The Risk Assessment Information System

Background Soil Characterization Project for the Oak Ridge Reservation

The Background Soil Characterization Project was developed for the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) to determine background concentrations of naturally occurring constituents that could potentially impact human health and to assess associated health risks. This information is accessible in a comprehensive three-volume report (PDFs are not available).

  • Final Report on the Background Soil Characterization Project at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Volume 1 - Results of Field Sampling Program, October 1993, DOE/OR/01-1175/V1
  • Final Report on the Background Soil Characterization Project at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Volume 2 - Data, October 1993, DOE/OR/01-1175/V2
  • Final Report on the Background Soil Characterization Project at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Volume 3 - Project Plan, October 1993, DOE/OR/01-1175/V3

In addition to the above report, Table 1 summarizes the findings from a 2003 study of soil background values for East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). The values can be found in Soil Background Supplemental Data Set for the East Tennessee Technology Park, DOE/OR/01-2105&D1, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, September 2003.

Table 1: ETTP Soil Background Values
Analyte
N
Min
Max
Mean
95% UCL1
95th Percentile2
Selected Soil Background Value
Metals (mg/kg)
Aluminum
12
8800
40,300
19,625
40,300
40,300.00
Antimony
12
0.43
1.5
0.844
1.52
1.52
Arsenic
12
0.77
15
6.481
14.95
14.95
Barium
12
23
133
76.808
124.93
124.93
Beryllium
12
0.24
2.2
0.889
2.2
2.20
Cadmium
0.22U*
Calcium
12
80
2400
656.083
2400
2400.00
Chromium
12
12
48.5
26.075
44.88
44.88
Cobalt
12
4.8
42
14
42
42.00
Copper
12
3.9
23
11.425
22.48
22.48
Cyanide
0.6U*
Iron
12
16,000
58,600
33,600
58,600
58,600.00
Lead
12
5
45
16.417
37.91
37.91
Lithium
4
26.1
42.3
33.075
48.94
48.94
Magnesium
12
360
3,300
1,839.17
3,300
3,300.00
Manganese
12
78
2,200
706.833
2,200
2,200.00
Mercury
12
0.017
0.17
0.081
0.17
0.17
Nickel
12
7.9
28.4
15.908
26.07
26.07
Potassium
12
300
4,710
2,136.67
5,074.69
5,074.69
Selenium
12
0.54
1.4
0.913
1.47
1.47
Silicon
4
710
913
793.25
1,001.04
1,001.04
Silver
0.6U*
Sodium
12
18
497
172.667
497
497.00
Strontium
4
5.6
63.1
23.35
87.05
87.05
Sulfate
12
16
334
72.583
334
334.00
Thallium
0.4U*
Vanadium
12
23
74.4
38.8
65.47
65.47
Zinc
12
14
89.7
41.558
89.7
89.70
Radionuclides (pCi/g)
Potassium-40
4
17.4
26.1
23.025
32.12
32.12
Radium-226
12
0.134
1.19
0.647
1.25
1.25
Thorium-228
12
0.524
1.59
1.203
1.86
1.86
Thorium-230
11
0.736
1.16
0.971
1.2
1.20
Thorium-232
12
0.561
1.77
1.192
1.95
1.95
Uranium-238
31
0.652
1.69
1.036
1.47
1.47

1 The Kolmogorov-Smirnoff and Anderson-Darling tests were performed to determine if the data set for each analyte had a normal distribution. If the data set had a normal distribution, the 95 percent Upper Confidence Level (UCL) was calculated.
2 For data sets that did not have normal distribution, a non-parametric tolerance interval (95 percentile) was calculated.
* Undetected in background soil. Value preceding the U is the detection limit.


