Distribution coefficients for radionuclides in aquatic environments. Volume 2. Dialysis experiments in marine environments

Technical Report · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5843132

Sibley, T H; Nevissi, A E; Schell, W R

The overall objective of this research program was to obtain new information that can be used to predict the fate of radionuclides that may enter the aquatic environment from nuclear power plants, waste storage facilities or fuel reprocessing plants. Important parameters for determining fate are the distribution of radionuclides between the soluble and particulate phases and the partitioning of radionuclides among various suspended particulates. This report presents the results of dialysis experiments that were used to study the distribution of radionuclides among suspended sediments, phytoplankton, organic detritus, and filtered sea water. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium distribution of (59)Fe, (60)Co, (65)Zn, (106)Ru, (137)Cs, (207)Bi, (238)Pu, and (241)Am in marine system. Diffusion across the dialysis membranes depends upon the physico-chemical form of the radionuclides, proceeding quite rapidly for ionic species of (137)Cs and (60)Co but much more slowly for radionuclides which occur primarily as colloids and solid precipitates such as (59)Fe, (207)Bi, and (241)Am. All the radionuclides adsorb to suspended particulates although the amount of adsorption depends upon the specific types and concentration of particulates in the system and the selected radionuclide. High affinity of some radionuclides - e.g., (106)Ru and (241)Am - for detritus and phytoplankton suggests that suspended organics may significantly affect the eventual fate of those radionuclides in marine ecosystems.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., Seattle (USA). Coll. of Fisheries
• OSTI ID: 5843132
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-1853-V2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520300* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ADSORPTION
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DIALYSIS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FUNCTIONS
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POLLUTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES