Composition of Water in Clinch River, Tennessee River, And Whiteoak Creek as Related to Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Liquid Wastes GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 433-J Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Composition of Water in Clinch Riven Tennessee Riven And Whiteoak Creek as Related to Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Liquid Wastes By R. J. PICKERING TRANSPORT OF RADIONUCLI DBS BY STREAMS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 433-J Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Atomic ILnergy Commission and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1970 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WALTER J. HIGKEL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 30 cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Stable chemical composition of water Continued Abstract -. ____________________________________ Jl Whiteoak Creek water. J9 Introduction__________________________ 1 Tennessee River water 11 Acknowledgments _____________________________ 2 Constituent comparisons and interstation compar­ Basis for the sampling program___________________ 2 isons _ _____________ _____ 11 Chemical transport in streams____________ 2 Radiochemical composition of water. _________ __ 12 Evidence of transport of radionuclides in solution __ 4 Relationships between stable chemical composition and Evidence of transport of radionuclides in association radionuclide content of the streams _____--_-_ -___ 13 with suspended solids__________-_--__-___-_-_- 4 Conclusions __ ___ _ - -- 14 Location and operation of water-sampling stations______ 5 References cited------ _______ __ ________ 15 Stable chemical composition of water______ ________ 8 Clinch River water.___________________________ 8 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Map showing locations of water-sampling stations on the Clinch River and on Whiteoak Creek.. J5 2. Map showing locations of water-sampling stations on the Tennessee River __ __ 6 3. Graph showing history of sampling and analysis of water for Clinch River Study _ 7 4. Graphs showing seasonal variations of selected constituents in Clinch River water at CRM 41.5- 10 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Locations of water-sampling stations..________________________ _. __________________ J6 2. Summary of stable chemical analyses of composite samples of Clinch River water ___________ 8 3. Summary of analyses of composite samples of Clinch River water for trace and minor elements. _. 9 4. Summary of stable chemical analyses of composite samples of Whiteoak Creek water _ ___. 11 5. Summary of stable chemical analyses of composite samples of Tennessee River water .. 12 6. Radionuclide distribution between suspended solids and water phase at six water-sampling stations- 13 in TRANSPORT OF RADIONUCLIDES BY STREAMS COMPOSITION OF WATER IN CLINCH RIVER, TENNESSEE RIVER, AND WHITEOAK CREEK AS RELATED TO DISPOSAL OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE LIQUID WASTES By R. J. PlCKERING ABSTRACT Most of the cesium-137 entering the Clinch River in Whiteoak Creek water was associated with suspended solids having a di­ Low-level-radioactive wastes have been released to the Clinch ameter larger than that of colloidal particles. This association Rive,r from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Ten­ persisted in the lower Clinch River, but in the Tennessee River, nessee since 1943, when the Laboratory first began processing cesium-137 was either dissolved in the water or associated with radioactive materials. The fate of the radioactive wastes and solids of colloidal or near-colloidal size. the mechanisms by which the contained radionuclides are dis­ Comparisons of variations in radionuclide content with persed in the river have been investigated as part of the Clinch variations in stable chemical content of water samples indicated River Study, a multiagency effort to evaluate the present and that much of the strontium-90 present in Whiteoak Creek water future use of the river for the. disposal of such wastes. As one may have been associated with precipitated calcium carbonate. element of the study, the composition of water in the streams Close similarities in variations in concentration between ruthe- which receive the radioactive wastes has been characterized nium-106 and cobalt-60 in both Whiteoak Creek and the Clinch through an intensive program of water sampling. River, and correlation of the two radionuclides with nitrate at Radioactive wastes from the Laboratory are released to Whiteoak Dam, reflected their common origin in high-nitrate Whiteoak Creek, which enters the Clinch River 20.8 miles up­ solutions released to the basin of Whiteoak Creek. Their lack stream from where the Clinch