2000 Recent Activities
November, 2000
Collaborative Technical Project
Joel Webb completed a series of collaborative experiments at Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute and Los Alamos National Laboratory, using a germanium detector developed for the Center's in vivo radiobioassay activities. The experiments evaluated effects on measurement efficiency resulting from variation in radiation background inside different instrument shields.
Visiting Scientists
Dr. James Conca (Project Leader and Staff Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory/Carlsbad Operations visited the Center and presented a colloquium "Aqueous diffusion in repository systems - the role of volumetric water". Dr. Josue Moreno Bermudez (Scientist, Seibersdorf Laboratory Chemistry Unit, International Atomic Energy Agency) visited the Center and presented a colloquium "Radiochemical procedures in use at IAEA Laboratories for anthropogenic alpha and beta-emitting radionuclides in environmental samples".
Public Outreach/Education
Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist-Environmental Chemistry) presented an invited seminar "Aerosols--their relationship to past and present climates" for the NMSU Department of Fishery & Wildlife Sciences. Dr. Thomas Kirchner presented a Center colloquium "Why do many animals increase in body size through evolutionary time: a simulation model testing an explanation for Cope's and Bergman's rules". Center staff provided a presentation about the Center program for the adult seniors group of Blodgett Street Baptist Church (Carlsbad).
October, 2000
Proposals for New Projects
Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) submitted a proposal "Analytical and scientific support for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Carlsbad Office actinide chemistry and repository science program" to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The project would provide for development of collaborative studies in actinide chemistry to be conducted by Center and LANL staff using Center facilities.
Participation in Technical Conferences and Scientific Meetings
Dr. Thomas Kirchner (Senior Scientist-Informatics & Modeling) presented a poster "Evolutionary consequences of skewed distributions of body size" in August at the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Snowbird, Utah. Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist-Environmental Chemistry) presented a paper "Fugitive dust sampling and source characterization" at the 2000 Southwest Center for Environmental Research and Policy Border Conference in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. During September, Arimoto conducted a series of site visits to aerosol sampling locations in Japan, Korea, China, and Chinese Taipei that will be included in the ground station network of the Aerosol Characterization Experiment in Asia (ACE-Asia) project. Arimoto also participated in a follow-up meeting in October of the Science Team for ACE-Asia, held in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Public Outreach/Education
Dr. Thomas Kirchner (Senior Scientist-Informatics & Modeling) presented an invited seminar "Why do many vertebrate lineages increase in body size through evolutionary time: a simulation model testing an explanation for Cope's rule" for the NMSU Department of Fishery & Wildlife Sciences. Center staff provided presentations and tours of Center facilities for representatives of Cochiti Pueblo Environmental Protection Office.
September, 2000
Proposals for New Projects
Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) submitted a commitment for collaboration with Ohio State University (OSU) and nine other universities on a project "Center for Nuclear, Neutrino and Astroparticle Physics", which would use the WIPP underground for particle physics studies. A pre-proposal for the project has been submitted to the National Science Foundation by OSU.
Dr. Scott Webb (Associate Scientist-Radiochemistry) submitted a proposal to the International Atomic Energy Agency for participation in a 2000-2005 Coordinated Research Project "Radiochemical, chemical and physical characterization of radioactive particles in the environment". The Center's proposed studies would target variations in manmade radionuclide concentrations in soils, in relation to depth, particle size and mineralogical characteristics.
Visit by Science Advisory Board Member
Science Advisory Board member Dr. Paul Bertsch (Director, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia) conducted a review of the Center field program and presented a colloquium "Chemical speciation of radionuclides in environmental samples from microspectroscopic techniques".
New Employees
Roy Spruiell began work as a Programmer/Analyst in the informatics & modeling group. Spruiell holds a B.S. and M.S. in mathematics from New Mexico State University, and has over 20 years of experience in computer programming and information systems management. Gayle D'Mura began work as a Specialist assigned to new projects, safety compliance, and educational outreach. D'Mura completed a B.S. in earth science at Western Michigan University, and has been teaching science at NMSU-Carlsbad since 1983.
Public Outreach/Education
Center staff provided a presentation and tour of the Center for representatives from Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited and the Japanese Aomori Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment. Center staff also hosted a tour and informal presentations by representatives of Los Alamos National Laboratory, and presented an exhibit at a 16th of September celebration at San Jose plaza in Carlsbad.
August, 2000
Proposal for New Project
Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist-Environmental Chemistry) submitted a proposal to the New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Unit (at NMSU) for collaboration on a study "Effects of depleted uranium on amphibian health".
Visit by Science Advisory Board Member
Science Advisory Board memberDr. Gary Kramer (Head, Human Monitoring Laboratory, Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada) conducted a review of the Center internal dosimetry program and presented a colloquium "Monte Carlo simulations, how we can investigate the impossible".
Collaborative Technical Project
Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) conducted a series of collaborative experiments with Dr. Gary Kramer (see above), using a germanium detector developed for the Center's in vivo radiobioassay activities, to intercompare effects of radiation background on minimum detectable activities at three facilities where in vivo radiobioassays are conducted for radiation workers. The project also utilized a new phantom produced by the Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute, which is proposed as more accurate for use with large diameter detectors. The experiments were conducted inside radiation shields used for in vivo radiobioassays at the Center, at the Health Canada Human Monitoring Laboratory in Ottawa, Canada, and at Cameco Corporation in Port Hope, Canada.
July, 2000
Analyses of Aerosol Samples from the Cerro Grande Fire
In collaboration with colleagues at New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, the Center analyzed a set of aerosol samples collected about 16 km downwind from the Cerro Grande fire, which consumed almost 50,000 acres, including extensive areas at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Analyses conducted at the Center included soluble trace metals and anions on airborne particulate material. Preliminary results indicate that several trace metals (Zn, Cd, Mo, Cr, Pb, and Hg) were enhanced on smaller particles relative to metals from crustal sources. Results of this study will be presented at a meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Albuquerque, in January 2001.
Linkage to U.S.-Mexico Border Site
Border EcoWeb, a guide to finding environmental information about the U.S.-Mexican border region through the Internet, has added a section featuring the Center web page and associated information about the Center program. Border EcoWeb (http://www.borderecoweb.sdsu.edu) is a joint project of the Southwest Center for Environmental Research and Policy, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, U.S.-Mexico Border Information Institute, San Diego State University, Border XXI Environmental Information Resources Work Group, Instituto Nacional de Ecologia, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
New Employee
Ms. Debbie Munoz began work as an Administrative Secretary, serving as the Center main receptionist and other administrative support activities.
Public Outreach/Education
Center staff provided a presentation and tour of the Center for city/county staff and representatives from Nye County, Nevada (the host county for a proposed radioactive waste disposal site under study by the DOE).
June, 2000
Annual Lake Sampling Completed
The 2000 sample collection was completed for surface water and sediments from three local lakes (Brantley, Carlsbad and Red Bluff). Analyses of water samples have been completed and will be posted on the web page in July. Sediment samples are undergoing pre-analytical preparation.
MOU with Health Canada
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was finalized with Canada's Environmental Health Directorate Radiation Protection Bureau (Health Canada) to establish scientific cooperation and inter-institutional relationships. The MOU will facilitate collaborative research between Center scientists and Health Canada scientists in health physics and internal dosimetry for radioactive materials. Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) and Dr. Gary Kramer (Human Monitoring Laboratory, Health Canada) are the technical leads for this collaborative effort.
New and Extended Projects
Dr. Mark Walthall (Senior Scientist-Environmental Science) has received a three-year extension and supplemental funding for continuation of an existing cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation, for water quality monitoring at Brantley Lake Reservoir. Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist-Environmental Chemistry) received a contract from Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute for method development and analyses of nickel in lung tissues. Dr. Arimoto also received a contract extension and supplemental funding from a private company for method development and analyses of uranium in urine by ICP mass spectrometry. Joel Webb received a contract extension and supplemental funding from MK/Westinghouse for continuation of in vivo radiobioassay and associated services.
Intercomparison Results
Results were received for analyses conducted by the Center's Radiochemistry on mixed radionuclides in glass fiber filters, under the NIST Radiochemistry Intercomparison Program. Results reported by the Center met ANSI traceability limits for 241Am, 238Pu, 239,240Pu, and 238U. Results were also received for analyses under the DOE/Environmental Measurements Laboratory Quality Assurance Program. Rating levels included acceptable for nine analytes in air filters, acceptable for eight analytes and warning for one analyte in soil, acceptable for six analytes in vegetation, and acceptable for seven analytes and two gross measurements in water.
Participation in Technical Conferences and Scientific Meetings
Three Center staff participated in the Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society in Denver, Colorado. Joel Webb presented a paper "An evaluation of germanium detectors employed for the measurement of radionuclides deposited in lungs using an experimental and Monte Carlo approach", and served as chair for the internal dosimetry technical paper session. David Schoep (Science Specialist-Internal Dosimetry) presented a poster "Monitoring of radioactive and inorganic aerosols in exhaust air released from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant". Dr. Thomas Kirchner (Senior Scientist-Informatics & Modeling) was a co-author on a paper "Multi-pathway, multi-site contaminant transport: Assessing vertical migration, wind erosion and water erosion at semiarid DOE sites." Kirchner and Schoep were also co-authors on a paper "Effects of episodic high-wind events and fire on resuspension rates: Measurements near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant". Kirchner also presented lectures on Uncertainty Analysis as part of the Health Physics Summer School "Applications of Probability and Statistics in Health Physics" held in Ft. Collins, Colorado, prior to the Health Physics Society meeting.
Dr. Richard Arimoto participated in a meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee for the Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE)-Asia held at the University of Tokyo Ocean Research Institute in Tokyo, Japan. While in Tokyo, Arimoto also participated in meetings of the Coordinating Committee for the East Asia/Pacific Regional Experiment (an activity of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Programme), where he served as a session chair and presented a briefing on the status of the ACE-Asia project.
New Employee
Sharyl McCauley began work as a Quality Assurance Manager. McCauley holds a B.S. in biology from LeTourneau University, and has over 10 years of experience in quality assurance/quality control in industrial chemistry laboratories, including Petrolite Corporation, Imperial Holly Corporation and American Cyanamid.
Public Outreach/Education
Center staff provided a database of wind measurements (collected at the Center's sampling stations near the WIPP site) to the Texas Wind Power Company (Austin, Texas), which is investigating siting of wind power generators in the Carlsbad region. Center staff provided presentations and tours of the Center for participants in the Workshop on the Next Generation U.S. Underground Science Facility, hosted in Carlsbad by the DOE Carlsbad Area Office and the Institute for Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology.
May, 2000
Proposals for New Projects
Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist-Environmental Chemistry) collaborated with colleagues at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and six other Texas universities and research groups on a proposal "Significance and suppression of air emissions from open-lot cattle-feeding facilities: A Great Plains research and technology-transfer partnership", which was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The proposal is for a four-year project to study airborne emissions from various large-scale open-lot and confined systems cattle operations, evaluate emissions-control strategies, and provide resulting information to the industry and the technical community. Arimoto and Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) submitted a proposal "Determination of nickel content in digested rodent lung tissue" to Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute. Arimoto also submitted a pre-proposal to New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to participate in a study "Source identification for energy-related atmospheric pollution in the southwestern USA using a new technique-positive matrix factorization", which has been proposed for funding by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Participation in Technical Conferences/Meetings
Joel Webb presented a paper "The effect of a 657-meter cosmic ray shield on in vivo measurement sensitivity for radionuclides deposited in lungs" at the Lung Counting Workshop, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The paper presented results of measurements conducted in the WIPP underground. Webb also presented a paper "An evaluation of germanium detectors employed for the measurement of radionuclides deposited in lungs using an experimental and Monte Carlo approach" at the same meeting, reporting on experiments with the Center lung counting system and modeling conducted at the Human Monitoring Laboratory of Health Canada. Richard Arimoto served as a member of the NASA TRACE-P review panel at a meeting in Washington, D.C. TRACE-P (Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific) is a multi-platform research program designed to study the chemical composition and evolution of the air masses from Asia that are transported over the western Pacific.
Visits by Science Advisory Board Members
Science Advisory Board (SAB) member Dr. Shawki Ibrahim (Associate Professor, Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University) conducted a review of the Center radioanalytical program and presented a colloquium "Plutonium distribution and behavior in man and the environment: An overview". SAB member Dr. John Briggs (Associate Professor, Plant Biology, Arizona State University) conducted a review of the Center informatics & modeling program and presented a colloquium "Eastern red cedar expansion into native tallgrass prairie: Patterns and processes". SAB member Dr. Judith Chow (Research Professor, Atmospheric Sciences Division, Desert Research Institute) conducted a review of the Center environmental chemistry program and presented a colloquium "Urban and regional air pollution: Current research and future outlook".
New Employees
Mr. Joe Fraire began work as an Assistant Scientist, working with Dr. Scott Webb in the radioanalytical program. Fraire holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso, and has over 20 years of experience as an analytical chemist and laboratory supervisor. He was most recently the general manager for Monitor Geochemical Laboratory de Venezuela, in Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela. Ms. Pamela Vasquez began work as a summer Laboratory Aide in environmental chemistry; Vasquez is a student at NMSU-Carlsbad, majoring in Environmental Science. Mr. Jacob Elkins began work as a summer Project Aide in internal dosimetry; Elkins is a chemical engineering major at the University of Nevada-Reno. Mr. Brian Barreda began work as a summer Project Aide in informatics & modeling; Barreda is a 2000 graduate of Carlsbad High School who has been accepted to begin a degree in Aerospace Engineering at MIT in September.
Public Outreach/Education
Center staff provided a presentation and tour of the Center for the Carlsbad Sportsman's Club.
April, 2000
Proposal for New Projects
Proposals were submitted to Envirocare of Texas, Inc. for projects to be lead by Dr. Mark Walthall (Senior Scientist-Environmental Science) and Dr. Scott Webb (Associate Scientist-Radiochemistry). The projects entail routine collection and analyses of environmental samples from proposed waste disposal locations in Andrews and Ward counties, Texas. Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) participated in collaborative development of a project initiative to develop and test a novel detector for study of neutrinoless double-beta decay. Termed the Majorana project, the initiative involves eight universities, national laboratories and foreign laboratories as participants.
Participation in Technical Conferences
Dr. Lidia Litinskey (Quality Assurance Manager) presented a paper "Environmental quality system development within the university structure" at the U.S. EPA 19th Annual National Conference on Managing Environmental Quality Systems, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Marsha Conley (Director) participated in the Waste Management 2000 conference, in Tucson, Arizona, where she made a presentation "Public access to environmental monitoring at waste sites - an experiment in progress".
Visiting Scientists
Dr. Todd Haines (Los Alamos National Laboratory) visited the Center and presented a colloquium "Seeing the sun from deep underground (the physics of neutrinos from the nuclear reactions that power our sun and their detection)".
Special Recognition
Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist-Environmental Chemistry) received a Group Achievement Award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for his participation as a member of the Global Trophospheric Experiment Pacific Exploratory Mission to the Western Pacific (GTE/PEM-West) Science and Project Teams. The GTE/PEM-West project was conducted during 1991-1997 with funding from NASA, and was devoted to studies of natural and anthropogenicly induced chemical processes and transport of tropospheric trace species over the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Public Outreach/Education
Center staff provided a presentation on science careers for the NMSU-Carlsbad Junior/Senior Day, and an exhibit for the Carlsbad Community Health and Safety Fair 2000. Dr. Marsha Conley (Director) presented an invited seminar "Where environmental science and public information meet - an experiment in progress" at the U.S. Geological Service Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and an invited seminar "From bats to bombs: adventures of an eclectic ecologist" at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota.
March, 2000
Fume Hood Reconstruction Completed
The perchloric acid fume hood in the Center's radiochemistry laboratory was cleaned, dismantled and reconstructed with a new fan, ventilation ducts and additional washdown sprayers. It was discovered in May 1999 that the hood was not constructed to meet industry standards, but long delays were experienced in procurement and implementation for the project. As a result, many of the radioanalyses for the WIPP Environmental Monitoring project are 2-4 months behind the project schedule.
Intercomparison Results
An annual report of performance evaluation in intercomparison studies for in vivo radiobioassay was released by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For all tests for five radioanalytes performed during 1999, bias in the Center's analyses fell between -1.83% and 4.61% (with acceptance criteria at -25% to +50%). The Center's analyses were reported as the smallest average relative bias among the nine laboratories participating nationwide.
Proposal for New Projects
Dr. Thomas Kirchner (Senior Scientist-Informatics & Modeling) collaborated with colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Colorado State University for submittal of a proposal "Long Term Risk from Actinides in the Environment II: Assessment Tools for Mobility Thresholds" to the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Management Science Program. The proposal is to continue and expand mobility studies that were initiated in the first phase of the project during 1997-2000.
Visiting Scientists
Dr. Bill Balsam (Professor of Geology, University of Texas at Arlington) visited the Center and presented a colloquium "Paleoclimatic interpretations of the Chinese loess sequence: evidence from changes in iron oxides". Dr. Jon Broadway (Manager, International Corps on the Environment, Auburn University-Montgomery) visited the Center and presented a colloquium "Globalization and analytical needs for the 21st century".
Public Outreach/Education
Cheryl Schloesslin and Sondra Sage (assistant scientists in Environmental Chemistry) provided a presentation on science professions, for local high school and college students attending the NMSU-Carlsbad Career Expo 2000. Center staff provided presentations for the Carlsbad Historical Society, Epsilon Sigma Alpha-Beta Rho Chapter and the Carlsbad Altrusa Club. The Spring issue of the Center's newsletter The Monitor was released, and over 2000 copies are being distributed to local residents.
