1. Radioecology in Practice: Examples From the Savannah River Site
October 6, 2016
Dr. Olin E. Rhodes, Jr.
Director, Savannah River Ecology Lab
Professor, University of Georgia

2. Presentation Outline Savannah River Site History
Savannah River Ecology Lab (SREL) Mission
History of Radioecology at SREL
Radioecology in Practice: Examples
Supporting and Monitoring Cleanup of Legacy Materials
Educating the Next Generation of Radioecologists
Building Public Trust

3. The Savannah River Site
SRS Habitat Map
The Savannah River Site
large size – 300 mi2 = 1% of SC land area
Protected from public access
Diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
Industrial facilities and nuclear impacted systems
National Environmental Research Park – address questions of human impacts on the environment
SREL serves as an essential conduit to field studies on the SRS, a research resource whose value cannot be overstated. The unique presence of SREL on this DOE site facilitates the logistics of sample collection and analysis, and provides access to additional funding opportunities.
Michael McCloy
J.S. Peterson

4. Diversity of the SRS Environment

5. Savannah River Site History
1950’s - 5 nuclear reactors built on the SRS
Produced weapons grade tritium and plutonium-239
Major Support Facilities (over 1,000 built)
Two chemical separations facilities - Canyons
Heavy water extraction plant
Nuclear fuel production facility
Tritium extraction facility
Waste management facilities
Thirty-six metric tons of plutonium produced from

6. Savannah River Site History
Many legacy waste issues on the SRS
Plutonium-239
Cesium-137
Strontium-90
Iodine-129
Tritium
Heavy Metals (mercury and lead)
Volatile Organic Compounds

7. SREL History
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) had concerns about environmental impacts resulting from Savannah River Site (SRS) construction and operations.
1951 to present – Funding from AEC, ERDA,
and Department of Energy (DOE)
1954 – Established permanent lab on the SRS
1977 – Established current lab facilities
Dr. Eugene Odum

8. SREL’s Mission:
“To enhance our understanding of the environment by acquiring and communicating knowledge that contributes to sound environmental stewardship.”
An interdisciplinary program of field and laboratory Research conducted largely on the SRS and published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature
“To provide the public with an independent evaluation of the ecological effects of SRS operations on the environment”
Education and research training for undergraduate and graduate students
Service to the community through environmental outreach activities

9. SREL Research Program’s
● >3375 peer-reviewed scientific
publications to date
SREL Research Program’s
● 65 books

10. SREL Education Program
Education Programs
>400 theses and dissertations
>200 M.S.
>225 Ph.D.
SREL graduate students have received more than 125 awards
Over 700 undergraduates representing all 50 states have participated in SREL-sponsored research to date 10

11. SREL Environmental Outreach Program
Integrates SREL research into presentations for the general public
Provides hands-on classroom and field experience for students
Conducts educator workshops
In 2016, SREL reached ~ 38,000 people
by providing :
285 talks
31 public tours
20 exhibits at local or regional events, and
44 “Ecologist for a Day” programs for local schools 11

12. SREL in 2016 Faculty – 13 Post Docs – 8 Research Support – 36
Employees
Faculty – 13
Post Docs – 8
Research Support – 36
Outreach Staff - 6
Graduate Students - 25
Undergraduates - 14
Admin & Support - 17
Facilities & Research Areas
Occupy DOE-Owned Facilities
Manage 30 DOE Set-Asides
Utilize 75 field research sites
Manage 1 UGA Conference Center
108 Staff & Students

13. Original Mission of SREL Radioecology Programs
Understand the transport, fate, and effects of radionuclides in the environment
Conduct research on basic ecological processes using radioisotope tracers
Use opportunities available at the Savannah River Site to train students in radioecology principles and techniques

14. History of Radioecology Research at SREL
1950’s and 60’s –
Basic effects of ionizing radiation
Radioactive tracers for baseline studies of ecological processes
1970’s
Fine-scale distribution and mobility of radionuclides
Uptake and transport of radionuclides
Health risks of radionuclides in agricultural ecosystems
1980’s
Transport and effects of radio-cesium
Bioavailability and remediation of radionuclides
Radionuclide speciation
Genetic effects of radionuclides

15. History of Radioecology Research at SREL
Establishment of the Par Pond radioecology laboratory at the Savannah River Site
Establishment of the International Radioecology Laboratory at Chernobyl in partnership with Ukraine and the US State Department
2000’s
Published over 200 scientific papers on radioecology
Developed radioecology databases of more than 30 years
Established a one of a kind facility for the study of the effects of low dose exposure to radionuclides in aquatic organisms
Began to study the synergistic effects of radionuclides with other environmental contaminants

16. Radioecology in Practice: Examples
Supporting and Monitoring Cleanup of Legacy Materials

17. Radioecology in Practice: Ecosystem Fate and Transport
insectivores
herbivores
omnivores
carnivores
higher trophic levels
plants
detritivores
aquatic habitats
microbes
sediment biogeochemistry
detritus

18. Next Generation Radioecology

19. Long-term Surveillance and Monitoring Research and Development
DNA molecule
DNA micro array
protein
ecosystem
organisms

20. Radioecology in Practice: Examples
Educating the Next Generation of Radioecologists

21. Enhance Graduate Training Using SRS as a Living Laboratory

22. Partnership Between SREL and the University of South Carolina
NSF Funded Research Experience For Undergraduates Program in Radioecology
Partnership Between SREL and the University of South Carolina
Hosting 13 Undergraduates per Year for 12 weeks
One of a Kind in the World
Hands on Experiential Learning in Radioecology
Coursework in Radioecology Provided

23. Radioecology in Practice: Examples
Building Public Trust

24. Outreach and Monitoring for Local Communities

25. SREL Radionuclide Education, Monitoring and Outreach Program (REMOP)
WHERE:
Shell Bluff, Georgia
WHO:
DOE (Funder)
SREL (Outreach and Monitoring)
Women’s Actions for New Directions (Facilitate Outreach to Local Residents)
WHEN:
Currently Searching for Outreach Coordinator

26. SREL Radionuclide Education, Monitoring and Outreach Program (REMOP)
Goal:
To utilize radionuclide and metals data collected within the local community of Shell Bluff to inform outreach and education efforts on radionuclide monitoring programs and risks designed for delivery to local residents.

27. SREL Radionuclide Education, Monitoring and Outreach Program (REMOP)
Summary Details:
Three year project
Pre-Post surveys of residents
Community participation in selection of sites and media
Review of existing monitoring program data from DOE, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, and Southern Company for comparative purposes
Development of outreach programing to help residents interpret data and gain perspective on risk

28. THANK YOU