This document provides an overview of a project to enhance remediation of tritiated groundwater at the Savannah River Site using artificial lighting. It discusses the background of the site, including mixed waste storage and tritium contamination issues. The rationale for using artificial lighting to increase transpiration rates and further reduce tritium levels is presented. The objectives, approaches, deliverables, and literature review topics to support the project are also outlined.

1. Enhanced Remediation of Tritiated
Groundwater Using Artificial Lighting
at the Savannah River Site
Matthew Lawrence, Keaton Mauldin, Dustin Trail, Andrew Shumpert, Karli King, and Sarah Langston
Clemson University, Clemson, SC
October 21st, 2021

2. Outline
• Introduction
• Background
• Rationale
• Objective
• Approaches
• Deliverables
• Literature Review
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Acknowledgements

3. Introduction

4. Background
• Nearly one quarter of all global deaths are due to environmental factors (Prüss-
Ustün et al., 2016)
• Properly managing existing environmental hazards and reducing future hazards
is consequential to public health and safety
• Waste is one of the environmental hazards that needs to be addressed. With
population growth and urbanization increasing, waste generation is expected to
increase by 70% over the next three decades (Kaza et al., 2018)
• An increase in waste production must mean increasing the focus on proper
management of the different types of waste produced in order to protect public
health.

5. Mixed Waste
• Mixed waste contains both chemically hazardous and
radioactive components
• This waste faces more stringent regulations than
residential or municipal waste because of the increased
risks to public health and the environment
• Low-level mixed waste (LLMW) is a form of mixed waste
that is not highly radioactive and does not contain spent
nuclear fuel or a nuclear byproduct
• Yet, it still creates many safety, containment, and
storage concerns
• The Department of Energy has an estimated 226,000
cubic meters of low-level mixed waste will require
management over the next 20 years (EPA, 2016)
Background
Figure 1. Demonstration of radioactive waste and hazardous
waste combining to form mixed waste

6. Savannah River Site (SRS)
• SRS is owned by The Department of Energy and is home
to many mixed waste storage facilities
• One of these is a 76-acre area called the Old Radioactive
Waste Burial Ground. This area is used to store radioactive
waste in underground containers designed to limit
contamination
• Due to container degradation, the waste inside has seeped
into the surrounding soil and has allowed radioactive
contaminants like tritium, a low-energy beta-particle-
emitting radioisotope of hydrogen, to enter the
groundwater (Flach et al., 1994)
• This movement into surface flows increases the chance of
human contact or ingestion. Higher concentrations, over
1600 picocuries of tritium per liter of water, are directly
related to increased health risk such as cancer (Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, 2006)
Background
Figure 2. Photo of a facility in the Savannah River Site

7. Facility Location Maps
• The Savannah River Site is home to many different
waste management projects
• Past production of nuclear material at the SRS created
unstable by-products such as radioactive liquid waste
• There were over 35 million gallons of radioactive
liquid waste stored in 43 underground tanks in the
entire SRS
• The Fourmile Branch Burial site is where the scope of
this project is taking place. This is adjacent to the
Fourmile Branch, a tributary of the Savannah River
• The tanks stored there leaked radioactive tritium that
seeped into the ground water
• This radioactive ground water then goes into a
retention pond and that water is then irrigated to
trees
Background
Figure 3: Map of The SRS and layout of different facilities

8. Remediation at the Savannah River Site
• Currently, there is an irrigation remediation system in place on a 60-acre plot of forest in the SRS
• This waste management strategy is a two-component system:
1. Contaminated groundwater is collected into a retention pond and an irrigation system is
used to distribute the tritiated water across the forest (Hitchcock, 2005)
2. Trees and other plants within the SRS take up the tritiated water where 99.7% is released
into the atmosphere as water vapor and just 0.3% becomes organically bound. Tritiated
water vapor released into the atmosphere is diluted and the location is remote enough to
ensure human safety
• The USDA Forest Service is seeking to increase transpiration rates and water demand of this
section of forest in order to increase irrigation and reduce total tritium levels entering the
Fourmile Branch

9. Remediation at the Savannah River Site
Figure 4. Seep flow retention pond and pump system Figure 5. Irrigation piping system

10. Rationale
• The groundwater captured by the retention pond contains elevated levels of tritiated water
• Increased levels of radiation due to tritium exposure will negatively impact public health
• The current phytoremediation method of contaminated water irrigation and forest evapotranspiration has
been successful at limiting the amount of tritium entering the Fourmile Branch from an initial 500 pCi/mL to
a range of 100-200 pCi/mL (Hitchcock, 2005)
• Developing methods to enhance the transpiration rates of the irrigated section of forest are needed to
further decrease tritium levels entering the Fourmile Branch and are critical in reducing potential safety
concerns while also meeting an increasing waste treatment demand
• One method is to use artificial lighting to increase the total forest transpiration. Grow lighting is a proven
and effective way to increase transpiration and can be scaled according to plot size, cost, or remediation
need
• Therefore, artificial lighting can be used to increase the transpiration and water demand of the trees which
will both release more tritium into the atmosphere as tritium gas and bind more tritium into the biomass of
trees as organically bound tritium

11. Rationale
• Tritiated water vapor will become diluted in the atmosphere, and as the site is far from inhabited
areas, exposure to atmospheric tritium poses far less risk than the concentrated tritiated water in the
Fourmile Branch.
• Wildlife exposure will be lower, even close to the site, than exposure resulting from drinking
contaminated tritiated water from the pond. Furthermore, wildlife in the area is not sensitive, or species of
increased concern? No real way to say this without sounding callous.
• Impact on trees?

12. Objective
• The objective of this project is to develop a full-scale array of artificial lights
to increase transpiration of tritiated groundwater by the forest in order to enhance
the remediation process

13. Approaches
Task 1: To perform site assessment, technology review and data acquisition on
USDA's current remediation irrigation system and contaminant levels of tritium
Task 2: To conduct a site visit of the project location to assess the working area
Task 3: To select artificial lighting options and explore feasibility of various light
configurations
Task 4: To design an artificial lighting system that increases the efficiency of tritium
remediation
Task 5: To produce experimental and theoretical models which determine the effect of artificial
lighting on transpiration
Task 6: To provide a plan of light locations within the Fourmile Branch watershed for
the selected design using ArcGIS
Task 7: To develop a model of the selected design using Solid Works and AutoCAD
Task 8: To estimate the material, installation, and maintenance costs of the project

14. Client Deliverables
Deliverable 1: A proposal of artificial lighting options and conceptual designs with
approximate costs
Deliverable 2: A plan of light and support structure locations within the site
Deliverable 3: A full-scale design of an artificial lighting system and the
percentage of increased transpiration
Deliverable 4: A cost analysis of the full-scale design

15. Hazardous
Waste
Management
Engineering
Ecology
Hydrology Pollution
Forestry
Environmental
Remediation

16. Literature Review

17. Tritium
• Tritium is a radioactive isotope of
hydrogen with one proton and
two neutrons
• Tritium has a radioactive half-life of
12 years
• Tritium decays by emitting low
energy β-waves
• These waves travel an average of
0.56 µm and a maximum of 6 µm
• For every gram of tritium, 9.7 kCi
is emitted
• The bomb dropped on Hiroshima
released 216 TCi of radioactive
fission particles into the
atmosphere
Literature Review
Figure 6. β-decay of tritium atom

18. Health Effects of Tritium
• Tritium can be taken into the body via
inhalation, absorption, or ingestion
• When tritium is taken into the body it
will enter the circulatory system of
bodily fluids and eventually be
expelled
• Tritium has a biological half-life of 10 days
• 5 to 6% of the tritium that enters the
body will stay in the body as
organically bound tritium (OBT)
• The short-term component of OBT has a
biological half-life of 40 days and the long-
term component has a biological half-life
of one year
Literature Review
Figure 7. Movement of tritium through the body

19. Symptoms of Ionizing Radiation in Humans
Deterministic
• Occurs when human tissue stem
cells die
• Acromia
• Skin lesions
• Hematopoietic disorders
• Permanent infertility
• Cataracts
• Fetal death and malformation
Stochastic
• Occurs when tritium builds up
over a long amount of time
• Solid cancers
• Leukemia

20. Transpiration of Tritium
• Tritium enters trees in a similar manner as water
• The tritium enters through the xylem sap of
the tree and then flows up the tree due to
the bulk energy flow along the free energy
gradient
• Tritium concentration will increase in the plant
until the concentration in the plant and the soil
are equal
• When HTO vapor reaches the sub-stomatal
cavity, it becomes a liquid in the plant's solvent
system
• At this point the tritium will diffuse
throughout the rest of the plant
• 0.06% to 0.3% of the tritium that enters a plant
will be converted into organically bound tritium-
are we sticking with this and not what the new
article says
Literature Review
Figure 8. Water movement up a tree

21. Photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis is the primary means by which nearly all organic material has been produced
• Photosynthetic plants use light energy to synthesize carbon-based energy molecules
• These plants use chloroplasts, a specialized light absorbing cell, to capture light energy
and use it to transfer electrons to an electron transport chain producing ATP and NADHP
(O’Connor, 2014)
• The chloroplast molecules replace the lost electrons with electrons from water
• The oxidation of water splits the molecule where oxygen and hydrogen are released
through the stoma, small pores on the leaf and plant surface that control gas exchange
• A simplified version of this chemical equation is (Main Structures and Summary of
Photosynthesis, 2021):
• 6CO2 + 6H2O + Light Energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2
• For tritiated water H2O becomes 3H2O
Literature Review

22. • Light energy is necessary for photosynthesis to occur
• The type of light energy needed is called
photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) which is
light in the 400-700 nm wavelength range
• PAR is the portion of the light spectrum utilized by plants
during photosynthesis
• The amount of light energy needed is called the
photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) which is the
rate at which moles of light photons land on a unit area
• The PPFD has been shown to change the net primary
productivity (NPP), the net carbon gained through
photosynthesis (Aniszewski et al., 2008)
• A PPFD of 330 µmol/m2/s will increase NPP at
temperatures of 5, 15, and 25 degrees C
• Below these levels of PPFD, NPP can be reduced at
these same temperatures
Literature Review
Light Type and Intensity
Table 1. Effects of varying levels of photosynthetic photon flux density and temperature on
net primary productivity

23. Literature Review
Light Intensity
• PPFD can be converted from µmol/m2/s to an irradiance value, the
flux of radiant energy per unit area, in W/m2 by the conversion factor
of 0.217 (Carruthers, 2001)
• While 330 µmol/m2/s or 71.68 W/m2 increased photosynthesis in the
previous study, an irradiance of 150 W/m2 is a conservative goal for
this project since factors like humidity, air temperature, and wind
cannot be controlled
• For a reference of irradiance values, the sun at solar noon provides
approximately 1000 W/m2 at the Earth’s surface

24. Phytoremediation at SRS
• Phytoremediation is the direct use of plants to
clean up mixed waste from soil or water
• The plants will either trap and hold, or transpire
the contaminants
• There were approximately 3 million curies of
tritium buried since the mid – 1950s and about
470,000 Curies left in the year 2000
• This natural process of phytoremediation is
very safe, the amount of radiation workers at
SRS are exposed to is too small to be measured
but estimated about 4.4 millirem per year and
the amount of exposure to the public is even
lower because of time and distance
• The exposure to natural radiation people will
come in contact within a year is about 360
millirem per year, so this number of 4.4
millirem per year at SRS is not a concern
Literature Review
Figure 9. Current irrigation used at SRS

