Hanford-derived plutonium in Columbia River sediments

Journal Article · Fri Nov 20 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.214.4523.913· OSTI ID:5896778

Beasley, T M ^[1]; Ball, L A; Andrews, III, J E; Halverson, J E

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1. Oregon State Univ., Newport

Mass spectrometry data on plutonium isolated from Columbia River sediments exhibit mean ratios of plutonium-240 to plutonium-242 consistent with those observed for integrated global fallout. Ratios of plutonium-240 to plutonium-239 show marked deviations from accepted fallout values, suggesting a second source of plutonium-239. This additional plutonium-239 arises from the decay of neptunium-239 produced in reactor effluent water from the old plutonium production reactors located on the Hanford Reservation. An estimated 20 to 25 percent of the total plutonium inventory in sediments behind McNary Reservoir, the first downriver site of fine sediment accumulation below the Hanford Reservation, is ascribed to reactor operations.

• OSTI ID: 5896778
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Vol. 214; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520301* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Water-- (1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
COLUMBIA RIVER
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECAY
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FALLOUT
FALLOUT DEPOSITS
HANFORD RESERVATION
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEPTUNIUM 239
NEPTUNIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM 242
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PLUTONIUM PRODUCTION REACTORS
POLLUTION SOURCES
PRODUCTION REACTORS
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SPECTROSCOPY
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES