Book Description

This report describes FY-1979 analysis results on flow, sediment and radionuclide data collected in Cattaraugus, Buttermilk and Franks Creek, New York. The objective of the study is to investigate the radionuclide transport in these streams as a part of a continuing program to provide data required for application and verification of the Sediment and Radionuclide Transport Model (SERATRA). Radiological analyses were performed on sand, silt and clay size fractions of suspended and bed sediment, as well as for dissolved radionuclides. These include gamma-ray emitters plus 9°Sr, 238Pu, 239{sup }−{sup }24°Pu, 241Am, 244Cm and 3H. Among radionuclides analyzed to date, a principal radionuclide found in the study area is 137Cs. Distributions of 137Cs associated with suspended and bed sediments have sharp peaks at the mouth of the Franks Creek, revealing the contribution of 137Cs from the NFS site. Concentration of 137Cs associated with a clay size fraction of suspended and bed sediments at the mouth of Franks Creek were 32.5 ± 1.5 and 134.0 ± 0.90 pCi/g, respectively. Cesium-134 and cobalt-60 associated with the bed sediment also have higher peaks at the mouth of Franks Creek. However, dissolved and particulate concentrations of other radionuclides analyzed under this study were generally very low and there is no clear evidence to indicate that these radionculides detected in this study area originated from the Nuclear Fuel Service site.