Ecological aspects of decommissioning and decontamination of facilities on the Hanford Reservation

Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7333999· OSTI ID:7333999

Rickard, W H; Klepper, E L

The Hanford environment and biota are described in relation to decommissioning of obsolescent facilities contaminated with low-levels of radioactive materials. The aridity at Hanford limits both the productivity and diversity of biota. Both productivity and diversity are increased when water is added, as for example on the margins of ponds. Certain plants, especially Salsola kali (Russian thistle or tumbleweed), are avid accumulators of minerals and will accumulate radioactive materials if their roots come into contact with contaminated soils. Data on concentration ratios (pCi per gDW of plant/pCi per gDW soil) are given for several native plants for long-lived radionuclides. Plants are generally more resistant than animals to ionizing radiation so that impacts of high-level radiation sources would be expected to occur primarily in the animals. Mammals and birds are discussed along with information on where they are to be found on the Reservation and what role they may play in the long-term management of radioactive wastes. Food habits of animals are discussed and plants which are palatable to common herbivores are listed. Food chains leading to man are shown to be very limited, including a soil-plant-mule deer-man path for terrestrial sites and a pond-waterfowl-man pathway for pond sites. Retention basins are discussed as an example of how an ecologically sound decommissioningprogram might be planned. Finally, burial of large volumes of low-level wastes can probably be done if barriers to biological invasion are provided.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: E(45-1)-1830
• OSTI ID: 7333999
• Report Number(s): BNWL-2033; TRN: 77-000445
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
CESIUM 137
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
HAPO
DECONTAMINATION
LAND USE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
IODINE 131
PLUTONIUM 239
SOILS
RADIOACTIVITY
STRONTIUM 90
SURFACE WATERS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
BIRDS
DECOMMISSIONING
ENVIRONMENT
FOOD CHAINS
LIQUID WASTES
PLANTS
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
SOLID WASTES
WILD ANIMALS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOMASS
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CLEANING
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
510302* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
520302 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)
520500 - Environment
Aquatic- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)