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Title: Analysis of small mammal populations inhabiting the environs of a low-level radioactive waste pond.

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the kinds of small mammals living adjacent to 216-U-10 Pond, the radiation exposures these mice received, and the level and type of radionuclides assimilated while living next to this pond and the 216-Z-19 Ditch. Four species of mice were trapped including the Great Basin pocket mouse, deer mouse, house mouse, and the western harvest mouse. Animals were collected throughout the study and composite tissue samples were analyzed by gamma spectrometry. Also, an analysis for /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Am was performed. The most abundant gamma emitter was /sup 137/Cs with the highest levels occurring at three trapping locations: one near the 216-Z-19 Ditch and two locations adjacent to the pond. House mice captured near the 216-Z-19 Ditch showed the highest levels with one gastrointestinal (GI) tract sample having 1600 pCi /sup 137/Cs/g dry weight. Four tissue types from resident mice were analyzed for Pu and Am concentrations. The tissues analyzed were fur-skin, liver, lung, and muscle-bone. The highest concentration detected was 2.03 pCi /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu/g dry weight in a fur-skin sample from house mice captured on the meadow transect near the pond. Results from radiochemical analyses of mousemore » tissues showed that pocket mice have the lowest concentrations of radionuclides. Another part of this study involved dosimeters implanted in resident mice to determine gamma exposure. Analyses revealed that mice living in the meadow transect adjacent to the pond receive the highest exposure. Again, house mice had the highest, with an average 54.9 R/yr. Dosimeters were placed in the soil along the trapping transects to measure gamma and thermal neutron exposure rates. The top decimeter of soil had the highest exposure rate with a mean of 75 R/yr in the meadow. Neutron dose in the soil was also highest near the surface with 37 mrad/yr average in the meadow. (ERB)« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
6423828
Report Number(s):
PNL-2479
TRN: 79-011011
DOE Contract Number:  
EY-76-C-06-1830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; MICE; GAMMA DOSIMETRY; RADIATION DOSES; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; TISSUE DISTRIBUTION; SOILS; NEUTRON DOSIMETRY; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SPATIAL DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TISSUES; RADIOACTIVITY; AMERICIUM 240; CERIUM 144; CESIUM 137; COBALT 60; DOSE RATES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY; GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT; HANFORD RESERVATION; ISOLATED VALUES; KIDNEYS; LIVER; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; LUNGS; MANGANESE 54; MUSCLES; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM 240; PONDS; POTASSIUM 40; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RUTHENIUM 106; SKELETON; SKIN; TABLES; THERMAL NEUTRONS; THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS; WILD ANIMALS; ZINC 65; ZIRCONIUM 95; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; AMERICIUM ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BARYONS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BODY; CERIUM ISOTOPES; CESIUM ISOTOPES; COBALT ISOTOPES; DATA; DATA FORMS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DIGESTIVE SYSTEM; DISTRIBUTION; DOSEMETERS; DOSES; DOSIMETRY; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FERMIONS; GLANDS; HADRONS; HEAVY NUCLEI; HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; INFORMATION; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; LUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS; MAMMALS; MANAGEMENT; MANGANESE ISOTOPES; MASS TRANSFER; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRONS; NUCLEI; NUCLEONS; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; ORGANS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; POTASSIUM ISOTOPES; RADIATION DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RARE EARTH ISOTOPES; RARE EARTH NUCLEI; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; RODENTS; RUTHENIUM ISOTOPES; SPECTROSCOPY; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ZINC ISOTOPES; ZIRCONIUM ISOTOPES; 560172* - Radiation Effects- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology- Animals- (-1987); 510301 - Environment, Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987); 510302 - Environment, Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987); 053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects

Citation Formats

Gano, K A. Analysis of small mammal populations inhabiting the environs of a low-level radioactive waste pond.. United States: N. p., 1979. Web. doi:10.2172/6423828.
Gano, K A. Analysis of small mammal populations inhabiting the environs of a low-level radioactive waste pond.. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6423828
Gano, K A. 1979. "Analysis of small mammal populations inhabiting the environs of a low-level radioactive waste pond.". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6423828. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6423828.
@article{osti_6423828,
title = {Analysis of small mammal populations inhabiting the environs of a low-level radioactive waste pond.},
author = {Gano, K A},
abstractNote = {This study was designed to determine the kinds of small mammals living adjacent to 216-U-10 Pond, the radiation exposures these mice received, and the level and type of radionuclides assimilated while living next to this pond and the 216-Z-19 Ditch. Four species of mice were trapped including the Great Basin pocket mouse, deer mouse, house mouse, and the western harvest mouse. Animals were collected throughout the study and composite tissue samples were analyzed by gamma spectrometry. Also, an analysis for /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Am was performed. The most abundant gamma emitter was /sup 137/Cs with the highest levels occurring at three trapping locations: one near the 216-Z-19 Ditch and two locations adjacent to the pond. House mice captured near the 216-Z-19 Ditch showed the highest levels with one gastrointestinal (GI) tract sample having 1600 pCi /sup 137/Cs/g dry weight. Four tissue types from resident mice were analyzed for Pu and Am concentrations. The tissues analyzed were fur-skin, liver, lung, and muscle-bone. The highest concentration detected was 2.03 pCi /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu/g dry weight in a fur-skin sample from house mice captured on the meadow transect near the pond. Results from radiochemical analyses of mouse tissues showed that pocket mice have the lowest concentrations of radionuclides. Another part of this study involved dosimeters implanted in resident mice to determine gamma exposure. Analyses revealed that mice living in the meadow transect adjacent to the pond receive the highest exposure. Again, house mice had the highest, with an average 54.9 R/yr. Dosimeters were placed in the soil along the trapping transects to measure gamma and thermal neutron exposure rates. The top decimeter of soil had the highest exposure rate with a mean of 75 R/yr in the meadow. Neutron dose in the soil was also highest near the surface with 37 mrad/yr average in the meadow. (ERB)},
doi = {10.2172/6423828},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6423828}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1979},
month = {Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1979}
}