Radionuclides in the marine environment near the Farallon Islands. [/sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/Pu, /sup 240/Pu, /sup 137/Cs]
Isolated sediment areas containing plutonium and cesium radionuclide concentrations exceeding Pacific Ocean global radionuclide fallout levels have been reported in the Farallon Islands radioactive waste disposal area, west of San Francisco. We find the total /sup 239 +240/Pu and /sup 137/Cs inventory of Farallon water columns to be within global fallout levels. The quantity of these radionuclides from nonfallout sources contaminating the sedimentary environment is unknown, but their contribution to the total water column inventory is insignificant compared with present fallout levels. Fish and invertebrates from the disposal region contain body burdens of /sup 239 +240/Pu and /sup 137/Cs no greater than similar species exposed to global fallout. Within deep (2000 m) Farallon sediments, we do find that /sup 238/Pu concentrations exceeding anticipated fallout levels are being remobilized to bottom waters. Fallout plutonium appears to be displaced laterally from the continental shelf down the slope into deeper offshore waters. Remobilized waste from the disposal site probably is displaced in the same manner.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5146605
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-52381
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FALLOUT
FISHES
HEAVY NUCLEI
INVERTEBRATES
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MONITORING
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PACIFIC OCEAN
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES