Abstract
Authorised low level radioactive waste discharges to sea from the BNFL Sellafield reprocessing plant have led to the accumulation of a wide range of radionuclides in intertidal sediments. The distributions of Pu and Am suggest that these elements are largely immobile in the sediments. Little information can be obtained from most U isotopes but 236U shows a very clear pattern which can be related to changes in reprocessing operations at Sellafield. The profile distribution of 237Np appears not to reflect the likely discharge history, suggesting that this element is mobile. A more detailed study of transuranic element concentrations in sediment pore waters shows that only about 1% of the sediment inventories is in the solution phase. There is an annual cycle in dissolved Pu concentrations although there appears to be no trend in Np or Am.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 939-942 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology |
Volume | 39 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2002 |