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Aquatic chemistry of plutonium in seasonally anoxic lake waters

Nature volume 300, pages 159–161 (1982)Cite this article

Abstract

We present here data on the distribution of the fallout radionuclides 55Fe, 239,240Pu, 137Cs and 90Sr and the natural radionuclides 238U and 234U in a seasonally anoxic lake in an effort to determine their biogeochemical behaviour. Results from Gull Pond, Massachusetts show that the oxygen-depleted and iron-and manganese-rich bottom waters contain five times more dissolved 239,240Pu than oxygenated surface waters. This feature, also observed in anoxic hypolimnia of other lakes, indicates that the concentration of plutonium is significantly influenced by anoxicity and redox cycles. Such observations are important in understanding the fate of artificial radionuclides which are released1–4 to the aquatic environment through global fallout, planned disposal and localized accidents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543, USA

    Edward R. Sholkovitz, Anne E. Carey & J. Kirk Cochran

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  1. Edward R. Sholkovitz
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  2. Anne E. Carey
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  3. J. Kirk Cochran
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Sholkovitz, E., Carey, A. & Cochran, J. Aquatic chemistry of plutonium in seasonally anoxic lake waters. Nature 300, 159–161 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/300159a0

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