Plutonium and cesium radionuclides in the Hudson River Estuary. Annual technical progress report, December 1, 1974--November 30, 1975

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1975

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4171724· OSTI ID:4171724

Simpson, H J; Williams, S C

We have obtained a large set of gravity cores from the Hudson Estuary through much of the ambient salinity range. A number of core sections have been analyzed for $sup 137$Cs, $sup 134$Cs, $sup 60$Co, and $sup 40$K by direct gamma counting, and for $sup 239$$,$$sup 240$Pu by alpha-spectrometry. The distribution of both $sup 137$Cs and $sup 239$$,$$sup 240$Pu indicates rapid accumulation in marginal cove areas and in the harbor region adjacent to New York City. The distribution of both $sup 137$Cs and $sup 239$$,$$sup 240$Pu in the sediments is quite similar in surface sediments, and the trends with depth in cores are also similar. The ratio of sediment $sup 239$$,$$sup 240$Pu to $sup 137$Cs throughout the sampled salinity range (0-20 $sup 0$$/$$sub 00$) approximates that in fallout, except near the nuclear reactor at Indian Point where releases of $sup 137$Cs result in a ratio lower (0.004 to 0.008) than typical of fallout (0.015). Measurement amounts of reactor-derived $sup 134$Cs, $sup 60$Co, and $sup 54$Mn are found in nearly all of the samples containing appreciable $sup 137$Cs. These samples were between 15 km upstream of Indian Point reactor site and the downstream extent of our sampling, 70 km south of the reactor. (auth)

• Research Organization: Columbia Univ., Palisades, N.Y. (USA). Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory
• NSA Number: NSA-33-005583
• OSTI ID: 4171724
• Report Number(s): COO--2529-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*CESIUM 134-- RADIATION MONITORING
*CESIUM 137-- RADIATION MONITORING
*COBALT 60-- RADIATION MONITORING
*FALLOUT DEPOSITS-- RADIATION MONITORING
*HUDSON RIVER-- RADIATION MONITORING
*PLUTONIUM 239-- RADIATION MONITORING
*POTASSIUM 40-- RADIATION MONITORING
*RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS-- RADIATION MONITORING
520300* --Environmental Sciences
Aquatic--Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BOREHOLES
DEPTH
ENVIRONMENT
INDIAN POINT-1 REACTOR
INDIAN POINT-2 REACTOR
INDIAN POINT-3 REACTOR
N44300* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radioactivity Monitoring & Transport
N77900 --Reactors--Reactor Safety & Environmental Aspects
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 240
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SAMPLING
SEDIMENTS