Sources, distribution, and mobility of plutonium and radiocesium in soils, sediments and water of the Hudson River Estuary and watershed

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5823095

Linsalata, P

Results of /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, /sup 238/Pu and /sup 137/Cs measurements are reported for soil cores sampled within the watershed, for many sediment cores and surface dredge samples taken along the length of the Hudson River Estuary and for water samples collected on a continuous basis in both fresh and estuarine reaches. Accumulations of /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu and /sup 137/Cs measured within sediment cores taken from discrete regions of the river-estuary were summed to arrive at total sediment inventories of 1.6 +/- 0.7 Ci and 53 +/- 20 Ci, respectively. The variability observed in the sediment accumulation of radionuclides is discussed in terms of the physical and chemical characteristics of the river-estuary. Plutonium-239,240 and /sup 137/Cs were similary distributed in sediments and water sampled from fresh water reaches of the Hudson with activity ratios (i.e., /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu//sup 1/2number/sup 7/Cs) ranging from 0.01 to 0.03. Distribution coefficients, which were determined both in vitro and in situ were similar for both nuclides (i.e., from 1 x 10/sup 5/ to 3 x 10/sup 5/ L.kg/sup -1/) in fresh water, but diverged significantly (as a result of increased /sup 137/Cs solubility) in brackish waters that exhibited chlorinities in excess of 1-2 g Cl/sup -/.L/sup -1/. The concentrations of /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu and /sup 137/Cs observed in fresh water samples were primarily functions of the suspended load. Approximately 60-70% of the annual downstream transport of /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu and /sup 137/Cs calculated during 1980 and 1981 (i.e., 4 +/- 0.5 mCi and 515 +/- 84 mCi, respectively) was associated with suspended particulates greater than or equal to 0.45 ..mu..m. An empirical model was developed to determine the rates of vertical migration of these nuclides in soils of the watershed.

• Research Organization: New York Univ., NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5823095
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510301* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
520301 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Water-- (1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUILDUP
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
ESTUARIES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
HUDSON RIVER
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MONITORING
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER POLLUTION
WATERSHEDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES