Concentrations of radionuclides in terrestrial vegetation on the Hanford site of potential interest to Native Americans

摘要

Concentrations of (sup 90)Sr and (sup 137)Cs in Carey's balsamroot (Balsamorhiza careyana) and Gray's desert parsley (Lomatium grayi) were similar to concentrations observed in other plants collected on the Hanford Site and from offsite locations surrounding the Site as part of annual Hanford Site surveillance. Observed concentrations may be attributed to historic fallout more than to Hanford Site emissions, although the observation that 200 Area plants had slightly higher concentrations of (sup 137)Cs than 100 Area plants is consistent with other monitoring data of radioactivity in soil and vegetation collected onsite. The present concentrations of (sup 90)Sr and (sup 137)Cs in balsamroot and parsley fluctuate around background levels with some of the higher observed concentrations of (sup 90)Sr found on the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) Reserve. Analytical results and summary statistics by species and location are presented in the appendixes.