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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Measuring Fluxes of Mineral Nutrients and Toxicants in Plants with Radioactive Tracers
Published on: August 22, 2014
Radioactive materials in biosolids: national survey, dose modeling, and publicly owned treatment works (POTW)
R K Bastian1, J T Bachmaier, D W Schmidt
1USEPA, Office of Wastewater Management (4204M), Room 7220B EPA EAST, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460, USA. bastian.robert@epa.gov
Abstract:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced the availability of three new documents concerning radioactive materials in sewage sludge and ash from publicly owned treatment works (POTW). One of the documents is a report presenting the results of a volunteer survey of sewage sludge and ash samples provided by 313 POTWs. The second document is a dose modeling document, using multiple exposure pathway modeling focused on a series of generic scenarios, to track possible exposure of POTW workers and members of the general public to radioactivity from the sewage sludge or ash. The third document is a guidance report providing recommendations on the management of radioactivity in sewage sludge and ash for POTW owners and operators. This paper explains how radioactive materials enter POTWs, provides criteria for evaluating levels of radioactive material in sludge and ash, and gives a summary of the results of the survey and dose modeling efforts.
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