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5. Plutonium and Americium Baseline

All data are peak values unless noted as mean or median values.
 
DATE
LOCATION
MEDIA
NUCLIDE
ACTIVITY

Romney, E.M., Mork, and Larson, K.H. (1970). Persistence of plutonium in soil, plants and small mammals. Health Physics. 19. pg. 487-491.
 
1955-66
Nevada Test Site
Soil
239Pu
208,333.00 Bq/kg
1955-66
Nevada Test Site
Clover
239Pu
375 Bq/kg
1955-66
Nevada Test Site
Jackrabbit Bone
239Pu
11,900 Bq/kg

Bowen, V.T., Wong, K.M. and Noshkin, V.E. (1971). 239Plutonium in and over the Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Marine Research. 29. pg. 1-10.
 
1969
Atlantic Ocean
3701 N 0003 E
3701 N 0003 E
Seawater
239Pu
7.7 d.p.m./1000 kg
Wong, K.M., Burke, J.C. and Bowen, V.T. (1971). Plutonium concentration in organisms of the Atlantic Ocean. Proceedings, Fifth Annual Health Physics Society Midyear Topical Symposium: Health Physics Aspects of Nuclear Facility Siting. 2. pg. 529-539.

Noshkin, V.E. (1972). Ecological aspects of plutonium dissemination in aquatic environments. Health Physics. 22. pg. 537-549.
 
1970
Cape Cod Bay
Sediment
239Pu
3 samples: range 20-60 pCi/kg

Hardy, E.P., Krey, P.W. and Volchok, H.L. (February 16, 1973). Global inventory and distribution of fallout plutonium. Nature. 241. pg. 444-445.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (1974). Radiation data and reports, volume 15, number 23. U.S. EPA, Washington, D.C.
 
Jan.-Dec. 1972
Mound Laboratory, OH
Avg. air concentration
238Pu
400 aCi/m3
Jan.-Dec. 1972
Mound Laboratory, OH
Pond silt
238Pu
0.582 pCi/kg pv
Wrenn, M.E. (1974). Environmental levels of plutonium and transplutonium elements, WASI, 1359, 89.

Bennet, B.G. (1976). Fallout in 239,240Pu in Diet. (Report No. HASL-306). Washington, D.C.
 
1972-74
New York City 
Shellfish
239Pu
0.012 pCi/kg
1972-74
New York City
Milk
239Pu
0.00051 pCi/kg

Bennet, B.G. (1976). Transuranic element pathways to man. Transuranium nuclides in the environment. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency. Bowen, V.T., Livingston, H.D. and Burke, J.C. (1976). Distribution of transuranium nuclides in sediment and biota of the North Atlantic Ocean. Transuranium nuclides in the environment. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency.
 
1968
Buzzards Bay, MA
Sediment Cone
239Pu
4.2 mCi/km2
integrated mean sediment load
1974
N. Atlantic Ocean
Menhaden guts, pooled sample
239Pu
4.49 d.p.m./kg
wet weight

Livingston, H.D. and Bowen, V.T. (1976). Americium in the marine environment: Relationships to plutonium. Environmental toxicity of aquatic radionuclides: models and mechanisms. Woods Hole, MA: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Bennett, B.G. (1978). Environmental Measurements Laboratory: Environmental aspects of americium, December 1978. Department of Energy, New York, NY. EML-348. Goldberg, E.D., Bowen, V.T., Farrington, J.W., Harvey, G., Martin, J.H. (1978). The mussel watch. Environmental Conservation. 5. pg. 101-125.
 
1976
Bodega Bay, CA
Mussel
239,240Pu
4.4 d.p.m./kg
1976
Fallaron IsCA
Mussel
239,240Pu
7.5 d.p.m./kg
1976
Fallaron Is., CA
Mussel
241Am
19.6 d.pm./kg

Cutter, G.A., Bruland, K.W. and Risebrough, R.W. (1979). Deposition and accumulation of plutonium isotopes in Antarctica. Nature, 279, 628- 629.
 
Jan. 1977
Antarctica
Snow Meltwater
239Pu
5.62 d.p.m./100 l

Livingston, H.D. and Bowen, V.T. (1979). Pu and 137Cs in coastal sediments. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 543, 29-45.
 
1973
Buzzards Bay
Dry sediment
239Pu
160 d.p.m./kg

Holm, E., Ballestra, S., Fukai, R. and Beasley, T.M. (1980). Particulate plutonium and americium in Mediterranean surface waters. Oceanolgica Acta, 3, 2,157-160. Santschi, P.H., Li, Y.H., Bell, J.J., Trier, R.M. and Kawtaluk, K. (1980). Pu in coastal marine environments. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 51, 248-265. Benniger, L.K. and Krishnaswami, S. (1981). Sedimentary processes in the inner New York Bight: Evidence from excess 210Pb and 239,240Pu. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 53, 158-174.
 
Oct. 1975
NY Bight
Sediment
239Pu
294 d.p.m./kg (5 Bq/kg)
Beasley, T.M., Carpenter, R. and Jennings, C.D. (1982). Plutonium, 241Am and 137Cs ratios, inventories and vertical profiles in Washington and Oregon continental shelf sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 46, 1931- 1946.
 
1975-76
Washington/Oregon Continental Shelf
Sediment
239Pu
311 d.p.m./kg
1975-76
W/O Cont. Shelf
Sediment
241Am
86 d.p.m./kg
1975-76
W/O Cont. Shelf
Sediment
137Cs
3,176 d.p.m./kg
Hotzl, H., Rosner, G. and Winkler, R. (1983). Radionuclide concentrations in ground level air and precipitation in South Germany from 1976 to 1982. GSF- Report S-956. Gesellschaft fur Strahlen-und Umweltforschung MBH, Munchen.
 
1976-82
South Germany
Annual Deposition
239Pu
Range: 4.3 to 14.2 E-3 nCi/m2
1976-82
South Germany
Annual Deposition
137Cs
Range: 180 to 1100 pCi/m2
Palmieri, J., Livingston, H. and Farrington, J.W. (1984). U.S. "mussel watch" program: Transuranic element data from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 1976-1983. Woods Hole Oceanog. Inst. Tech. Rept. WHOI-84-28. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, MA
 
1979
Bodega Bay, CA
Mussel
239Pu
7.46 d.p.m./kg dry weight


Jennings, C.D., Delfanti, R. and Papucci, C. (1985). The distributions and inventory of fallout plutonium in sediments of the Ligurian Sea near La Spezia, Italy. J. Environ. Radioactivity, 2, 293-310.

Livingston, H.D. (1985). Anthropogenic radiotracer evolution in the Central Greenland Sea. Rit Fiskideildar, 9, 43-54.
 
1979
Greenland
Total Water Column Inventory
239,240Pu
0.00190 mCi/m2

Livingston, H.D., Bowen, V.T., Casso, S.A., Volchok, H.L., Noshkin, V.E., Wong, K.M. and Beasley, T.M. (1985) Fallout nuclides in Atlantic and Pacific Water Columns: GEOSECS data (Woods Hole Oceanog. Inst. Tech. Rept. WHOI-85- 19). Woods Hole, MA: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
 
1972
North Atlantic
Ocean Water Column
239Pu
3.06 mCi/km2
1973
Pacific
Ocean Water Column
239Pu
4.04 mCi/km2


Hallastadius, L, Aarkrog, A., Dahlgaard, H., Holm, E., Boelskifte, S., Duniec, S. and Persson, B. (1986). Plutonium and americium in Arctic waters, the North Sea and Scottish and Irish coastal zones. J. Environ. Radioactivity, 4, 11- 30.
 
1982
Irish Sea
Fucus vesiculosis
239Pu
270 Bq/kg near Sellafield
1982
Irish Sea
Fucus vesiculosis
239Pu
0.6 to 2.0 Bq/kg uncontaminated areas
1983
Irish Sea
Fucus vesiculosis
241Am
84 Bq/kg near Sellafield

American Nuclear Society. (January 1999). Antinuclear story continues, with moves toward phaseout. Nuclear News. pg. 47. Albright, D. and Barbour, L. (May 1999). Separated inventories of civil plutonium continue to grow. Institute for Science and International Security, Washington, DC.

Lobsenz, George. (May 26, 1999). Civilian plutonium stockpile growing. The Energy Daily.

Kudo, A., Ed. (2001). Radioactivity in the environment: Plutonium in the environment: Edited proceedings of the Second Invited International Symposium. Volume 1. Elsevier, NY, NY.
 
6. Radioiodine, Strontium and other nuclides

All data are peak values unless noted as mean or median values.
 
DATE
LOCATION
MEDIA
NUCLIDE
ACTIVITY

Book, S.A., Garner, R.J., Soldat, J.K. and Bustad, L.K. (1977). Thyroidal burdens of 129I from various dietary sources. Health Physics. 32. pg. 143-148.

Schink, D.R., Santschi, P.H., Corapcioglu, O., Sharma, P. and Fehn, U. (October 1995). 129I in Gulf of Mexico waters. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 135(1-4). pg. 131-138.

Simpson, R.E., Shuman, F.G.D., Baratta, E.J. and Tanner, J.T. (1981). Projected dose commitment from fallout contamination in milk resulting from the 1976 Chinese atmospheric nuclear weapons test. Health Physics. 40. pg. 741-744.
 
Oct. 1976
Amherst, MA
Milk
131I
1,150 pCi/l (42.2 Bq/l)

Robens, E. and Aumann, D.C. (1988). Iodine-129 in the environment of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant: I. 129I and 127I contents of soils, food crops and animal products. J. Environ. Radioactivity. 7. pg. 159-175. United States Environmental Protection Agency. (1986). Environmental Radiation Data: Report 44-45: October 1985-March 1986. Report No. EPA520/5-86-018. U.S. EPA, Washington D.C.
 
12/18/85
Minot, ND
Milk
131I
34 pCi/l pv
12/18/85
Memphis, TN
Milk
131I
13 pCi/l

Strontium

Libby, W.F. (1956). Radioactive Strontium Fallout. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 42. pg. 365-390.

