DISCUSSION 



NUCLIDES STUDIED: 



It may be well to preface this discussion with a few com- 

 ments on the nuclides measured: 



55f( 



At the time 



we pr 



prevailing wisdom at NRC 

 not 55Fe", and we were a 

 from our program. The b 

 of nuclides, however (as 

 background in radionucli 

 it is impossible by neut 

 produce 59Fe without sim 

 target nucleus for the 1 

 dance, compared to 0.31% 

 neutron cross section fo 

 twice that for the forme 

 est is in the environmen 

 long-lived enough to per 

 ical cycling, and to rev 

 tions whenever they occu 

 actor output samples (th 

 arately by our Dept. of 

 them into this report fo 

 substantial amounts of 5 

 of these reactors, the 5 

 0.27 to 3.64 for the six 

 1. 36 , or of 0.51 on an a 

 5 5Fe is a significant pr 

 that offers valuable tra 

 long-term environmental 

 streams. Some relevant 

 below in connection with 

 and Pilgrim 1 reactor en 



epared 



that " 

 ccordi n 

 riefest 

 wel 1 a 

 de tech 

 ron rea 

 ul taneo 

 atter r 

 for th 

 r the 1 

 r . Ace 

 tal beh 

 si St th 

 eal loc 



r , we 1 

 ese ana 

 Energy 

 r free) 

 Spe are 

 5Fe to 



sampl e 

 cti vi ty 



oduct 

 cer dat 

 impact 

 biogeoc 

 discus 

 vironme 



this prop 

 reactors 

 gly direc 

 examinat 

 s the mos 

 nology), 

 c t i n s on 

 usly prod 

 eaction i 

 e former, 

 atter rea 

 ordi ngly , 

 a V i r of 



rough yea 

 a 1 build- 



ooked at 

 lyses wer 

 contracts 

 It sho 

 being re 

 60co rati 



s reporte 

 -adjusted 



f these r 

 a for any 



of the re 

 hemical i 

 s i n s of 

 nts . 



osal , 

 produ 

 ted t 

 ion 

 t sup 

 c n V i 



natu 

 u c i n g 

 s of 



and 

 c t i n 



sine 

 nucl i 

 rs of 

 up i n 

 55Fe 

 e sup 

 , and 

 uld b 

 lease 

 ran 



d , wi 

 basi 



eacto 

 one s 

 actor 

 nform 

 the M 



i t wa 

 ce 59f 

 omit 

 f any 

 erf ici 

 nces u 

 ral ir 



55Fe; 

 5.8% a 

 the th 



is ab 

 e our 

 des th 



b i g e 

 conce 



in the 

 ported 

 we th 

 e note 

 d from 

 ging f 

 th a m 

 s. CI 



rs , an 

 tudyin 

 waste 

 a t i n 

 a i n e Y 



s the 

 e but 



55Fe 

 chart 

 al 



s that 

 on to 



the 

 bun- 

 ermal 

 out 



inter- 

 at are 

 ochem- 

 ntra- 



re- 



sep- 

 row 

 d that 



each 

 rom 



ean of 

 early 

 d one 

 g the 



appears 

 ankee 



134 



Cs 



137, 



134, 



137 



Cs are produced, and re- 

 in reactor operations. 



Cs^: Both ^-^^Cs and 



leased, in considerable amounts 



The very different half-lives of the two nuclides 



(T;^ 134cs = 2.1y; T^ 137cs = 30. ly) provide a very useful 



guide to the time characteristics of tracer Cs in environ- 



13 