25. Literature Review
Current Phytoremediation Irrigation System at SRS
• The current phytoremediation project
was created in 2001
• This figure shows how tritiated water
seeps down into the ground and travels
as ground water to the retention pond
• The tritiated water is then pumped out
of the pond and irrigated into the forest
• The forest then transpires some of the
water into the atmosphere and some
returns to the retention pond and the
whole process then repeats itself Figure 10. Basic concept of The SRS phytoremediation project

26. Case Study – Transpiration at SRS
• Case study done by Luvall and Murphy in 1982 at SRS
• This is a study done to determine how much water
young pine trees transpired as well as the concentration
of tritium in this transpired water
• 21 picocuries of tritium were placed inside of 3 ml of
water, and then this water was placed inside of the pine
trees
• This amount of tritium was used as a tracer and the
concentration of tritium transpired was then recorded
• The amount of transpiration (L/day) and the
concentration of tritium (nCi/ml) were then gathered
• This experiment was done for 3 different trees during
two different times of the year (July and February)
• The trees transpired an average of 40 liters/day in July
and 8.3 liters/day in February
Literature Review
Figure 11. Graph of concentration of tritium transpired by
trees in July

27. Literature Review
Transpiration Surface Energy Equation
• The main model used to estimate tree
evapotranspiration is the eddy covariance technique
• Latent heat flux and sap flow transpiration rates are used
to validate the surface energy balance model
• Measurements are acquired using images at different
times and spatial resolutions from flux towers and with
the use of heat dissipation probes
• The eddy covariance flux tower is the
micrometeorological method which continuously
measures the vertical concentration gradients of gases. It
directly measures the amount of H2O vapor that blows in
and out of a system
• This is a statistical method used in many applications
such as hydrology, agricultural science, and
government regulatory fields to determine water
exchange rates.
• Changes in temperature, humidity, and wind speed can
cause changes in partitioning the energy budget
Figure 12. View of a typical eddy covariance tower for flux measurements

28. Literature Review
Transpiration Surface Energy Equation
γET = Latent Heat Flux (W/m2)
Rn = Net Radiation at a specific acquisition time (W/m2)
G0 = Soil heat flux at ground level at a specific acquisition time (W/m2)
H = Sensible heat flux (W/m2)

29. Photoperiodism
• Following a late summer photoperiod, pine seedling are grown in 14.5
hours of daytime with 9.5 hours of nighttime
• If a light interruption during the dark period is introduced, even using
a 200-watt incandescent light for 30 minutes, it will lead to more than
twice the vertical growth and growth earlier in the season
• Pine experienced the most growth on photoperiods of 14 hours and
16 hours
Literature Review

30. Artificial Lighting
• Vegetative growth includes the growth of roots, stems, cambium and bud growth. The
rate of which is influenced by the length of day time, as during the summer, growth is
high whereas during short winter days, vegetative growth becomes more dormant
• The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of interrupting the natural
photoperiod on the vegetative growth for one-year old loblolly seedlings
• Seedlings received natural daylight as well as an additional 3 hours of light via 30 ft-c
illumination using 100 watt incandescent bulbs. The natural photoperiod was for the
winter, which was compared to an uninterrupted 8-hour photoperiod
• Loblolly Pine stop growing early enough in the season that the photoperiods, although
decreasing in length, it was still long enough to induce resumption of growth
• Treatments with dark-period interruption in controlling growth loblolly pine are effective,
as it was shown that the growth was maintained with a longer photoperiod of 14 hours.
On a 16-hour photoperiod, growth was also maintained, though not continuously
Literature Review

31. Fertilizer in reservoir
• This study looked at an 18-year-old mature loblolly pine stand that after thinning had a density of
732 trees/ha. Diammonium phosphate fertilizer was broadcasted across the forest. Six years later,
the forest was once again thinned, this time to a density of 534 trees/ha and fertilized with urea,
monocalcium phosphate, and potash (200 kg/ha N, 50 kg/ha P, and 50 kg/ha K)
• With fertilization there was no change in needle leaf physiology but the annual foliage mass of
the trees increased
Literature Review
Table 2. Means (±SE) of annual foliage mass and daily whole-crown photosynthesis (Pn)and
transpiration (E) of 18-year-old loblolly pine trees in response to fertilization.

32. Literature Review
Concerns and Considerations
• It is important to note that this is not a perfect solution to
remediate tritium
• Shell Game
• Why is it ok to pump radioactive material into the atmosphere
• Tritium is basically biologically inert in the atmosphere
• Tritium is already present in the atmosphere
• Every year 4 M Ci of tritium are produced by cosmic waves and the atmospheric equilibrium for
naturally occurring tritium is 70 M Ci
• Highly diluted tritium in the atmosphere is safer than the acute threat to those exposed to
drinking water that comes from the four-mile branch
• Effects on trees
• We don't completely know the effects tritium will have on trees
• Some negative effects are observed at this site; however, it is unclear if it is from
tritium concentration or over watering
Click to add text

33. Materials and Methods

34. Materials and Methods
Site Assessment
• Evaluation of the existing site:
• Accessibility
• Layout of forest and irrigation
sites
• Retention pond and pump
system
• Potential locations for
mounting structures and lights
Figure 13. One of the vehicle access roads within the site area

35. Materials and Methods
Modeling
• Experimental Model:
• Determining the effects of artificial lighting on pine and oak via mass balance
• Theoretical Model:
• Determining percent change in transpiration over the whole forest
• GIS Model:
• Mapping the irrigation site locations and dimensions within the SRS using ArcGIS
• Stella Architect Model:
• Calculating the theoretical reduction in tritium after applying the artificial lighting
array using Stella Architect
• CAD Model:
• Showing individual designs of the artificial light created using SolidWorks 3D and
AutoCAD

36. Materials and Methods
Experimental Model
• Clippings from oak and pine trees were placed
into 1000 mL beakers of water and initial masses
were taken of each
• 2 beakers of pine clippings
• 2 beakers of oak clippings
• 2 beakers of water (control)
• One set of oak and pine samples was placed away
from the light
• Other set of oak and pine samples was placed
18" under a grow light
• The grow light ran from 12 AM to 6 AM
• 18" from grow light provided irradiance of 268 W/m2
• All samples were placed on the windowsill in
the morning to allow equal exposure to
sunlight
Figure 15. Oak, control, and pine samples without artificial light
Figure 16. Oak, control and pine samples with artificial light

37. Materials and Methods
Experimental Model
• After 24 hours the
mass of each sample
and the surface area
of the leaves were
measured
• The surface area of
the leaves was
estimated by pulling
the leaves from the
branches and
arranging them in
rectangular shape
Figure 17. Surface area estimation of oak and
pine leaves

38. Materials and Methods
Theoretical Model Using R Console
• Using a theoretical model created in R and provided by Dr. Jeffrey
Atkins of the USDA Forest Service, values for percentage increases in
transpiration were generated
• The model relies on meteorological and atmospheric data collected
over a three-year period using an eddy-covariance tower placed in an
area adjacent to the irrigated section of the forest

39. Materials and Method
Sample of Theoretical Modeling Code
Figure 18. Samples of R Console model for percent increase in
yearly transpiration

40. Materials and Methods
Tritium Transpiration Model Using Stella Architect
• Stella Architect will be used to model the amount of tritium released
into the atmosphere and the amount that remains in the tree
• Parameters:
• Total amount of tritium, 196,400 curies total
• Total storage capacity of the seep flow retention pond, 9.6 million liters
• Tritium concentration in Fourmile Branch,2.046 Ci/mL
• Average amount of water transpired (Summer), 40 L/day
• Tritium uptake by the tree,
• Organically bound tritium = 0.3% of total amount of tritium uptake
• HT(transpired tritium) = 99.7% of total amount of tritium uptake

