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Title: Concentration of radionuclides in fresh water fish downstream of Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant

Abstract

Fish were collected for radionuclide analysis over a 5-month period in 1984 from creeks downstream of the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant, which has been discharging quantities of some fission and activation products to the waterway since 1981. Among the fish, the bluegill was selected for intensive study because it is very territorial and the radionuclide concentrations detected should be representative of the levels in the local environment at the downstream locations sampled. Among the gamma-emitting radionuclides routinely released, only /sup 134/Cs and /sup 137/Cs were detected in the edible flesh of fish. Concentrations in the flesh of fish decreased with distance from the plant. The relationship between concentration and distance was determined to be exponential. Exponential equations were generated to estimate concentrations in fish at downstream locations where no site-specific information was available. Mean concentrations of /sup 137/Cs in bluegill collected during April, May, July and August from specific downstream stations were not significantly different in spite of the release of 131 mCi to the creeks between April and August. The concentrations in fish are not responding to changes in water concentrations brought about by plant discharges. Diet appears to be a more significant factor than size or weightmore » or water concentration in regulating body burdens of /sup 137/Cs in these fish.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5491982
Report Number(s):
UCID-20295
ON: DE86011005
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; CESIUM 134; RADIOACTIVITY; CESIUM 137; FISHES; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RANCHO SECO-1 REACTOR; RANCHO SECO-2 REACTOR; STREAMS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CESIUM ISOTOPES; ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; MASS TRANSFER; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; POWER REACTORS; PWR TYPE REACTORS; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTORS; SURFACE WATERS; VERTEBRATES; WATER COOLED REACTORS; WATER MODERATED REACTORS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 520302* - Environment, Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987); 560172 - Radiation Effects- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology- Animals- (-1987)

Citation Formats

Noshkin, V E, Eagle, R J, Dawson, J M, Brunk, J L, and Wong, X M. Concentration of radionuclides in fresh water fish downstream of Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant. United States: N. p., 1984. Web. doi:10.2172/5491982.
Noshkin, V E, Eagle, R J, Dawson, J M, Brunk, J L, & Wong, X M. Concentration of radionuclides in fresh water fish downstream of Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5491982
Noshkin, V E, Eagle, R J, Dawson, J M, Brunk, J L, and Wong, X M. 1984. "Concentration of radionuclides in fresh water fish downstream of Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5491982. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5491982.
@article{osti_5491982,
title = {Concentration of radionuclides in fresh water fish downstream of Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant},
author = {Noshkin, V E and Eagle, R J and Dawson, J M and Brunk, J L and Wong, X M},
abstractNote = {Fish were collected for radionuclide analysis over a 5-month period in 1984 from creeks downstream of the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant, which has been discharging quantities of some fission and activation products to the waterway since 1981. Among the fish, the bluegill was selected for intensive study because it is very territorial and the radionuclide concentrations detected should be representative of the levels in the local environment at the downstream locations sampled. Among the gamma-emitting radionuclides routinely released, only /sup 134/Cs and /sup 137/Cs were detected in the edible flesh of fish. Concentrations in the flesh of fish decreased with distance from the plant. The relationship between concentration and distance was determined to be exponential. Exponential equations were generated to estimate concentrations in fish at downstream locations where no site-specific information was available. Mean concentrations of /sup 137/Cs in bluegill collected during April, May, July and August from specific downstream stations were not significantly different in spite of the release of 131 mCi to the creeks between April and August. The concentrations in fish are not responding to changes in water concentrations brought about by plant discharges. Diet appears to be a more significant factor than size or weight or water concentration in regulating body burdens of /sup 137/Cs in these fish.},
doi = {10.2172/5491982},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5491982}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Dec 27 00:00:00 EST 1984},
month = {Thu Dec 27 00:00:00 EST 1984}
}