February, 2000
Intercomparison Results
Results were received for analyses conducted by the Center's Radiochemistry on mixed radionuclides in water and soil matrices, under the NIST Radiochemistry Intercomparison Program. Results reported by the Center for soil samples met traceability limits (as defined in ANSI N42.22) for two analytes (238Pu, and 238U), but did not meet traceability for 241Am. Results reported for water samples met traceability limits for all three analytes.
Proposals for New Projects
Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) and Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist-Environmental Chemistry) submitted a proposal "Determination of uranium content in human hair" to a private legal firm. Arimoto collaborated with a colleague in the New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (at NMSU) for submittal of a proposal "Air deposition of mercury and other airborne pollutants in an arid environment" to the Southwest Center for Environmental Research and Policy. Arimoto also submitted a co-investigator proposal "Collaborative research: Integrated studies of morphological, chemical, optical, and radiative properties of multi-component aerosols containing mineral dust in the ACE-Asia region" to the National Science Foundation, Atmospheric Chemistry program. Dr. Mark Walthall (Senior Scientist-Environmental Science) submitted a proposal "Brantley Reservoir water quality monitoring program" to the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation, for continuation of ongoing studies at Brantley Lake. Dr. Thomas Kirchner (Senior Scientist-Informatics & Modeling) collaborated with colleagues at NMSU in computer science and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Jornada Experimental Range, for submittal of a proposal "Component based construction and testing of ecological models" to the National Science Foundation, Information Technology Research program.
Radiation Control Inspection
An unannounced inspection of Center facilities and records for compliance with the Center's Radioactive Material License, was conducted by a New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) representative. A letter report was received from NMED, praising the Center's radiation control program, and stating that no noncompliances were identified during the inspection.
New Employee
Mr. David Ganaway began work as an Assistant Scientist, working with Dr. Mark Walthall in the field programs area. Mr. Ganaway holds a B.S. in environmental management systems from Louisiana State University (LSU), and has held previous positions as an agronomy research associate and a horticulture assistant at LSU.
Public Outreach/Education
Center staff provided presentations for student science fairs at Sunset Elementary School and Joe Stanley Smith Elementary School (Carlsbad). Center staff also hosted tours and learning activities for 6th grade gifted student classes from Alta Vista Middle School (Carlsbad), students in the Chihuahuan Desert Laboratory project at Carlsbad High School, and a student in the NMSU-Carlsbad Alliance for Minority Participation program. A new web page feature was introduced (Picture Yourself in Science) that presents photos of students taken during outreach exhibits and Center tours.
January, 2000
Performance Evaluation Results
Results were received for analyses conducted by the Center's environmental chemistry program under the InterLaB WatRTM Pollution WP-58 Performance Evaluation Program, an affiliate of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. Results were within acceptance limits for 28 out of 31 analytes reported, with an overall rating of "Very Good".
Proposals for New Projects
Joel Webb (Manager, Program Development) submitted a proposal "Radiobioassay measurements of New Mexico Environment Department Hazardous and Radioactive Materials Bureau employees" to New Mexico Environment Department. Mr. Webb also submitted a pre-proposal to Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (Albuquerque, New Mexico) to participate in a study of 210Pb as a biomarker of radon exposure, which has been proposed for funding to the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Richard Arimoto (Senior Scientist - Environmental Chemistry) submitted a lead investigator proposal "Collaborative research: aerosol characterization experiment (ACE)-Asia surface network implementation, operations, and coordination" to the National Science Foundation, Atmospheric Chemistry program. Dr. Arimoto also submitted a co-investigator proposal "Collaborative research: multiphase chemical processing of Asian outflow air over the northwestern Pacific Ocean during spring" to the National Science Foundation, Atmospheric Chemistry program. These proposals are components of a large-scale, multi-university, multi-national initiative to study aerosols over eastern Asia and the western North Pacific Ocean, with applications of results to global climate models.
New Employee
Dr. Mark Walthall began work as Senior Scientist - Environmental Science, with lead responsibility for management of the field program area. Dr. Walthall holds a B.S. and M.S. in soil science from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. in agronomy from Colorado State University. He was previously an associate professor at Louisiana State University, and has authored publications on soil contaminants, soil classifications, and soil/surface water/ground water dynamics.
Public Outreach/Education
Center staff provided a presentation for a student science fair at Pate Elementary School (Carlsbad).
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