Decline of radionuclides in Columbia River biota
In January 1971, the last of nine plutonium production reactors using direct discharge of once-through cooling waters into the Columbia River was closed. Sampling was initiated at three stations on the Columbia River to document the decline of the radionuclide body burdens in the biota of the Columbia River ecosystem. The data show that in a river-reservoir complex, the measurable body burden of fission-produced radionuclides decreased to essentially undetectable levels within 18 to 24 mo after cessation of discharge of once-through cooling water into the river. On the basis of data from the free-flowing station, we believe that this decrease would be even more rapid in an unimpounded river.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-06-1830
- OSTI ID:
- 5664491
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-3269
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY BURDEN
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
COLUMBIA RIVER
CONTAMINATION
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HANFORD RESERVATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MANGANESE 54
MANGANESE ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RIVERS
SCANDIUM 46
SCANDIUM ISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZINC 65
ZINC ISOTOPES