Radionuclide distributions and sorption behavior in the Susquehanna-Chesapeake Bay system

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6174665

McLean, R I; Domotor, S L; Olsen, C R; Larsen, I L; Lowry, P D

Radionuclides released into the Susquehanna-Chesapeake System from the Three Mile Island, Peach Bottom, and Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plants are partitioned among dissolved, particulate, and biological phases and may thus exist in a number of physical and chemical forms. This project measured the dissolved and particulate distributions of fallout /sup 137/Cs; reactor-released /sup 137/Cs, /sup 134/Cs, /sup 65/Zn, /sup 60/Co, and /sup 58/Co; and naturally occurring /sup 7/Be and /sup 210/Pb in the lower Susquehanna River and Upper Chesapeake Bay. In addition, suspended particles and bottom sediments were chemically leached in the laboratory to determine radionuclide partitioning among different particulate-sorbing phases to complement the site-specific field data. This information has been used to document the important geochemical processes that affect the transport, sorption, distribution, and fate of reactor-released radionuclides (and by analogy, other trace contaminants) in this river-estuarine system. The results from the project provide the information necessary for developing accurate radionuclide-transport and biological-uptake models.

• Research Organization: Maryland Power Plant Research Program, Annapolis (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6174665
• Report Number(s): PB-89-155857/XAB; PPRP/PPER-R-12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BAYS
BERYLLIUM 7
BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CESIUM 134
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
CHESAPEAKE BAY
COBALT 58
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
ESTUARIES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FALLOUT
GEOCHEMISTRY
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROLOGY
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RIVERS
SAMPLING
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
SORPTION
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZINC 65
ZINC ISOTOPES