Cs-137 in the Savannah River and the Beaufort-Jasper and Port Wentworth water-treatment plants

Technical Report · Mon Jan 10 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5724581

Hayes, D W; Boni, A L

Cesium-137 concentration measurements made in 1965 are reported for the Savannah River above and below the Savannah River Plant (SRP) and for the Beaufort-Jasper and Port Wentworth water treatment plants down river. These concentrations, measured when four SRP reactors (C, K, L, and P) were operating, were used to estimate Cs-137 reduction ratios for transport in the Savannah River and across each water treatment plant. In 1965 there was a 48% reduction in the Cs-137 concentration in the Savannah River between Highway 301 and the water treatment plant inlet points. Measured Cs-137 values in the finished water from Port Wentworth and the Beaufort-Jasper water treatment plants showed an 80% and 98% reduction in concentration level, respectively, when compared to Cs-137 concentration at Highway 301. The lower Cs-137 concentration (0.04 pCi/l) in the Beaufort-Jasper finished water is attributed to dilution in the canal from inflow of surface water (40%) and sediment cleanup processes that take place in the open portions of the canal (about 17 to 18 miles). Using the 1965 data, maximum Cs-137 concentrations expected in finished water in the Beaufort-Jasper and Port Wentworth water treatment plants following L-Reactor startup were recalculated. The recalculated values are 0.01 and 0.09 pCi/l for Beaufort-Jasper and Port Wentworth, respectively, compared to the 1.05 pCi/l value in the Environmental Assessment.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 5724581
• Report Number(s): DPST-82-1077; ON: DE84000674
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520302* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
L REACTOR
MASS TRANSFER
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PRODUCTION REACTORS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
REACTORS
RIVERS
SAVANNAH RIVER
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SPECIAL PRODUCTION REACTORS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER TREATMENT PLANTS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES