ANSTO Nuclear-based science benefitting all Australians
ANSTO Website Search
ANSTO Youtube linkANSTO Facebook LinkANSTO Twitter Link

Research at Little Forest Burial Ground


ANSTO is responsible for the Little Forest Burial Ground (LFBG) located within the ANSTO Buffer Zone boundary.

 

This site was used by the former Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) during the 1960’s to dispose of waste containing low levels of radioactivity and beryllium oxide (non-radioactive) in a series of shallow trenches.

 

There has been regular monitoring of the LFBG since 1966 and the results have been reported in ANSTO’s environmental monitoring reports.

 

A science research project, implemented by ANSTO’s Institute for Environmental Research, is currently in progress. The project aims to carry out detailed studies of the status of the site by:

 

  • Assessing the available information and monitoring results for LFBG; and
  • Completing detailed sampling and analysis of groundwaters, soils and vegetation.


The research applies advanced analytical techniques, such as accelerator mass spectrometry, which have not been employed before in the routine environmental monitoring carried out at the LFBG.

 

The project has undertaken soil coring, geophysical surveys and installation of groundwater sampling bores during 2009-2010. One of the objectives of the research project is to assess the best strategies for future management of the site.

 

The results of this work will be summarised in various ANSTO reports (including the regular environmental monitoring reports). Papers from the project are also being published in the refereed scientific literature.

 
Installation of groundwater sampling well at Little Forest Burial Ground, Lucas Heights in 2010. Geophysical survey using ground penetrating radar at Little Forest Burial Ground, Lucas Heights in 2009.

 

Little burial ground_image 1Little burial ground_image 2
Installation of groundwater sampling well at Little Forest Burial Ground, Lucas Heights in 2010.Geophysical survey using ground penetrating radar at Little Forest Burial Ground, Lucas Heights in 2009.


Selected papers from ANSTO’s research at LFBG which have been published in international journals

 

  • J.R. Twining, C.E. Hughes, J.J. Harrison, S. Hankin, J. Crawford, M. Johansen and L. Dyer (2011). Biotic, temporal and spatial variability of tritium concentrations in transpirate samples collected in the vicinity of a near-surface low-level nuclear waste disposal site and nearby research reactor. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 102: 551-558.
  • J.J. Harrison, A. Zawadzki, R. Chisari and H. Wong (2011). Rapid determination of uranium, thorium, plutonium, americium and strontium activities in water, soil and vegetation. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 102: 896--900.
  • C.E. Hughes, D.I. Cendon, J.J. Harrison, S. Hankin, M.P. Johansen, T.E. Payne, M. Vine, R.N. Collins, E. Hoffmann, T. Loosz (2011). Movement of a tritium plume in shallow groundwater at a legacy low level radioactive waste disposal site in eastern Australia. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 102: 943-952.
  • M.P. Johansen, C.L. Barnett, N.A. Beresford, J.E. Brown, M. Èerne, B.J. Howard, S. Kamboj, D.-K. Keum, B. Smodiš, J.R. Twining, H. Vandenhove, J. Vives i Batlle, M.D. Wood, C. Yu.  Assessing doses to terrestrial wildlife at a radioactive waste disposal site: Inter-comparison of modelling approaches. Science of the Total Environment, 427-428 (2012): 238–46.