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Title: Measurements of radionuclides in Pond C with an underwater HPGe detector

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/125172· OSTI ID:125172

This study on Pond C is part of a broader effort to appraise Savannah River Site (SRS) waterways impacted by the Par Pond Dam remediation program that commenced 1991. In addition, the results were sought to provide a more complete appraisal of the status of historical radioactive releases that remain in the Lower Three Runs system. Gamma emitting radionuclide concentrations in Pond C sediment were measured with an underwater HPGe detector. The predominant radionuclide was Cs-137 and the only other radionuclide detected was Co-60, which was only 1% as intense as the Cs-137. At the time of the measurements (November 1992), the total Pond C inventory of {sup 137}Cs was 4.5 {plus_minus} 0.8 Ci of which 0.30 {plus_minus} 0.09 Ci was exposed during a 6-ft drawdown for Par Pond Dam repairs. The Pond C inventory of Cs-137 is only 10% of that of Par Pond, primarily because of the much larger area of Par Pond. However, Pond C has a larger average sediment concentration of 8.1 {mu}Ci/m{sup 2} compared to 4.5 {mu}Ci/m{sup 2} for Par Pond, which is consistent with Pond C being closer to the origins of the earlier SRS reactor releases. The maximum Cs-137 concentration observed for Pond C was 55 {mu}Ci/m{sup 2}, which is about 10% higher than the maximum observed for Par Pond.

Research Organization:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-89SR18035
OSTI ID:
125172
Report Number(s):
WSRC-TR-95-0272; ON: DE96001653; TRN: 96:000016
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English