41. Materials and Methods
Stella Architect Model
Figure 19. Stella model of transpiration of tritium

42. Results

43. Results
Experimental Model
• The volume of water transpired was determined
by subtracting the volume of water evaporated
from the control of each scenario from the
volume of water lost by each sample
• Transpiration per area was then determined by
dividing the volume transpired by the surface
area of the corresponding sample
• Dividing the transpiration per area by the
duration of the experiment determined the
transpiration rate for each sample, which was
then compared between the samples with light
and without light to determine a difference in
transpiration per type
• Evapotranspiration = Evaporation + Transpiration
• These can be shown as changes in water volume per
unit area
• Solving for Transpiration:
Table 3. Transpiration rate data for pine and oak
Exp. #​ Condition​ Sample​
Vol. Water
Transpired [mL]​
Transp. Per Area
[cm2
]​
Transpiration
[um/s]​
1
Light​
Pine​ 38.11 70.33 8.14
Oak​ 42.13 50.23 5.81
No Light​
Pine​ 52.16 40.62 4.70
Oak​ 16.05 11.10 1.29
2
Light​
Pine​ 89.27 216.20 25.02
Oak​ 17.05 28.27 3.27
No Light​
Pine​ 107.32 148.53 17.19
Oak​ 15.05 22.42 2.60
3
Light​
Pine​ 65.20 144.36 16.71
Oak​ 7.02 8.64 1.00
No Light​
Pine​ 37.11 82.18 9.51
Oak​ 8.02 11.10 1.29

44. Results
Experimental Model
• Qualitatively, it was determined that some of the plant cuttings left under
the artificial light were drier compared to the ones without the extra
lighting
• Oak and pines will pull water away from leaves in times of drought to maintain water
resources in more vital structures of the plant
• Both experiments had similar cross sectional stem areas among species,
and therefore similar vascular systems and water uptake capabilities
• From the dryness of the artificially lit plants, we can conclude they were
not able to take up the necessary amount of water to maintain turgor in
the leaves
• Therefore, the plants with light had a greater demand for water and would
be capable of transpiring more if they had root systems

45. Results
Experimental Model
• Exposing pine cuttings to 268
W/m2 of artificial light for 6
hours at night increased
transpiration by an average of
58.8%
• After conducting a site
assessment, it was determined
that pine would be the focus of
the project
Experiment
Percent Change in Transpiration for
Pine Cuttings
1 73.1
2 45.6
3 75.7
Average 58.8
Table 4. Percent change in transpiration rate

46. Conclusion of Results
Theoretical vs Experimental Models
• Comparing the theoretical model calculations to the experimental model
measurements, using an average irradiance of 268 W/m2:
• Theoretical model: 48% increase in transpiration
• Experimental model: 58.8% increase in transpiration
• Both models show similar increases in percent transpiration for this irradiance value

47. Results
Sites of Interest
• The sites of interest within the
SRS were identified using
ArcGIS Pro
• These sites include: the Old
Radioactive Waste Burial
Ground, the Original Irrigation
Site, the West Irrigation Site,
the East Irrigation Site, the
Retention Pond, and the
Fourmile Branch
• Based on size and accessibility,
the West Irrigation Site was
chosen as the primary site to
install the artificial grow
lighting
Old Radioactive Waste Burial Ground
Retention Pond
East Irrigation Site
West Irrigation Site
Original Irrigation Site
Fourmile Branch
Figure 20. Satellite image of sites of interest within the SRS

