The paper conducted a comprehensive radiological study in the surrounding public zones of the Nevada National Security Site to identify traces of resuspended radioactivity and heavy elemental contamination that might have resulted from various activities. The study used passive and active nuclear methods, specifically gamma spectrometry and instrumental neutron activation analysis, respectively. The results demonstrated that there was no measurable radiological impact on the public zones surrounding the site resulting from the spread of radioactive materials or toxic heavy metals associated with previous or ongoing activities at Nevada National Security Site. The significance of this study is further pronounced in the current geopolitical context, as it establishes the baseline elemental composition for various desert plants for future reference.This work was an collaboration research between the groups of Health, Environment, and Radiation Detection (HERD) and Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) .
The HERD group’s research was recently featured in the latest summer newsletter of the Nevada Water Resources Research Institute (NWRRI). It includes a project spotlight titled “Monitoring Water Quality in the Las Vegas Valley with Nuclear Techniques” and a graduate student interview with Danesha Hunter. Check out the latest NWRRI newsletter at https://www.dri.edu/wp-content/uploads/NWRRIWaterNewsAug24508C.pdf.
Haven Searcy successfully defended his thesis entitled “Developing a Remote Gamma Spectra Collection System for Radiation Sciences at University of Nevada Las Vegas” on September 11th, 2024.
In this project, a practical solution was developed that allows scientists and students alike to be able to analyze already prepared samples either in the lab or remotely from any computer that the admin allows to access the website. The method utilizes a combination of nuclear detection equipment, python coding, a robotic arm, an automatic sampler changer, as well as a VPN to enable professors or researchers to determine who is able to access the results. The process requires samples to be placed in the automatic sample changer capable of holding up to dozen of samples, from there a robotic arm transfers the sample into the high-purity germanium detector. A Lynx Digital Signal Analysis (DSA) module is connected to the detector providing analysis on the content of the sample.
The committee includes Dr. Zaijing Sun (chair), Dr. Steen Madsen, Dr. Vicent Wang, Dr. Yu Kuang, and Dr. Lung-wen Chen.
Haven will start his new job as a Health Physicist at the Nevada National Security Site next month. Congratulations to Haven!
Haven Searcy will defend his thesis entitled “Developing a Remote Gamma Spectra Collection System for Radiation Sciences at University of Nevada Las Vegas” on September 11th, 2024. If you are interested, please consider attend. The defense will be online with Zoom Meeting. The Zoom link are as below:
Sun is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Haven Searcy’s MS Thesis Defense Time: Sep 11, 2024 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Haven Searcy has always considered himself to be a “science nerd.” Growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, Searcy comes from a family of science enthusiasts with both of his parents holding degrees in biology. He knew he would pursue his own career in the sciences, though he wasn’t sure exactly what path he would take.
UNLV and Fort Valley State had an established partnership where select science students at the HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) could attend UNLV on a full scholarship to pursue a second degree.
Now, Searcy is a two-time health physics graduate from UNLV and recently won a Junior Investigator Award for his study on nuclear radiation at the Nevada National Security Site during the Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards’ (CIRMS) annual conference in Maryland.
This summer he’s working at a national research lab and is confident he’s on the right path with health physics.
What drew you to UNLV?
I first came to UNLV as a high schooler to learn more about the opportunities available here. Professor Madsen gave a presentation about health physics, and it really drew me in. I didn’t know anything about health physics until his presentation. He explained to us what UNLV had to offer, and of all the possible partnership programs offered through Fort Valley State, health physics was the most interesting to me.
I also really enjoyed the desert botany here. Growing up in Georgia, I always saw a lot of green. When I came to UNLV, I saw cacti with rocks, and it was all so new to me.
What were you studying before you came to UNLV?
I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Fort Valley State, and health physics seemed like the natural progression after studying chemistry. I had always remembered my campus visit to UNLV from high school and wanted to come here to study health physics.
