ORNLERASE - EPA DOSE COMPLIANCE CONCENTRATIONS FOR RADIONUCLIDES IN BUILDINGS

BDCCs (Dose Compliance Concentrations for Radionuclides in Buildings) presented in this dataset are dose-based concentrations, derived from standardized equations combining exposure information assumptions with EPA dose conversion factors, that are used for Superfund/RCRA programs. They are designed by the Agency to achieve protective cleanup levels for humans (including sensitive groups) over a lifetime. Recommended BDCCs are not always applicable to a particular site, however, and do not address non-human health endpoints such as ecological impacts. The recommended BDCCs contained in the BDCC table are generic; that is, they are calculated without site-specific information. BDCCs often are used for site "screening" and as initial cleanup goals, if appropriate. The recommended BDCCs in this dataset are not de facto cleanup standards and should not be applied as such. The recommended BDCC's role in site "screening" is typically to help identify areas, contaminants, and conditions that do not require further federal attention at a particular site. Generally, at sites where contaminant concentrations fall below BDCCs, no further action or study is warranted under the Superfund program, so long as the exposure assumptions at a site match those taken into account by the BDCC calculations. Radionuclide concentrations above the BDCC would not automatically designate a site as "dirty" or trigger a response action. Exceeding a BDCC suggests that further evaluation of the potential dose that may be posed by site contaminants is appropriate. BDCCs may also be useful tools for identifying initial cleanup goals at a site. In this role, BDCCs can provide long-term targets to use during the analysis of different remedial alternatives. By developing BDCCs early in the decision-making process, design staff may be able to streamline the consideration of remedial alternatives.