BEHAVIOR AND TRANSPORT OF RADIONUCLIDES IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER BETWEEN HANFORD AND VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON1

Abstract

A study of the behavior and transport by the Columbia River of the eleven radionuclides 46 Sc, 51 Cr, 54 Mn, 58 Co, 59 F 9 Fe, 60 Co, 65 Zn, 95 Zr‐ 96 Nb, 106 Ru, 124 Sb, and 140 Ba was carried out in the river reach between Pasco and Vancouver, Washington, during the period January 1964 through January 1965. This study was accomplished by direct counting of water salts and filter samples on a multidimensional gamma‐ray spectrometer and represents the first measurements of the interactions of most of these radionuclides in the river. Through this multiple tracer technique, the specific and relative behaviors of these radionuclides in regard to their sorption by and movement with suspended particulate matter in the Columbia River were determined. Depletion of these radionuclides from the river during transport and the radionuclide inventory in the stream bed for the river reach between Pasco and Vancouver were also estimated.