Radionuclides in sediments collected downstream from the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Generating Station

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5691324

Wong, K M; Eagle, R J; Dawson, J M; Brunk, J L; Noshkin, V E

Amounts of radionuclides discharged since 1981 with liquid effluents from the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Generating Station contained in downstream sediments were determined. Of the total /sup 137/Cs released since 1981, only 20% was found associated with bottom sediments sampled to a distance of 26 km from the plant. It is estimated that most of the unaccounted for /sup 137/Cs (40 to 60%) was transferred to land during the irrigation seasons. Soil samples from irrigated land contain /sup 137/Cs but no estimate of the land inventory has been made to date. Larger fractions of the particle reactive radionuclides, such as /sup 60/Co, /sup 54/Mn and /sup 110m/Ag, were found in the sediment deposits and the highest concentrations of these radionuclides were found in the on-site retention basins. Concentrations of /sup 137/Cs in sediment samples from the creek near the plant were extremely variable even over small spatial distances. However by averaging the inventories in sediments near the plant and comparing these with the downstream levels, a reasonable exponential regression equation (r/sup 2/ = 0.88) was developed to relate the 1984 inventories of /sup 137/Cs in the top 12 cm of bottom sediment with downstream distance. The change in the /sup 137/Cs sediment inventories with distance parallels the downstream change found for /sup 137/Cs concentrations in fish. Concentrations in non-migratory fresh water fish from any downstream location may be estimated from the creek sediment concentrations.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5691324
• Report Number(s): UCID-20298; ON: DE86011012
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520302* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560172 -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Animals-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
ENVIRONMENT
FISHES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOMERS
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MANGANESE 54
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MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
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RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RANCHO SECO-1 REACTOR
RANCHO SECO-2 REACTOR
REACTORS
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SILVER 110
SILVER ISOTOPES
VERTEBRATES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES