Radiochemical quality of water in the shallow aquifer in Mortandad Canyon, 1967-1978
Mortandad Canyon receives treated industrial liquid effluents that contain trace amounts of radionuclides. The effluents, other waste water, and storm runoff recharge a shallow aquifer in the alluvium of the canyon. The aquifer lies within the Los Alamos National Laboratory boundaries. Analyses for gross alpha, gross beta, /sup 137/Cs, /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/Pu, /sup 241/Am, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 3/H, and total U have been made of water in the aquifer from 1967 through 1978. Average concentrations of the radionuclides in solution decrease downgradient in the canyon with the exception of /sup 3/H. Average /sup 3/H concentrations were highest in the Middle Canyon. Inventories of most radionuclides in the water indicate that in 1978 less than 1% of the total amount released with the effluents in the canyon from 1963 through 1978 remained in solution. The amount of total U in solution in 1978 was about 16% of the total amount released. If there is no significant change in the amounts of radionuclides received at the treatment plant and methods of treatment remain the same, the projected estimates of radionuclide concentrations in the aquifer will increase about 80% from 1978 to 1990. The average concentrations in 1978 and projected concentrations in 1990 of gross alpha, /sup 137/Cs, /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/Pu, /sup 241/Am, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 3/H, and total U are less than 1% of the Department of Energy's concentration guides (CG) for areas with controlled public access. Gross beta radioactivity in 1978 was 2% of the CG and is projected to increase to 3% of the CG by 1990.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6193506
- Report Number(s):
- LA-9675-MS; ON: DE83013324
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Water-- (1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA PARTICLES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AQUIFERS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLES
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DISASTERS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INVENTORIES
ISOTOPES
LASL
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RUNOFF
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
STORMS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TRITIUM
URANIUM
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER QUALITY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES