Radioiodine concentrated in a wetland

Most subsurface environmental radioactivity contamination is expected to eventually resurface in riparian zones, or wetlands. There are a number of extremely sharp biogeochemical interfaces in wetlands that could alter radionuclide speciation and promote accumulation. The objective of this study was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental radioactivity 2014-05, Vol.131, p.57-61
Main Authors: Kaplan, Daniel I., Zhang, Saijin, Roberts, Kimberly A., Schwehr, Kathy, Xu, Chen, Creeley, Danielle, Ho, Yi-Fang, Li, Hsiu-Ping, Yeager, Chris M., Santschi, Peter H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Basins
Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Exact sciences and technology
Formations
Geologic Sediments - analysis
Groundwater
Groundwater - analysis
Iodate
Iodide
Iodine Radioisotopes - analysis
Membranes
Natural organic matter
Pollution
Pollution, environment geology
Radiation Monitoring
Radioactivity
Radioiodine
Sediments
Soil and sediments pollution
South Carolina
Speciation
Water Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis
Wetlands
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Summary:Most subsurface environmental radioactivity contamination is expected to eventually resurface in riparian zones, or wetlands. There are a number of extremely sharp biogeochemical interfaces in wetlands that could alter radionuclide speciation and promote accumulation. The objective of this study was to determine if a wetland concentrated 129I emanating from a former waste disposal basin located on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, USA. Additionally, studies were conducted to evaluate the role of sediment organic matter in immobilizing the radioiodine. Groundwater samples were collected along a 0.7-km transect away from the seepage basin and in the downstream wetlands. The samples were analyzed for 129I speciation (iodide (I−), iodate (IO3−), and organo-I). Groundwater 129I concentrations in many locations in the wetlands (as high as 59.9 Bq L−1129I) were greatly elevated with respect to the source term (5.9 Bq L−1129I). 129I concentration profiles in sediment cores were closely correlated to organic matter concentrations (r2 = 0.992; n = 5). While the sediment organic matter promoted the uptake of 129I to the wetland sediment, it also promoted the formation of a soluble organic fraction: 74% of the wetland groundwater 129I could pass through a 1 kDa (
ISSN:0265-931X
1879-1700
DOI:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.09.001