A field survey of environmental tritium in areas adjacent to ORNL solid-waste storage areas
A survey of tritium concentrations in surface water, shallow well water, and atmospheric moisture was made throughout the White Oak Creek Watershed in 1986. Environmental tritium concentrations were elevated south of SWSA-4 and SWSA-5, which seem to be the major contributors of tritium to the watershed. Patterns of tritium in air moisture, surface water, and pine tree cores indicated that there is a major area of tritium migration from SWSA-5 near the middle drainage tributary. Studies at a location south of SWSA-5 showed that tritium concentrations in subsoil water (>10 cm deep) were relatively constant to a depth of 80 cm. Concentrations of tritium in surface soil water (0 to 10 cm) were two to three times less than in the subsoil. Tritium concentrations in air moisture at different heights aboveground were more uniform during summer than during winter. This difference is attributed to the presence of water vapor transpired by tree foliage and the drying of surface soil during the summer months. Tritium concentrations in tree cores from pines south of SWSA-5 indicated that tritium migration in the vicinity of the middle drainage tributary has perhaps increased during the last 10 years. At this time, it is not known to what extent the tree core data are representative of tritium discharges from SWSA-5 as a whole.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6479888
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-10438; ON: DE87011707
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Environmental Sciences Division Publication No. 2914
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ENVIRONMENT
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
ORNL
RADIOACTIVITY
TRITIUM
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SOILS
SOLID WASTES
SURFACE WATERS
WASTE STORAGE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
STORAGE
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
510300* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects