Analysis of small mammal populations inhabiting the environs of a low-level radioactive waste pond.
This study was designed to determine the kinds of small mammals living adjacent to 216-U-10 Pond, the radiation exposures these mice received, and the level and type of radionuclides assimilated while living next to this pond and the 216-Z-19 Ditch. Four species of mice were trapped including the Great Basin pocket mouse, deer mouse, house mouse, and the western harvest mouse. Animals were collected throughout the study and composite tissue samples were analyzed by gamma spectrometry. Also, an analysis for /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Am was performed. The most abundant gamma emitter was /sup 137/Cs with the highest levels occurring at three trapping locations: one near the 216-Z-19 Ditch and two locations adjacent to the pond. House mice captured near the 216-Z-19 Ditch showed the highest levels with one gastrointestinal (GI) tract sample having 1600 pCi /sup 137/Cs/g dry weight. Four tissue types from resident mice were analyzed for Pu and Am concentrations. The tissues analyzed were fur-skin, liver, lung, and muscle-bone. The highest concentration detected was 2.03 pCi /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu/g dry weight in a fur-skin sample from house mice captured on the meadow transect near the pond. Results from radiochemical analyses of mouse tissues showed that pocket mice have the lowest concentrations of radionuclides. Another part of this study involved dosimeters implanted in resident mice to determine gamma exposure. Analyses revealed that mice living in the meadow transect adjacent to the pond receive the highest exposure. Again, house mice had the highest, with an average 54.9 R/yr. Dosimeters were placed in the soil along the trapping transects to measure gamma and thermal neutron exposure rates. The top decimeter of soil had the highest exposure rate with a mean of 75 R/yr in the meadow. Neutron dose in the soil was also highest near the surface with 37 mrad/yr average in the meadow. (ERB)
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-06-1830
- OSTI ID:
- 6423828
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-2479; TRN: 79-011011
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
MICE
GAMMA DOSIMETRY
RADIATION DOSES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
SOILS
NEUTRON DOSIMETRY
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SPATIAL DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TISSUES
RADIOACTIVITY
AMERICIUM 240
CERIUM 144
CESIUM 137
COBALT 60
DOSE RATES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HANFORD RESERVATION
ISOLATED VALUES
KIDNEYS
LIVER
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LUNGS
MANGANESE 54
MUSCLES
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PONDS
POTASSIUM 40
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RUTHENIUM 106
SKELETON
SKIN
TABLES
THERMAL NEUTRONS
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
WILD ANIMALS
ZINC 65
ZIRCONIUM 95
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BARYONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CERIUM ISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT ISOTOPES
DATA
DATA FORMS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
DOSEMETERS
DOSES
DOSIMETRY
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FERMIONS
GLANDS
HADRONS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
MAMMALS
MANAGEMENT
MANGANESE ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RARE EARTH ISOTOPES
RARE EARTH NUCLEI
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
RUTHENIUM ISOTOPES
SPECTROSCOPY
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZINC ISOTOPES
ZIRCONIUM ISOTOPES
560172* - Radiation Effects- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology- Animals- (-1987)
510301 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987)
510302 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects