Removal of radioisotopes from the Columbia River by natural processes

Technical Report · Tue Apr 10 04:00:00 EST 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5716289· OSTI ID:5716289

Nielsen, J M; Perkins, R W

Some radioisotopes are introduced into the Columbia River by return of the water used to cool the Hanford reactors. Trace amounts of both fission product and activation product radioisotopes are present and measurable by sensitive radiochemical methods to allow determination of the self-purification processes occurring as the water moves downstream. By comparing the radioisotope input at given times with the amounts present in the river after traveling downstream, a measure of the self-purification rate was obtained. Removal in the first 40 miles downstream from the reactors was about 35% for 15 of the most prominent radioisotopes. The removal rate seemed to decrease with subsequent distance traveled downstream for three radioisotopes for which measurements were made. Radiochemical analyses of water, filterable solids, and sediment samples taken at downstream locations indicate that incorporation in sediments accounts for most of the removal. Because of the intense scouring action of the Columbia River, sediments are deposited in significant amounts only in slack water sections. The first extensive slack water section downstream from Hanford is the McNary Dam reservoir, Lake Wallula. Radiochemical analyses of some of the long-lived radioisotopes, including Mn/sup 54/, Co/sup 60/, Zn/sup 65/, and Cs/sup 147/ on sectioned sediment core samples indicate a widely varying rate of deposition of radioisotopes. Dating of the various sections of the cores was accomplished using isotope ratio measurements.

• Research Organization: General Electric Co., Richland, WA (USA). Hanford Atomic Products Operation
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-52
• OSTI ID: 5716289
• Report Number(s): HW-SA-2411
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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520302* -- Environment
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 147
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
COLUMBIA RIVER
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DEPOSITION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISSION PRODUCTS
HAPO
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MANGANESE 54
MANGANESE ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZINC 65
ZINC ISOTOPES