Distribution of mercury, Cesium-137, and plutonium in an intermittent stream at Los Alamos
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM
The results of a study on the distribution of Hg, /sup 137/Cs, /sup 238/Pu, and /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu in channel sediments and adjacent bank soils in an intermittent stream used for treated liquid effluent disposal since 1963 are summarized. Concentrations of the three radionuclides and Hg in stream bank soils were comparable to adjacent channel sediments demonstrating that the stream bank serves as a deposition site for chemicals released to the channel. This finding has important implications on the long-term behavior of effluent contaminants since other studies at Los Alamos have shown that the vegetated stream banks retard downstream movement of chemicals bound to soils and provide a pathway for transport of these materials to biota. Concentrations of the radionuclides and mercury were more uniformly distributed with distance and depth in the channel sediments than in the bank soils. The action of periodic surface water in the channel partially explains those differences. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that 50 to 85% of the variability in contaminant concentrations in bank and channel locations was due to variation with distance while depth contributed relatively little to variability.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6690225
- Journal Information:
- J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Vol. 9:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
CESIUM 137
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
MERCURY
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
LASL
LIQUID WASTES
SEDIMENTS
SOILS
STREAMS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520300* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1989)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)