Hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected chemical constituents in water, Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho, 1986 to 1988

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5267510

Orr, B R; Cecil, L D ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey, Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Water Resources Div.

Detectable concentrations of radionuclide- and chemical-waste constituents in water from the Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory decreased during 1986--1988. Decreased radionuclide concentrations are attributed to reduced rates of radionuclide-waste disposal, sorption processes, radioactive decay, dilution from recharge, and changes in waste-disposal practices. Tritium concentrations in aquifer water and strontium-90 concentrations decreased. Cobalt-60 and cesium-137 concentrations exceeded the reporting level in water from only one well during 1986--1988. in 1988, concentrations of plutonium-238 and plutonium-239, -240 (undivided) in water from the Test Area North disposal well were 0.19 {plus minus} 0.05 pCi/L and O.96 {plus minus} 0.08 pCi/L, respectively. The concentration of plutonium-238 in well CFA-1 was 0.11 {plus minus} 0.03 pCi/L in 1987. In subsequent samples, concentrations were less than the reporting level. Sodium, chloride, and nitrate plumes originating from the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant decreased in size since use of the ICPP disposal well was discontinued in 1984. During 1986--1988, the approximate areal extent of the sodium plume decreased from 6.8 to 2.5 square miles, the chloride plume decreased from 17 to 5.2 square miles, and the nitrate plume decreased from 14 to 5 square miles. In 1987, water from wells 65 and 89 contained 280 and 50 {mu}g/L, respectively, of chromium; other water samples contained from less than 1 to 30 {mu}g/L. 52 refs., 17 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Department of Energy, Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Idaho Operations Office; Geological Survey, Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Water Resources Div.
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; DOI; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Department of the Interior, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5267510
• Report Number(s): DOE/ID-22096; USGS-WRI--91-4047; ON: DE91018691
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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