-l1IW.
HW -80991
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
A discussion and interpretation of the results of the various Hanford
environmental sampling programs are presented in the following text and
figures.
The raw data for many of the programs and brief descriptions of
analytical methods used in determining the amounts of radionuclides in
various samples are presented in the appendices.
A.
Radionuclides in the Columbia River
Hanford's eight production reactors are cooled with Columbia River
water.
This water goes through filtration processes and then passes once
through the reactors as a coolant before being returned tothe river.
Stable
elements present in the cooling water are transformed into radionuclides
during passage through the reactors, and radioactive materials formed on
the surfaces of the fuel elements and channels are washed away bythe
cooling water.
.
The relative abundance of the radionuclides found in the cooling
water, as adjusted to 4 hours past irradiation, is shown in Table I.
TABLEI
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF REACTOR EFFLUENT RADIONUCLIDES
Reference Time - 4 Hours Postirradiation
Major, 90%
Minor, 8%
Trace, 2%
Na24
p32
H
Agitl
Pm?
gift
2n°°
ci4
cals
nal49
cr!
znoe™
538
ysl
Pm! 49
Min? ©
Gal?
cat?
p32
Pm!?!
Cye4
y 20
Sc46
csi37
Fy)52
As'§
sr2t
Sct!
Bai?
sm i?3
Fyi56
Np?29
gr22
vin?
La! #0
y2e
Fe?
Celt
gmi?s
33
Coo?
Lal?!
Fut5?
sre
Pri #?
Tht 60
1233
sr29
celts
ywi8?
35
yo
pris
Po219
Mo??
pri 49
y238
Rul93
nal 4?
pu239
Nb?!
239
;
zp
Ce-ppi44
(Trace nuclide composition based on analyses by the
Radiological Chemistry Operation made in 1958. )
Ac227