(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2001-03)
Rosson, Robert; Lahr, Jeff; Garcia, Ramon; Blackman, Clifford; Kahn, Bernd
As part of its environmental radiological
surveillance program, the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources monitors man-made radionuclides in
sediment below the outfalls of nuclear facilities.
Sediment acts as a water contaminant indicator and
accumulator, and as a potential source of these
contaminants for aquatic biota. Locations in the
Chattahoochee R., Savannah R., Altamaha R., Etowah
R., and Cumberland Sound have been monitored for up
to 20 years. Samples typically are collected once per
year at designated stations for analysis of photon-
emitting radionuclides and, in some cases, Sr-90 and
Pu-239. Most samples contained only naturally
occurring radionuclides and some residues of fallout
from atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons. Reported
here are the relatively low levels of radionuclides
attributed to facility discharges that occasionally were
detected. Results were combined with radionuclide
amounts reported in facility effluent and concentrations
measured in water and fish to calculate radiation doses
to the potential maximally exposed persons. These
annual doses by the aquatic pathway were very low in
most cases and below the regulatory limits in all cases.