exposed to radiation from sources
that are external to his body as,
for example,
an X-ray
machine or from radionuclides which emit X-ray like radiation
deposited on the ground
(this occurred with fallout from
nuclear weapon tests).
Alternately, an individual can be
tree
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.
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es
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We shall discuss