Table 2 summarizes the findings from United Cleanup Oak Ridge's (UCOR) 2015 study of groundwater background concentrations in the Oak Ridge Reservation. The values can be found in Preliminary Determiniation of Background Groundwater Concentrations for the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Table 2: ORR Unfiltered Groundwater Background Concentrations
Analyte
Frequency of Detection
Min1
Mean
Max
Dist.2
UCL903
UCL954
UTL95/955
Metals (mg/L)
Aluminum
33/51
0.001
0.17
4.25
X*
0.447
0.572
---
Antimony
3/52
6.0E-05
0.035
1.8
X*
0.161
0.218
---
Arsenic
8/56
4.1E-04
0.001
0.004
X*
0.002
0.002
---
Barium
47/52
0.001
0.068
0.245
X*
0.093
0.104
---
Beryllium
1/40
5.5E-05
4.5E-04
0.01
X
0.001
0.002
---
Boron
27/50
0.023
0.169
0.705
X*
0.232
0.26
---
Cadmium
1/52
1.1E-04
2.6E-04
0.001
X
3.3E-04
3.6E-04
---
Calcium
58/59
0.018
43.8
329
X*
61.4
69.4
329
Chromium
23/56
3.0E-04
0.002
0.005
X*
0.002
0.003
---
Cobalt
11/37
2.0E-05
3.9E-04
0.005
X*
7.3E-04
8.8E-04
---
Copper
33/38
1.7E-04
0.007
0.03
L*
0.01
0.011
0.065
Iron
46/53
0.001
0.631
11.6
L*
0.857
1.05
4.15
Lead
48/65
5.0E-05
0.002
0.012
L*
0.002
0.002
0.009
Lithium
48/51
9.5E-05
0.014
0.06
X*
0.021
0.025
---
Magnesium
58/59
0.012
11.2
30.4
X*
14.8
16.4
30.4
Manganese
33/44
1.1E-04
0.026
0.28
L*
0.058
0.076
0.35
Mercury
0/40
1.5E-05
4.2E-05
2.1E-04
O
---
---
---
Molybdenum
1/8
2.0E-05
0.002
0.002
X
0.002
0.003
---
Nickel
41/51
1.3E-04
0.002
0.006
X*
0.002
0.002
---
Niobium
2/3
1.4E-05
1.8E-05
3.7E-04
L*
2.3E-05
2.7E-05
---
Phosphorous
10/12
0.005
0.034
0.09
N*
0.045
0.049
0.106
Potassium
59/59
0.055
2.03
8.3
X
2.63
2.9
8.3
Selenium
5/53
4.8E-04
0.002
0.003
X*
0.003
0.003
---
Silica
31/31
0.1
12.3
39.5
X
16.1
17.8
---
Silver
6/38
1.6E-08
4.3E-04
0.035
X*
0.002
0.002
---
Sodium
69/69
0.5
31.5
241
X
50.2
58.6
241
Strontium
50/51
2.4E-04
0.183
0.785
G*
0.222
0.234
0.777
Thallium
31/52
1.5E-05
3.7E-04
0.002
X*
5.5E-04
6.3E-04
---
Uranium
36/51
5.0E-06
4.1E-04
0.01
X*
8.5E-04
0.001
---
Vanadium
11/41
5.0E-06
0.001
0.005
X*
0.002
0.002
---
Zinc
57/59
3.8E-04
0.082
2.87
X*
0.228
0.294
2.87
Anions (mg/L)
Chloride
65/70
0.948
7.32
72.5
X*
11.2
13.0
72.5
Fluoride
52/56
0.025
0.398
3.48
G*
0.495
0.528
1.67
Nitrate
19/23
0.001
0.699
2.4
X*
1.16
1.37
---
Nitrate/Nitrite
50/60
0.004
0.548
3
X*
0.794
0.906
3
Nitrite
1/33
0.001
0.002
