Radiological characteristics of water transport canals - Example of the Rhone Languedoc Roussillon regional network

In many places in the world, canals represent a significant cumulative linear effect on the flow of surface waters and play a significant role in the redistribution of water resources. A radioecological study was conducted on the Languedoc Roussillon regional Rhodanian canals which transfer water from the river Rhone to the territories of the Gard and Herault for irrigation and drinking water supply. Our results show that the hydrological characteristics of water canals may impact significantly on the solid/solution distribution of trace elements in transit, and consequently on their transfer to the receiving environment. In addition to particle size segregation during transit, these results are most likely to be related to biological production (phytoplankton and zooplankton). These results highlight that the origin and quality of naturally occurring solid particles could play a fundamental role in the transfer of trace pollutants, especially in irrigation canals. (authors)