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Title: Plutonium, cesium and uranium series radionuclides in the Hudson River estuary and other environments. Annual technical progress report, 1 December 1980-30 November 1981

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5823101

Radionuclide activities were measured in sediment cores and suspended particle samples throughout the salinity range of the Hudson River estuary. Activities of /sup 137/Cs, /sup 134/Cs, /sup 60/Co, /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 238/Pu indicate reasonably rapid accumulation rates in the sediments of marginal cove areas, and very rapid deposition in the harbor region adjacent to New York City, resulting in /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu accumulations there more than an order of magnitude greater than the fallout delivery rate. Fallout /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu reaching the Hudson is almost completely retained within the systems by particle deposition, while 80 to 90% of the /sup 137/Cs derived from both reactor releases and fallout is exported to the coastal waters in solution. Depth profiles of radionuclides in Hudson sediments are not significantly altered by physical mixing processes in the sediments in areas accumulating particles at greater than 1 cm/yr.

Research Organization:
Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY (USA). Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory
DOE Contract Number:
AS02-76EV12529
OSTI ID:
5823101
Report Number(s):
DOE/EV/12529-T1; COO-2529-19; ON: DE82000658; TRN: 82-000979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English