Can you tell us about your study on nuclear fallout at the Nevada National Security Site?
The Nevada National Security Site was a key location in the production and development of nuclear weapons during and after World War II. More than 900 atomic bomb tests were conducted from 1951 to 1992, culminating with the global nuclear weapons testing moratorium and subsequent test ban treaty. Out of those tests performed, 100 were performed above ground, resulting in significant amounts of contamination in the area.
We mostly analyzed desert flora, including desert bushes, creosote bushes, and Joshua trees to assess environmental exposure. Joshua trees can live up to 80 years, whereas desert bushes only live for about a year. This gave us an understanding of their different lifespans since some flora had been there during the nuclear weapons testing. Using neutron activation analysis, we ran tests, and with the help of the University of California, Irvine’s lab, concluded that there wasn’t any substantial radioactive fallout in the air or in the plants.
What was your reaction to winning the Junior Investigator Award during the CIRMS annual conference?
Honestly, I was quite shocked. There were about 15 other presentations by master’s and doctorate students from universities around the country, so this was a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t met many health physicists before that competition. It was nice to be honored by such a prestigious group.
Now that you’ve graduated with your master’s from UNLV, what comes next?
Right now, I’m working with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. I’m involved with their personal radiation detectors system, and I also work with their international exchange program. We work on preparation for nuclear events, including where it might spread, different release patterns, things like that.
Once that wraps up in August, I’d love to stay in Nevada and work at the National Security Site, where we completed our study. They have a lot of health physics-related work available, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to fit right in.
How did your UNLV experience help you plan for your future?
UNLV has helped me ever since I took that first tour in high school. Once I graduated from Fort Valley State, I came to UNLV and got another bachelor’s in health physics. I hadn’t considered getting my graduate degree until associate professor Sun approached me about it.
I started at UNLV during the pandemic in 2020, so it was a different experience than I had planned for. But the faculty have always been supportive and have taught me so much throughout my time here.
Danesha, Estafany, and Dr. Krishnakumar drove around the Las Vegas and collected water samples around Las Vegas. The sampling site include Lake Las Vegas, Las Vegas Wash, Lake Mead, etc. These water samples will be sent to UCI reactor and neutron irradation.
The paper gives a comprehensive study to assess heavy elemental pollution in the Savannah River through the instrumental neutron activation analysis. The outcome of this investigation has identified a spatial trend along the Savannah River, revealing major elements responsible for pollution that could disrupt the ecological environment and potentially impact human health. This work was conducted by the group of Health, Environment, and Radiation Detection.
The paper introduces the design and implementation of a cost-effective, customized remote gamma-ray spectra collection system centered around the HPGe detector coupled to a cosmic-ray veto background reduction device. Haven Searcy is a graduate student in Environmental Health Physics.
The kickoff meeting for INAA research on water resources took place at the USDA Experimental Station in Reno. Dr. Zaijing Sun, the Principal Investigator (PI) from the Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences at UNLV, Dr. Frank Yang, the Co-PI from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at UNR, and Ms. Christine Kelly, the Co-PI from the Nevada Radon Education Program at the USDA Experiment Station in Reno convened to officially kick off the project titled “Applying Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) to Study the Increasing Toxicity of Heavy Metals in Water Resources in Clark County.” The meeting involved discussions on the environmental challenges confronting Southern Nevada due to the ongoing megadrought and population growth. Agreements were reached regarding the implementation of sample collection and neutron irradiation processes. Following the meeting, Dr. Sun had the opportunity to explore the laboratories at the Water Research Institute at UNR, gaining insights into the facilities’ capabilities.
The kickoff meeting at the USDA Experimental Station in Reno (left: Dr. Yang, middle: Ms. Kelly; right: Dr. Sun)
The primary execution of the research will be led by the HERD group at the UNLV campus. The funding for this project is provided by the USDA Extension through the UNR-UNLV partnership program, contributing to further enhancing UNLV’s status as a land-grant institution.
