There's been a lot of chatter in technical journals recently about a growing awareness of technologically enhanced, naturally occurring radioactive materials from increased oil and gas drilling in the United States. The American National Standards Institute (Washington, D.C.) defines TENORM as "naturally occurring radioactive material disturbed or altered from natural settings or present in a technologically enhanced state due to past or present human activities and practices ... ." Because the Earth is a giant ball that contains radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium, radioactive materials are everywhere in varying amounts and concentrations. In the United States, the highest concentrations are in Texas and the other Gulf Coast states, while the Western states have the lowest concentrations, according to the June 2014 edition of Occupational Health & Safety. Officials estimate that about 30 percent of oil and gas wells produce TENORM.
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