River joins the Tennessee River. of correlation with cesium-137 and strontium-90 indicated other Samples of water from the three streams were taken one or more origins for those radionuclides. times daily at seven sampling stations during a period of 3 years and composited into weekly or monthly samples accord­ INTRODUCTION ing to streamflow. Determinations were made of physical para­ meters and of the content of stable chemical constituents, Since 1943, when the Oak Eidge National Laboratory radiochemical constituents, and suspended sediment in the (OKNL) in eastern Tennessee first began processing composite samples. radioactive materials, the Laboratory has released low- Results of the analyses showed that all three streams contain level-radioactive liquid wastes to the Clinch Eiver via water of the calcium bicarbonate type, presumably as a result of the abundance of limestone, and dolomite bedrock underlying Whiteoak Creek. The fate of these radioactive wastes their drainage basins. Tennessee River water is similar in com­ and the mechanisms by which the contained radio­ position to Clinch River water, but contains somewhat less nuclides are dispersed in the river have been investi­ bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, and suspended and dissolved gated through the Clinch Eiver Study, a multiagency solids, and somewhat more sodium and chloride. Whiteoak effort to evaluate the past, present, and future use of Creek water is more highly mineralized than the other two streams, and has a higher average content of sulfate, nitrate, the river for disposal of such wastes (Pickering and phosphorus, and sodium. others, 1965; Struxness and others, 1967). The partici­ Turbidity, apparent color, centrifuged color, and suspended pants in the study were: Oak Eidge National Labora­ solids, all largely controlled by seasonal variations in rainfall tory, operated by Union Carbide Corp.; Tennessee and runoff, varied with time in the same general manner in Game and Fish Commission; Tennessee State Depart­ both the Clinch River and the Tennessee River. Hardness, ment of Public Health, Stream Pollution Control calcium, magnesium, sodium, and chloride showed maximum con­ Board; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); U.S. centrations in the autumn, when contribution of ground water Atomic Energy Commission (AEC); U.S. Geological to streamflow is greatest and dilution of wastes is least. Iron and manganese varied in the same manner as suspended solids in Survey (USGS); U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). both rivers. This variation suggests that those constituents were When the study was begun in 1960, the following present in the water primarily in association with solid particles. objectives were established by the Clinch Eiver Study Jl J2 TBANSPOBT OP EADIONUCLIDES BY STREAMS Steering Committee, an advisory group composed of personnel of the Division of Radiological Health. representatives of each of the participating agencies Stable chemical analyses of Whiteoak Creek water, (Morton, 1963, p. 1): (1) To determine the fate of analyses of Clinch Kiver water for trace and minor radioactive materials currently being discharged to the elements, and nonregular radiochemical analyses were Clinch Kiver, (2) to determine and understand the performed by personnel of the Analytical Chemistry mechanisms of dispersion of radionuclides released to Division, ORNL. the river, (3) to evaluate the direct and indirect P. H. Carrigan, Jr., Project Chief of the Clinch hazards of current disposal practices in the river, (4) River Study for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to evaluate the overall usefulness of the river for radio­ has offered many valuable suggestions and much help­ active waste disposal purposes, and (5) to provide ful advice pertaining to the study. Discussions of sorp- appropriate conclusions regarding long-term monitor­ tion mechanisms with T. Tamura (ORNL), V. C. Ken­ ing procedures. nedy, (USGS), and E. A. Jenne (USGS) have been The release of low-level radioactive liquid waste to most helpful to the author, as have discussions of radio­ the basin of Whiteoak Creek, which drains the Oak activity in Whiteoak Creek with W. M. McMaster Kidge National Laboratory area, was begun soon after (USGS) and T. F. Lomenick (ORNL). The results of establishment of the Laboratory in 1943. Kadioactive studies of the desorption of radionuclides from White- liquids have entered Whiteoak Creek as a result of oak Creek bottom sediment, performed by W. P. Bon- direct releases of processed waste water from the Labo­ ner (ORNL) and T. Tamura (ORNL), served as valu­ ratory, seepage from liquid waste pits, and drainage able references during the preparation of the report. from solid waste disposal trenches (Browder, 1959). E. R.