0.01
X
0.003
0.004
---
Nitrogen, NO3 & NO2
1/1
0.075
0.075
0.075
D
---
---
---
Sulfate
69/70
1.25
12.3
119
L*
14.0
14.8
49.0
Sulfide
0/1
0.5
0.5
0.5
O
---
---
---
Physical Properties
Calcium Hardness (mg/L)
4/4
1.75
69.9
172
N
131
157
452
Conductivity (μmhos/cm)
52/52
2.4
417
985
X
500
538
---
Dissolved Residue (mg/L)
24/24
67
230
604
L
262
273
566
Hardness, total as CaCO3 (mg/L)
1/1
218
218
218
D
---
---
---
Suspended Residue (mg/L)
10/10
2
26.4
200
G
69.4
97.6
274
Total Hardness (mg/L)
48/49
1.9
150
301
X*
187
203
---
pH
51/51
6.35
7.83
9.64
X
8.11
8.24
---
Radionuclides (pCi/L)
Actinium-228
2/2
12.3
13.9
15.5
D
---
---
---
Alpha activity
31/73
-3.1
1.26
9.9
X
1.98
2.3
9.9
Americium-241
0/5
0.017
0.097
0.26
N
0.165
0.191
0.512
Beta activity
43/73
0
2.6
22.0
L
3.1
3.26
9.89
Bismuth-212
2/2
34.2
56.1
78
D
---
---
---
Bismuth-214
66/66
10.6
82.1
312
L
96.6
101
287
Carbon-14
1/8
-7
-1.53
8.4
N
0.792
1.58
13.2
Curium-243/244
1/5
-0.02
0.093
0.22
N
0.168
0.197
0.552
Gamma Radionuclides
0/1
9
9
9
O
---
---
---
Lead-212
7/7
8.7
14.4
29
L
19.7
22.5
60.7
Lead-214
65/65
13.5
75.0
294
L
85.2
89.0
244
Neptunium-237
0/5
0.02
0.033
0.05
N
0.042
0.046
0.091
Plutonium-238
0/5
-0.022
0.005
0.028
N
0.02
0.026
0.094
Plutonium-239/240
0/5
-0.064
-0.002
0.032
N
0.024
0.034
0.156
Potassium-40
2/2
62
62
62
D
---
---
---
Radium-226
5/7
-1.2
0.52
2.33
N
1.11
1.32
4.23
Radium-228
3/4
0.055
2.05
7.56
L
5.29
6.99
---
Strontium-89
13/67
-0.76
0.233
10
X
0.875
1.17
10
Strontium-90
24/67
-0.68
0.127
2
L
0.376
0.41
1.74
Technetium-99
20/49
-0.55
0.35
1.6
L
0.767
0.799
2.2
Thallium-208
1/1
3.3
3.3
3.3
D
---
---
---
Thorium-228
0/3
0.05
0.067
0.09
N
0.089
0.102
0.226
Thorium-230
3/3
0.34
0.36
0.4
X
0.42
0.447
---
Thorium-232
1/3
0.041
0.08
0.12
N
0.123
0.147
0.383
Tritium
32/69
-170
60.3
310
X
93.9
109
310
Uranium-234
28/34
0.04
0.258
0.94
L
0.332
0.358
1.1
Uranium-235
3/34
-0.037
0.038
0.106
N
0.045
0.047
0.105
Uranium-238
14/34
-0.052
0.093
0.35
L
0.129
0.139
0.428
Wet Chemistry (mg/L)
Acidity
3/5
0.35
4.08
10
N*
6.96
8.08
15.2
Acidity as CaCO3
1/1
11
11
11
D
---
---
---
Alkalinity
62/62
49
207
559
L
227
234
494
Alkalinity as CaCO3
8/8
155
204
257
N
223
230
328
Ammonia
3/4
0.017
0.057
0.07
N*
0.071
0.077
0.121
Cyanide
0/1
0.015
0.015
0.015
O
---
---
---
Dissolved Solids
41/41
41
222
491
L
249
257
534

1 The minimum is either the minimum of the detected value or one half of the minimum non-detect detection limit.
2 Dist. = distribution. Distribution flags are defined as:

D = UCL90 and UCL95 were not calculated with fewer than three samples.
G = gamma. UCL90 and UCL95 were calculated using either the adjusted or unadjusted gamma.
L = lognormal. UCL90 and UCL95 were calculated using Land's statistic, Chebyshev minimum variance unbiased estimator, or nonparametric Chebyshev inequality method.
N = normal. UCL90 and UCL95 were calculated using t statistic.
O = no detected results to calculate some summary statistics.
X = neither normal, lognormal, nor gamma. UCL90 and UCL95 were calculated using a nonparametric bootstrap or the nonparametric Chebyshev inequality method.
* Kaplan-Meier estimates of the mean, median, and standard deviation are shown for inorganics with at least one non-detect and two distinct detected results.

3 UCL90 = upper confidence limit on the mean concentration with 90% confidence using both detects and non-detects
4 UCL95 = upper confidence limit on the mean concentration with 95% confidence using both detects and non-detects
5 UTL95/95 = upper tolerance limit on the maximum concentration with 95% confidence and 95% coverage using both detects and non-detects
--- = Not applicable, not available or insufficient data to calculate the statistic



Table 3 compares the groundwater background concentrations determined by United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR)'s 2015 study to groundwater quality data published by the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Table 3: Comparison of background concentrations to published groundwater quality data
Analyte
USGS 2011
USGS 2010
USGS 2008
USGS 1997
UCOR 2015
Percentile Concentrations
UTL
50th (median)
90th
50th (median)
90th
50th (median)
90th
50th (median)
90th
50th (median)
90th
95/95
Inorganics and physical properties (mg/L)
Alkalinity (as CaCO3)
---
---
158
295
156
325
122
253
212.5
257
328.1
Aluminum
0.0033
0.016
< 0.001
0.0058
0.00189
0.00528
---
---
0.0094
0.19
---
Ammonia (as N)
---
---
0.01
0.5
0.02
0.33
0.03
0.15
0.06
0.07
0.121
Antimony
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
---
---
6.4E-04
8.3E-04
---
Arsenic
0.00041
0.005
< 0.001
0.0094
0.0092
0.00753
---
---
9.0E-04
0.0013
---
Barium
0.047
0.24
0.0467
0.1641
0.05
0.219
---
---
0.05
0.14
---
Beryllium
< 0.001
< 0.001
ND
ND
< 0.001
< 0.001
---
---
< 0.001
< 0.001
---
Bicarbonate
---
---
---
---
---
---
150
310
---
---
---
Boron
0.026
0.16
0.0514
0.3609
0.024
0.218
---
---
0.14
0.355
---
Bromide
---
---
0.07
0.3
0.04
0.2
---
---
---
---
---
Cadmium
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
---
---
< 0.001
< 0.001
---
Calcium
---
---
50.5
98
43
95.3
42
108
42.6
74
328.8
Carbonate
---
---
---
---
---
---
149
---
---
---
Chloride
---
---
16.5
100.7
8.6
62.8
6
33
3.4
15.9
72.45
Chromium
0.0012
0.005
< 0.001
0.0043
0.0081
0.004
---
---
0.0012
0.0024
---
Cobalt
0.00016
0.0013
< 0.001
< 0.001
0.00011
0.00052
---
---
2.8E-04
< 0.006
---
Copper
0.001
0.0011
0.0012
0.0055
0.00107
0.0123
---
---
0.0043
0.0175
0.065
Fluoride
---
---
0.2
1
0.2
1.1
0.2
0.4
0.13
1.065
1.67
Hardness (as CaCO3)
---
---
182.3
350.8
162
370
149
359
218
218
---
Iron
0.0011
2.1
< 0.010
0.7142
0.00853
1.11
0.1
2.2
0.064
1.46
4.15
Lead
0.00012
0.0012
< 0.001
0.0018
8.0E-05
0.00109
---
---
8.0E-04
0.0037
0.009
Lithium
0.0028
0.011
0.0048
0.0789
0.00587
0.0438
---
---
0.0041
0.044
---
Magnesium
---
---
10.7
33.4
11
36
10
33
9.65
26.1
30.35
Manganese
0.013
0.37
0.0016
0.0971
0.00206
0.172
0.04
0.76
0.0021
0.079
0.35
Molybdenum
0.00054
0.005
0.0011
0.0067
0.00092
0.006
---
---
< 0.004
< 0.004
---
Nickel
0.001
0.0045
< 0.001
0.0041
0.0007
0.003
---
---
0.0011
0.005
---
Nitrate, as N
---
---
0.7
5.3
0.55
5.79
3.1
14
---
---
---
pH
---
---
7.3
7.9
7.3
7.9
7.3
7.9
7.7
8.935
---
Phosphorus (dissolved, as P)
---
---
0.01
0.1
0.01
0.11
0.02
0.07
---
---
---
Phosphorus (total)
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
0.03
0.08
0.106
Potassium
---
---
2.4
8
1.7
6.6
1.1
7.3
1.65
4.05
8.3
Selenium
< 0.001
0.0011
< 0.001
0.0019
0.00059
0.00302
---
---
0.0015
< 0.0035
---
Silver
< 0.001
< 0.001
ND
ND
< 0.001
< 0.001
---
---
3.0E-05
< 0.005
---
Sodium
---
---
21
91.9
11
78.7
5.8
27
5.3
110
241
Specific conductance (μS/cm)
---
---
471
964
417
945
380
817
388
594
---
Strontium
0.16
0.89
0.3845
1.8113
0.207
2.24
---
---
0.11
0.465
0.777
Sulfate
---
---
21.8
133.5
14.4
94
20
78
7
27
49
Thallium
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
< 0.001
---
---
2.8E-04
6.8E-04
---
Total Dissolved solids
---
---
293.4
615
254
590
226
499
198
375.5
534.3
Uranium
0.00017
0.0045
< 0.001
0.0069
0.00039
0.00803
---
---
2.3E-04
6.9E-04
---
Vanadium
0.0004
0.01
0.0025
0.0219
0.00129
0.0204
---
---
6.2E-04
< 0.005
---
Zinc
0.0041
0.056
0.0037
0.0224
0.00857
0.0999
---
---
0.014
0.11
2.87
Radionuclides (pCi/L)
Gross alpha
---
---
1.8
12
< 3
8.7
---
---
< 1
< 3
9.9
Gross beta
---
---
4.8
11.4
< 4
10.8
---
---
1.8
4.4
9.89
Radium-226
---
---
0.83
7.53
---
---
---
---
0.355
2.33
4.23
Radium-228
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
0.29
7.56
---
Radon-222
430
2,100
326
1,156
434
2,150
---
---
---
---
---

--- = Not applicable, not available, or insufficient data to calculate the statistic



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