Update of preconstruction radioactivity levels in the vicinity of the proposed Clinch River breeder reactor project

Technical Report · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6013535

Routine samples of ground water, river water, and bottom sediment were collected from the Clinch River in 1977 in the preconstruction-construction phase of the CRBRP environmental radiological monitoring program. The results obtained from the analysis of these samples are similar to those reported earlier. The only significant radioisotopes identified in sediment samples were /sup 137/Cs, /sup 60/Co, and the naturally occurring /sup 40/K. Other than for samples collected in November 1976, the results vary from 0.1 to 13.0 pCi/g (dry weight), with concentration generally increasing with distance downstream from CRM 24.0 to CRM 14.4. The extent to which this relationship may or may not hold below CRM 14.4 is beyond the intended scope of this program. No explanation can be given at this time for the elevated levels of /sup 137/Cs detected in November 1976. These values ranged from 28.0 to 82.6 pCi/g (dry weight), with similar values found at CRM 24.0 above Melton Hill Dam. With the exception of tritium, no significant radioactivity was detected in ground or surface water at the CRBRP site. Tritium concentrations ranging from 368 to 5882 pCi/l were found in samples of surface water taken from the Clinch River below Melton Hill Dam while samples taken above the dam exhibited tritium levels from 56 to 368 pCi/l. These elevated tritium levels in the Clinch River below Melton Hill Dam are attributable to DOE operations at Oak Ridge.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga (USA). Div. of Occupational Health and Safety
• OSTI ID: 6013535
• Report Number(s): TVA/OM/OHS-81/7; ON: DE82900159
• 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
BASELINE ECOLOGY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BREEDER REACTORS
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CLINCH RIVER
CLINCH RIVER BREEDER REACTOR
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DISTRIBUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOLOGY
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM 40
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
POWER REACTORS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SITE SURVEYS
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TRITIUM
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES