Sources, seasonal cycling, and fate of plutonium in a seasonally stratified and radiologically contaminated pond.

ABSTRACT: Unlike short-term laboratory experiments, studies at sites historically contaminated with radionuclides can provide insight into contaminant migration behavior at environmentally-relevant decadal timescales. One such site is Pond B, a seasonally stratified reservoir within Savannah River Site (SC, USA) has low levels (μBq L^-1) of plutonium in the water column. Here, we evaluate the origin of plutonium using high-precision isotope measurements, investigate the impact of water column geochemistry on plutonium cycling during different stratification periods, and re-evaluate long-term mass balance of plutonium in the pond. New isotopic data confirm that reactor-derived plutonium overwhelms input from Northern Hemisphere fallout at this site. Two suggested mechanisms for observed plu

SUBMITTER: Wasserman NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10329635 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature