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Title: Distribution of mercury, Cesium-137, and plutonium in an intermittent stream at Los Alamos

Abstract

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.

Authors:
 [1]; ; ;
  1. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6690225
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 9:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 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)

Citation Formats

Hakonson, T E, White, G C, Gladney, E S, and Dreicer, M. Distribution of mercury, Cesium-137, and plutonium in an intermittent stream at Los Alamos. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2134/jeq1980.00472425000900020026x.
Hakonson, T E, White, G C, Gladney, E S, & Dreicer, M. Distribution of mercury, Cesium-137, and plutonium in an intermittent stream at Los Alamos. United States. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1980.00472425000900020026x
Hakonson, T E, White, G C, Gladney, E S, and Dreicer, M. 1980. "Distribution of mercury, Cesium-137, and plutonium in an intermittent stream at Los Alamos". United States. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1980.00472425000900020026x.
@article{osti_6690225,
title = {Distribution of mercury, Cesium-137, and plutonium in an intermittent stream at Los Alamos},
author = {Hakonson, T E and White, G C and Gladney, E S and Dreicer, M},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.2134/jeq1980.00472425000900020026x},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6690225}, journal = {J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 9:2,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980},
month = {Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980}
}