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

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6352159· OSTI ID:6352159

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

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. In this project, we have 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, we chemically leached suspended particles and bottom sediments 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. Knowledge of the mechanisms, kinetic factors, and processes that affect radionuclide distributions is crucial for predicting their biological availability, toxicity, chemical behavior, physical transport, and accumulation in aquatic systems. The results from this project provide the information necessary for developing accurate radionuclide-transport and biological-uptake models. 76 refs., 12 figs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, Annapolis (USA). Power Plant and Environmental Review Div.
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6352159
• Report Number(s): ORNL/M-637; PPER-R-12; ON: DE89008088
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
520300* -- Environment
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BAYS
BERYLLIUM 7
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BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
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CESIUM 134
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CHEMISTRY
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COBALT 58
COBALT 60
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DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
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ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
ESTUARIES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
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FALLOUT
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HELIUM COOLED REACTORS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
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ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
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LIGHT NUCLEI
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MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
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ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PARTICLES
PEACH BOTTOM-1 REACTOR
PEACH BOTTOM-2 REACTOR
PEACH BOTTOM-3 REACTOR
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
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REACTORS
RIVERS
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
THERMAL REACTORS
THREE MILE ISLAND-1 REACTOR
THREE MILE ISLAND-2 REACTOR
WASTES
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ZINC 65
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