Bowen, V.T., Sugihara, T.T. (1957). Strontium-90 in North Atlantic surface water. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S. 43(7). pg. 576-580.

Noureddine, A. and Baggoura, B. (1997). Plutonium Isotopes, 137Cs, 90Sr and Natural Radioactivity in Marine Sediments from Ghazaouet (Algeria). Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 34(2). pg. 127-138.

Toonkel, L.E. (1980). Environmental Measurements Laboratory: Environmental quarterly, July 1, 1980. EML-374, Appendix. U.S. Department of Energy, New York, NY.


Other Nuclides


Aarkrog, A., et. al. (July, 1991). Environmental radioactivity in Denmark in 1988 and 1989. Riso-R-570. Riso National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark.
 
1988-89
Danish waters
Fucus vesiculosus

Fucus serratous

99Tc
Range: 6.3 - 200 Becquerels/kg dry
Aarkrog, A. et. al. (February 1995). Environmental radioactivity in Denmark in 1992 and 1993. Riso-R-756(EN). Riso National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark. Camplin, W.C., Tipple, J.R., Doddington, T.C., Thurston, L.M. and Hiller, R. (1990). A survey of tritium in sea water in Tees Bay, July 1986. Fish. Res. Data Rep. MAFF Direct. Fish. Res., Lowestoft. 23. pg. 1-23.

Collins, C. and Otlet, R. (1995). Carbon-14 levels in UK foodstuffs. MAFF Project B1408. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, London.

Cook, G.T., Begg, F.H., Naysmith, P., Scott, E.M. and McCartney, M. (October 1996). Anthropogenic 14C marine geochemistry in the vicinity of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Oceanographic Literature Review. 43(10). pg. 1060-1061.

Hisamatsu, S., Takzawa, Y. and Abe, T. (1987). Fallout 3H ingestion in Akita, Japan. Health Physics. 53(3). pg. 287-293.
 
1985
Akita, Japan
Daily dietary intake
3H
4.1 Bq/day

Peirson, D.H. and Cambray, R.S. (1965). Fission product fallout from nuclear explosions of 1961 and 1962. Nature. 205. pg. 433-440.

Roland, R.F., Chmielewicz, Z.F., Weiner, B.A., Gross, A.M., Boening, O.P., Luck, J.V. and Bardos, T.J. (1960). Zinc-65 and Chromium-51 in foods and people. Science. 132(23). pg. 1895-1897.
 
1959-60
Columbia River, WA
Irrigated soil
51Cr
38.4 pCi/g (38,400 pCi/kg)
1959-60
Columbia River, WA
Irrigated alfalfa
65Zn
89 pCi/g (8,900 pCi/kg)
1959-60
Columbia River, WA
Irrigated pasture grass
65Zn
36 pCi/g (36,000 pCi/kg)
1959-60
Columbia River, WA
Milk
65Zn
1.9 pCi/g (1,900 pCi/kg)

Smith, J.N., Ellis, K.M., Naes, K., Dahle, S. and Matishov, D. (May 1996). Sedimentation and mixing rates of radionuclides in Barents Sea sediments off Novaya Zemlya. Oceanographic Literature Review. 43(5). pg. 514.

Strand, P. (June 1995). Survey of artificial radionuclides in the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea. Oceanographic Literature Review. 42(6). pg. 500.

Valette-Silver, N.J. and Lauenstein, G.G. (May 1995). Radionuclide concentrations in bivalves collected along the coastal United States. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 30(5). pg. 320-331.
 
7. Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (NOR)

Baseline data pertaining to naturally occurring radionuclides (NOR) provide an important point of comparison for evaluating the significance of anthropogenic contamination from human activities such as weapons production and the generation of nuclear electricity.  In many cases naturally occurring radionuclides are redistributed by human activities (e.g. the mining, milling and processing of uranium) and therefore are a distinct classification of anthropogenic radioactivity.  Also see RAD 11:  Anthropogenic Radioactivity:  Major Plume Source Points for additional citations pertaining to the uranium contamination cycle including the use of uranium-tipped weapons in the Gulf War.

Camplin, W.C., Baxter, A.J. and Round, G.D. (1996). The radiological impact of disposals of natural radionuclides from a phosphate plant in the United Kingdom. Environ. Int. 22 Suppl. 1. pg. 5259-5270.

Hunt, G.J. and Allington, D.J. (1993). Absorption of environmental polonium-210 by the human gut. J. Radiol. Prot. 13(2). pg. 119-126.

Pentreath, R.J., Camplin, W.C. and Allington, D.J. (1989). Individual and collective dose rates from naturally-occurring radionuclides in seafood.  In: Radiation Protection Theory and Practice. Proc. 4th Int. Symp. Soc. Radiol. Prot. Malvern, 4-9 June 1989. Goldfinch, E.P. (Ed.), Institute of Physics, Bristol and New York. pg. 297-300.

Rollo, S.F.N., Camplin, W.C., Allington, D.J. and Young, A.K. (1992). Natural radionuclides in the UK marine environment. In: Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Natural Radiation Environment, Saltzburg, September 22-28, 1991. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 45(1/4). pg. 203-210.


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