48. Results
Site Dimensions
• The West Irrigation Site is split into three
separate sections
• The areas and the lengths of sides of
these three sections were determined
using ArcGIS Pro
• Center numbers with white labels denote
the area of each section in hectares
• The black labels around the perimeter are
side lengths in meters
• Total site area is 5.35 ha
• Total perimeter is 1.53 km
• The West Irrigation Site is solely pine
planted in rows 5 m apart
Figure 21. Satellite image of West Irrigation Site

49. Results
Artificial Light Design using AutoCAD
• Overall light structure was
modeled using AutoCAD
• Lights will be suspended on
cables attaching to poles placed
at each corner of the perimeter
• Lights will be placed at crown
level, with the potential of
raising the cable as the trees
grow
Figure 25. Example of lighting structure for a 170 m perimeter section, with a section zoomed in to display dimensions above

50. Results
Artificial Light Design using SolidWorks
• Based on our research, cost analysis, emitting
wavelength, and intensity needed to increase tree
transpiration, we decided the best grow light to
implement from an online retailer was the
CannabisMax II (CM2) grow light.
• This is a photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)
spectrum light specifically designed for growing
plants
• Contains LED broad spectrum lights with intensity
in the 600-800nm spectrum
• Design includes a 30 ft pole with one CannabisMax
II commercial grow light
• Each light fixture produces 960 Watts of energy
with 120 lumens per watt Figure 22. SolidWorks model of lighting structure

51. Results
Artificial Light Design using SolidWorks
• Total needed lights for the
perimeter of the forest is 306 lights
• Permanent pole fixtures
• Can accommodate up to a
50° angle
Figure 23 & 24. Pole structure and profile view of lighting structure

52. Results
Cost Analysis: Lights
West Site
Section 1 Sides Side Lengths [m] Number of Trees
1 179.08 36
2 43.92 9
3 144.64 29
4 116.17 23
5 185.36 37
West Site
Section 2 Sides
1 178.93 36
2 30.18 6
3 148.61 30
4 95.56 19
5 141.02 28
West Site
Section 3 Sides
1 62.07 12
2 61.56 12
3 22.64 5
4 32.57 7
5 85.22 17
Totals 1527.53 306
• Each CannabisMax II costs $990 and
can provide 150 W/m2 over an area of
6.27 m2
• Trees in the West Irrigation Site are
separated in rows every 5 m
• Placing one light on each tree along
the perimeter of the site would
require 306 lights, costing $302,936
Table 5. Lengths of the West Irrigation Site sections based on ArcGIS
data and number of trees per side

53. Results
Cost Analysis: Mounting Structures
• The most cost-effective way to hang
306 lights around the forest is to use
10 m wooden utility poles near each
corner of the forest and run steel
cables between the poles
• The poles will be set 3 m away from the
corners of the forest
• Each utility pole costs $640, and one
would be placed at each corner of the
West Irrigation Site sections
• This would require 51 poles totaling
$32,640
• 1500 m of ½ inch galvanized steel cable
will cost $5000 Figure 26. Wooden utility poles would be placed at each
corner of each section, offset by 3 m, totaling 15 poles

54. Results
Cost Analysis: Solar Power and Batteries
• Since the West Irrigation Site does not have access to line power, solar
power must be used
• One 370-watt solar panel can power two lights
• One solar panel costs $400, and the system will require 153 solar panels totaling
approx. $61,200
• One light will require two deep cycle batteries
• One battery will cost $620, and the system will require 612 batteries totaling
$379,440
• This brings the total material costs to roughly $760,000. This includes
lights, utility poles, steel cable, solar panels, and batteries

55. Results
Cost Analysis: Total Material Costs
$302,936.94
$9,600.00
$4,995.00
$61,200.00
$379,440.00
Total Material Costs
Lights Utility Poles Steel Cables Solar Panels Batteries
Cost per Each Total Quantity Total Costs
Lights $989.99 306 $302,936.94
Utility Poles $640.00 15 $9,600.00
Steel Cables $3.33 1500 $4,995.00
Solar Panels $400.00 153 $61,200.00
Batteries $620.00 612 $379,440.00
Total Total Cost $758,171.94
Material Costs
Table 6. Material costs for the artificial lighting system
Figure 27. Material costs for artificial lighting system

