background {inldata}

Background Concentrations

Description

Water-quality background concentrations for selected radionuclides, organic compounds, and chemical constituents that were analyzed for in water from the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The background concentrations are defined as groundwater influenced by western tributary recharge in the western INL and by eastern regional recharge in the eastern INL. These concentrations are either naturally occurring or anthropogenic (substances present in the environment as a result of human activities) and are not influenced by waste and wastewater disposal at the INL, according to Bartholomay and Hall (2016).

Usage

background

Format

A data frame with columns:

parm_nm

Long parameter name, such as "Strontium-90, water, unfiltered, picocuries per liter".

pcode

U.S. Geological Survey 5-digit parameter code used to identify the constituent measured, see parameters dataset for details. For example, the parameter code for Tritium is "07000".

bkgrd_min

Minimum limit of background concentration.

bkgrd_max

Maximum limit of background concentration.

reference

Source of background concentration limits. Reference citations are as follows: "Bartholomay and Hall (2016)", "Knobel and others (1992)", "Michel (1989)", and "Orr and others (1991)".

Source

Idaho National Laboratory Project Office

References

Bartholomay, R.C., and Hall, L.F., 2016, Evaluation of background concentrations of selected chemical and radiochemical constituents in groundwater in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5056, (DOE/ID–22237), 19 p., doi:10.3133/sir20165056.

Knobel, L.L., Orr, B.R., and Cecil, L.D., 1992, Summary of background concentrations of selected radiochemical and chemical constituents in groundwater from the Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho: estimated from an analysis of previously published data: Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science, v. 28, no. 1, p. 48–61.

Michel, R.L., 1989, Tritium deposition in the continental United States, 1953–83: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 89–4072, 46 p., doi:10.3133/wri894072.

Orr, B.R., Cecil, L.D., and Knobel, L.L., 1991, Background concentrations of selected radionuclides, organic compounds, and chemical constituents in ground water in the vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 91–4015 (DOE/ID–22094), 52 p., doi:10.3133/wri914015.

Examples

str(background)