Surface horizontal logging for radon at a Superfund site

Abstract

The Department of Energy sponsored an Expedited Site Characterization study performed by Ames Laboratory at the St. Louis (Missouri) Airport Site during August-September, 1994. Uranium processing occurred there during the Cold War and significant residual radioactive contamination now exists on site. This paper reports on continuous gamma ray spectroscopy measurements to identify the emitting isotopes and to quantify the amount of radioactivity present for each. An oilfield wireline gamma ray spectrometry-sonde (the Compensated Spectral Natural Gamma instrument) was adapted to perform horizontal measurements with the detector section 3 ft above the soil surface. The results of the gamma ray spectroscopy measurements will be discussed.