The INL Site
is situated in a large agricultural area that produces many
food products. The ESER Team monitors the following foods
for potential migration and deposition of effluents from the
INL. These foods were chosen for their abundance in the
upper Snake River valley and their availability for testing.
Lettuce
Lettuce samples are obtained from private gardens in
communities in the vicinity of the INL. Samples are washed
to remove soil (as in normal food preparation), dried,
reduced to a powdered form and weighed. All lettuce samples
are analyzed for Strontium-90 and gamma-emitting
radionuclides.
The collection of lettuce from home gardens around the INL
typically depends on availability. To make this sampling
more reliable, ESER added one prototype lettuce planter at the Experimental Field Station (EFS) and five lettuce planters off the INL Site at Atomic City, the FAA Tower, Howe, Idaho Falls and Monteview. These
locations are relatively remote and have no access to water,
requiring that a self-watering system be developed or are at locations where lettuce has not been obtainable during the sampling season. This
method allows for the placement and collection of lettuce at
areas previously unavailable to the public (i.e., on the INL Site).
The boxes are set out in the spring with the lettuce grown
from seed. This new method also allows for the accumulation
of deposited radionuclides on the plant surface throughout
the growth cycle.
Potatoes
Potato samples are collected from storage warehouses in the
INL Site vicinity. The samples, with cleaned skins included, are
processed and weighed. All potato samples are analyzed from
Strontium-90 and gamma-emitting radionuclides.
Wheat
Wheat samples are collected from grain elevators in the
region surrounding the INL Site. All wheat samples are analyzed
for Strontium-90 and gamma-emitting radionuclides.

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