Conservative and non‐conservative behaviour of radionuclides in an estuarine environment, with particular respect to the behaviour of plutonium isotopes.

Abstract

Abstract Of the radionuclides entering the Esk Estuary from the Sellafield effluent discharges into the Irish Sea, the behaviour in the dissolved phase of 106Ru, 134Cs and 137Cs is conservative whilst that of 238Pu and 239,240Pu is non‐conservative. The latter leads to the enrichment of Pu in low salinity waters, probably by transfer from the particulate phase. This has repercussions on the distribution of Pu activity in the estuary, and also on the long term fate of sediment stored Pu.