Preconstruction radioactivity levels in the vicinity of the proposed Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6584829· OSTI ID:6584829

Routine samples of ground water, river water, and bottom sediment were collected from the Clinch River in 1983 in the preconstruction-construction phase of the CRBRP environmental radiological monitoring program. The water samples analyzed for iodine-131 yielded only a slight indication of the presence of I-131 at levels below the nominal lower limit of detection of 0.5 pCi/L. The only significant radioisotopes identified in sediment samples were /sup 137/Cs, /sup 60/Co, and the naturally occurring /sup 40/K. The results for /sup 137/Cs vary from 2.2 to 10.1 pCi/g (dry weight), while the results for /sup 60/Co range from 0.35 to 1.2 pCi/g (dry weight). With the exception of tritium, no significant radioactivity was detected in ground or surface water at the CRBRP site. Tritium concentrations ranging from 12,667 to 12,823 pCi/L were found in samples of surface water taken from the Clinch River below Melton Hill Dam while samples taken at the dam exhibited tritium levels from 28 to 942 pCi/L. These elevated tritium levels in the Clinch River below Melton Hill Dam are attributable to DOE operations at Oak Ridge. The external gamma radiation levels measured at the CRBRP site averaged 17.4 +- 3.2 mR/quarter for 1983. This is consistent with levels measured at TVA's nonoperating nuclear power plant construction sites. 3 figures, 8 tables.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (USA). Radiological Health Staff
• OSTI ID: 6584829
• Report Number(s): TVA/PUB-84/65; ON: DE84901750
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520301* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Water-- (1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
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
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IODINE 131
IODINE ISOTOPES
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
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TRITIUM
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES