A field survey of environmental tritium in areas adjacent to ORNL solid-waste storage areas

Abstract

A survey of tritium concentrations in surface water, shallow well water, and atmospheric moisture was made throughout the White Oak Creek Watershed in 1986. Environmental tritium concentrations were elevated south of SWSA-4 and SWSA-5, which seem to be the major contributors of tritium to the watershed. Patterns of tritium in air moisture, surface water, and pine tree cores indicated that there is a major area of tritium migration from SWSA-5 near the middle drainage tributary. Studies at a location south of SWSA-5 showed that tritium concentrations in subsoil water (>10 cm deep) were relatively constant to a depth of 80 cm. Concentrations of tritium in surface soil water (0 to 10 cm) were two to three times less than in the subsoil. Tritium concentrations in air moisture at different heights aboveground were more uniform during summer than during winter. This difference is attributed to the presence of water vapor transpired by tree foliage and the drying of surface soil during the summer months. Tritium concentrations in tree cores from pines south of SWSA-5 indicated that tritium migration in the vicinity of the middle drainage tributary has perhaps increased during the last 10 years. At this time, it is not knownmore » to what extent the tree core data are representative of tritium discharges from SWSA-5 as a whole.« less