Radiometric analyses of floodplain sediments at the Savannah River Plant

A Comprehensive Cooling Water Study to assess the effects of reactor cooling water discharges and related reactor area liquid releases to onsite streams and the nearby Savannah River has been completed at the US Department of Energy Savannah River Plant (SRP). Extensive radiometric analyses of man-made and naturally occurring gamma-emitting radionuclides were measured in floodplain sediment cores extracted from onsite surface streams at SRP and from the Savannah River. Gamma spectrometric analyses indicate that reactor operations contribute to floodplain radioactivity levels slightly higher than levels associated with global fallout. In locations historically unaffected by radioactive releases from SRP operations, 137Cs concentrations were found at background and fallout levels of about 1 pCi/g. In onsite streams that provided a receptor for liquid radioactive releases from production reactor areas, volume-weighted 137Cs concentrations ranged by core from background levels to 55 pCi/g. Savannah River sediments contained background and atmospheric fallout levels of 137Cs only