Background concentrations of selected radionuclides, organic compounds, and chemical constituents in ground water in the vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

Book · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:6963985

Orr, B R; Cecil, L D; Knobel, L L ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey, Idaho Falls (United States)

Background concentrations of radionuclides, organic compounds, and other chemical constituents in water in the Snake River Plain aquifer in Idaho were estimated from groundwater sample analyses. Detectable concentrations of transuranic elements should not be present in water from the Snake River Plain aquifer. Background concentrations of tritium generally range from 75 to 150 pCi/L. Strontium-90 and iodine-129 concentrations generally are 0 and from 0.05 pCi/L, respectively. At the INEL, comparison of the mean and median concentrations of tritium, strontium-90, and iodine-129 indicates that operations locally have affected concentrations in groundwater. Gross alpha-particle and beta-particle radioactivity in water from the Snake River Plain aquifer ranges from 0 to 5 pCi/L and 0 to 8 pCi/L, respectively. Background gamma radiation in groundwater is attributed to cesium-137, cobalt-60, and potassium-40. Cesium-137 and cobalt-60 concentrations generally are zero in groundwater at the INEL. Naturally occurring concentrations of potassium-40 probably are about 300 pCi/L. Background concentrations of organic compounds in water from the Snake River Plain aquifer generally are less than 0.2 microg/L. Background arsenic and chromium concentrations both are about 2 to 3 microg/L. Barium concentrations are from about 50 to about 70 microg/L. Lead and mercury concentrations generally are less than 5 microg/L and 0.1 microg/L, respectively. Cadmium, selenium, and silver concentrations generally are less than 1 microg/L. Nitrate concentrations range from 0 to about 1.4 mg/L.

• DOE Contract Number: AI07-81ID12306
• OSTI ID: 6963985
• Resource Relation: Related Information: USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4015
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GROUND WATER
CONTAMINATION
IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
WATER POLLUTION
ARSENIC
BARIUM
BASELINE ECOLOGY
CADMIUM
CESIUM 137
CHROMIUM
COBALT 60
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
IODINE 129
LEAD
MERCURY
MONITORING
NITRATES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM 40
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SELENIUM
SILVER
STRONTIUM 90
TRITIUM
ALKA
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT ISOTOPES
ECOLOGY
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NANOSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEMIMETALS
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
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