Contaminant distributions near Chernobyl: Cesium, lead and mercury in fish and sediments from ponds upwind and downwind of the accident site
- and others
The distribution of contaminants near Chernobyl is extremely patchy, and was highly influenced by prevailing wind direction after the accident. In data from Soviet agencies and their successors, regions to the south and southeast or the reactor reportedly received much less radioactivity than regions in the north and northwest. We visited sites to the south of Chernobyl in 1992, and to the north in 1993; all sites were within 35 km of the power plant. Sediments and fish samples from about 20 ponds were analyzed for radiocesium; Pb and Hg were also determined in fish muscle. Lake sediments in the south contained 0.02 to 11 Bq/g {sup 137}Cs, while those to the north contained up to 2000 Bq/g {sup 137}Cs. Fish muscle also contained much less radioactivity in southern areas ({le} 8.2 Bq/g vs. {le} 212 Bq/g at northern sites). Pb and Hg were elevated in some samples, but the distribution of radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants were not highly correlated. Low ionic strength waters typically favor contaminant uptake; waters in the area were soft (sp. cond < 450 {mu}S/cm) and low in Ca and K. In these regions, water chemistry was a poor predictor of fish contaminant burden, possibly due to the extreme patchiness of the contaminant distribution. Human habitation is presently permitted in the southern regions we visited, but the northern ones. A companion poster has been submitted detailing measurements of genetic anomalies in these fish.
- OSTI ID:
- 549205
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950264-; TRN: 98:000407
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and science innovation exposition, Atlanta, GA (United States), 16-21 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of 1995 AAAS annual meeting and science innovation exposition: Unity in diversity; Strauss, M.S. [ed.]; Heasley, C.; PB: 337 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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