Rodents as receptor species at a tritium disposal site
Angel Kelsey-Walla, John C. Seamana,*, Charles H.
Jagoea, Cham E. Dallasb, Karen F. Gainesc
aThe University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology
Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken. SC 29802, USA
bThe University of Georgia, 353 Robert C. Wilson Pharmacy Building,
Athens, GA 30602, USA
cThe University of South Dakota, 175 Churchill -Haines, Vermillion.
SD 57069. USA
Received 20 September 2004; received in revised form 29 December 2004;
accepted 4 January 2005
Abstract
New methods are being employed on the Department of Energy's Savannah
River Site to deal with the disposal of tritium, including the irrigation
of a hardwood/pine forest with tritiated water from an intercepted contaminant
plume to reduce concentrations of tritium outcropping into Fourmile Branch,
a tributary of the Savannah River. The use of this system has proven to
be an effective means of tritium disposal. To evaluate the impact of this
activity on terrestrial biota, rodent species were captured on the tritium
disposal site and a control site during two trapping seasons in order
to assess tritium exposure resulting from the forest irrigation. Control
site mice had background levels of tritium, 0.02 Bq/mL, with disposal
site mice having significantly higher tritium concentrations, mean = 34.86
Bq/mL. Whole body tritium concentrations of the mice captured at the disposal
site were positively correlated with tritium application and negatively
correlated with precipitation at the site.
@ 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Tritium; Tritium oxide; Rodent; Peromyscus gossypinus;
Savannah River Site; Irrigation; Tritium disposal; Precipitation
SREL Reprint #2855
Kelsey-Wall, A., J. C. Seaman, C. H. Jagoe, C. E. Dallas and K. F. Gaines. 2005. Rodents as receptor species at a tritium disposal site. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 82:95-104.