56. Conclusion of Results
Expected Change in Transpiration
• After developing the full-scale design, the theoretical model was used in order to determine the effect of the
artificial lighting system on transpiration of the West Irrigation Site
• The theoretical model inputs were the average irradiance values over the entire pine forest area
• This average irradiance is calculated by multiplying the irradiance from the lighting system by the ratio of illuminated area versus
total area of forest
• Average Irradiance = Irradiance from Lights * (Illuminated Area/Total Area)
• Lighting the entire forest at 150 W/m2 would increase transpiration by 28%
• Since the perimeter of the forest is just 3.9% of the total area
• By lighting only the perimeter, the average irradiance over the entire forest decreases to 5.81 W/m2
• This will increase the entire site transpiration by 1.04%
Table 7. Theoretical model calculations of average irradiance when lighting the perimeter canopy
Site Avg. Irradiance [W/m2]
Percent Transpiration
Increase
West Site Section 1 2.54 0.45%
West Site Section 2 2.26 0.40%
West Site Section 3 1.00 0.18%
Total 5.81 1.04%

57. Acknowledgements
We would like to thank our project contact Dr. Jeffrey Atkins for his continuous support, guidance and experience on the project.
Furthermore, we feel very grateful for having had the ability to conduct a site visit and see the project in-person
Thank Professor Sternhagen
We would also like to thank Dr. Caye Drapcho, for helping us look at this project from new perspectives and reconnect the situation
at hand with the knowledge we have learned in some of our engineering courses.
Finally, we would like to thank Dr. Christophe Darnault for providing us with the knowledge and ability to complete this presentation.
Additionally, we would like to thank Clemson University and the EEES Department for providing accessibility to all needed equipment
and software.

58. Thank you

59. References
Environmental Protection Agency. (2016, April 4). Mixed wastes. Retrieved from
https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/web/html/mixed.html
Flach, G. P., Kenzleiter, J. P., Rehder, T. E. (1994). Mixed Waste Management Facility (MWMF) Old Burial Ground
(OBG) Source Control Technology & Inventory Study. Aiken, SC: Westinghouse Savannah River
Company. Retrieved from
https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/28/038/28038100.pdf
Hitchcock, D. R., Barton, C. D., Rebel, K. T., Singer, J., Seaman, J. C., Dan Strawbridge, J., Blake, J. I. (2005). A
containment and disposition strategy for tritium-contaminated groundwater at the Savannah River
Site, South Carolina, United States. Environmental Geosciences, 12(1), 17-28.
Kaza, S., Yao, L. C., Bhada-Tata, P., & Van Woerden, F. (2018). What a waste 2.0: A global snapshot of solid
waste management to 2050. World Bank Group. Retrieved from
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/30317
NRC, Tritium, Radiation Protection Limits, and Drinking Water Standards. (2006). United States Nuclear
Regulatory Commission
Prüss-Ustün, A., Wolf, J., Bos, R., Neira, M. (2016). Preventing disease through healthy environments: A
global assessment of the environmental burden of disease. World Health Organization. Retrieved
from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565196
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60. Next Steps
Upcoming questions

61. Pole Spacing
• SOMEHOW we want 306 lights- at 1 light every 5 meter around the
perimeter
• 6.27 m * 306 lights
• 16 poles
• Telescoping or power pole

62. Shear Stress of Cable’s Weight on Pole
• Will a wooden power pole support cable with light weight of ~42 lb,
• And how many lights can one cable support? Being how many poles would we
have to have?

63. Solar Panel Research

65. Acknowledgments

66. Tritium leaves the water…
SOME stays in the tree as OBT
SOME is released in the air as HT

67. Gantt Chart - Project Timeline