Human Health Impact Evaluation Methods for a Multiple Source Analysis using the Multimedia Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS)

D.L. Strenge and M.A. Pelton (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

The evaluation of human health impacts in the Hanford Solid Waste Environmental Impact Statement required evaluation of simultaneous atmospheric releases from several sources. Each source included both radionuclide and chemical contaminants with the amount released varying in time over many years. The evaluation of the human health impacts was performed for onsite workers and for members of the general public. The analysis was performed using the Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System running under the Framework for Risk Analysis in Multimedia Environmental Systems. The analysis involved eighteen types of waste streams with various combinations of radioactivity and chemical contaminants. Releases to the atmosphere were evaluated for four facilities, each with their own release point characteristics. The requirements of the calculation, methods used to address the complexity of the analysis, health impact metrics addressed, and a description of the software are described.

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