Radionuclide contaminant analysis of rodents at a waste burial site, Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Environment, Safety, and Health Div.
Small mammals were sampled at two waste burial sites (Sites 1 and 2) at Area G, TA-54, and a control site outside Area G (Site 3) to identify radionuclides that are present within surface and subsurface soils at waste burial sites, to compare the amount of radionuclide uptake by small mammals at waste burial sites to a control site, and to identify the primary mode of contamination to small mammals, either through surface contact or ingestion/inhalation. Three composite samples of at least five animals per sample were collected at each site. Pelts and carcasses of each animal were separated and analyzed independently. Samples were analyzed for americium ({sup 241}Am), strontium ({sup 90}Sr), plutonium ({sup 238}Pu and {sup 239}Pu), total uranium (U), and examined by gamma spectroscopy (including cesium [{sup 137}Cs]). Significantly higher (parametric t-test at p = 0.05) levels of total U, {sup 241}Am, {sup 238}Pu, and potassium ({sup 40}K) were detected in pelts as compared to the carcasses of small mammals at TA-54. Concentrations of other measured radionuclides in carcasses were nearly equal to or exceeded the mean concentrations in the pelts. The results show higher concentrations in pelts compared to carcasses which is similar to what has been found at waste burial/contaminated sites outside of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Site 1 had significantly higher (alpha = 0.05, P = 0.0095) total U concentrations in carcasses than Sites 2 and 3. Site 2 had significantly higher (alpha = 0.05, P = 0.0195) {sup 239}Pu concentrations in carcasses than either Site 1 or Site 3.
- OSTI ID:
- 422856
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9605266-; TRN: 97:002380
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 9. Annual conference on hazardous waste remediation, Bozeman, MT (United States), 8-10 Jun 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 1996 Hazardous Substance Research Center/Waste-management Education and Research Consortium joint conference on the environment; Erickson, L.E. [ed.] [Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)]; Grant, S.C. [ed.] [Haskell Indian Nations Univ., Lawrence, KS (United States)]; Tillison, D.L.; McDonald, J.P. [eds.]; PB: 706 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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