coast line, it is not feasible to discharge radioactive wastes at 
river mouths. However, it may be possible to take advantage of 
sediment adsorption at sea; to lock the fission products in similar 
sediments and deposit them on the ocean floor, again in a basin with 
active eee 
The pH of rivers is conducive to uptake by silts. However, 
if the silt comes to an estuarian system that moves into the ocean, 
the pH change would effect some ee In the normal ion 
exchange mechanism it is likely that ae displace, to some 
extent, the material adsorbed on the clays. 
Experiments with Silts and Sediments: A Johns Hopkins University 
> 
group studied the adsorption of Cu, Sr, sulfate sulphur, P, Fe*"* and 
iodide ion on silts and sediments from various natural sources and also 
on some commercial products. With all of these ions, except I, a 
pH range and a total salt concentration range were found for which 
these materials were rapidly and rather completely adsorbed. The 
iodide inn was not taken up appreciably by any of the adsorbers. 
Approximately 40% of the adsorbed P was lost in going from a fresh 
(5) 
water stream situation to a marine situation. ’ 
Practical Experience at Oak Ridge: Since the start of opera- 
tions, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been discharging low 
level radioactive liquids into White Oak Creek, The Creek runs into 
a retention basin before being drained into the artificial White Oak 
Lake and later into the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers. Water in the 
controlled retention basin is checked for activity level before release. 
Most of the radioactivity dumped in the basin is deposited in the clay 
76m 
