Radiochemical analyses of game birds collected from the Hanford environs, 1971--1975. [/sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, /sup 65/Zn, /sup 60/Co]

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7218606· OSTI ID:7218606

Fix, J J; Blumer, P J

Game birds were collected routinely on the Hanford Site as a way of monitoring radionuclide concentrations potentially attributable to Hanford operations. In general, radionuclide concentrations attributable to Hanford operations were only slightly greater than or indistinguishable from expected levels attributed to worldwide fallout. An exception was that /sup 137/Cs concentrations, primarily in ducks and coots, were higher than levels attributable to fallout. Only two observations, a /sup 90/Sr concentration of 0.08 pCi/g and a /sup 137/Cs concentration of 5.6 pCi/g in pheasants were attributed to Hanford operations. Only /sup 65/Zn activity observed in geese during 1971 and 1972 was attributed to Hanford operations. Assuming a hunter ingested 5 kilograms of goose meat containing the maximum observed /sup 65/Zn, 1.3 pCi/g, and /sup 137/Cs, 1.0 pCi/g concentrations, a 50-year internal dose commitment to the total body of 0.05 mrem from /sup 65/Zn and 0.3 mrem from /sup 137/Cs would be incurred. The duck data were separated into two components for analysis: ducks collected from the Columbia River, and ducks collected from onsite ponds. With the exception of /sup 65/Zn, the maximum observed concentrations of /sup 60/Co, /sup 90/Sr, and /sup 137/Cs were for ducks collected from onsite ponds. The maximum /sup 65/Zn concentrations were for ducks collected during 1971 from near the Columbia River. Livers from ducks collected from certain onsite ponds were analyzed for U and Pu activity. The majority of the analyses were positive. Only 11 coots were collected from 1971 through 1975, all from onsite ponds; but because coots are less migratory than ducks and may therefore take in more activity from Hanford process ponds, the available data were analyzed. Generally, a much larger fraction of the coots analyzed showed positive analysis for /sup 90/Sr and /sup 137/Cs activity as compared to ducks collected from along the Columbia River.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-06-1830
• OSTI ID: 7218606
• Report Number(s): BNWL-2089
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560162 -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIRDS
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DOSES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HANFORD PRODUCTION REACTORS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MAN
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM PRODUCTION REACTORS
PRIMATES
PRODUCTION REACTORS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZINC 65
ZINC ISOTOPES