RESEARCH - Radiochemical Surveillance Network September 30, 1964 QUALITY OF WATER BRANCH MEMORANDUM NO. 65.08 To: District Chiefs and Staff Officials, Quality of Water Branch From: Chief, Quality of Water Branch Subject: RESEARCH - Radiochemical Surveillance Network Increasing quantities of nuclear fission and fusion produced radioisotopes are being generated on a world-wide scale as a result of the expanding use of nuclear energy and radioisotopes for peaceful purposes in addition to weapons testing. Valid evaluations of variations in future radioactive contamination of our natural water resources can be made only if a sufficient number of reliable observations have been made to provide a sound basis for interpretation. A surveillance network program was recently initiated to provide such basic data for a number of surface streams covering the major drainage basins within the conterminous United States. Twelve stations have been chosen as sampling sites where water quality information is currently being collected in connection with other Water Resources Division programs and to coincide with the most downstream locations in the present national water quality network program. The stations include: 1. St. Lawrence River at Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 2. Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, Pa. 3. Delaware River at Philadelphia (or Marcus Hook), Pa. 4. Savannah River near Millhaven (or Clyo), Ga. 5. Appalachicola River at Chattahoochee, Fla. 6. Mississippi River at Luling Ferry, La. 7. Colorado River at All American Canal (Yuma Main Canal below Colorado River siphon at Yuma, Ariz.) 8. Sacramento River at Sacramento, Calif. 9. Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw, Ky. 10. Missouri River at Nebraska City, Nebr. 11. Colorado River at Wharton (or Columbus), Texas 12. Klamath River near Klamath, Calif. Stations may be added or deleted as experience points up changes required to improve the overall program. Initially, only the liquid phase of the collected samples will be analyzed for radioactive constituents. As we gain more experience, the sediment fraction may also be considered. Addition of a ground-water network to provide similar information is deferred for the present. Determinations of the following constituents will normally be made on the solution phase of all samples submitted: Strontium90 Extractable alpha activity (pc/1, net) Uranium (ug/1) Radium (pc/1 as Ra226) Gross beta (pc/1 as Sr-90) Gross alpha (pc/1 as U) Potassium40 Gross gamma (pc/1 as Cs137 Gross gamma, strontium90 and extractable alpha activity will be determined only if the gross beta count is sufficiently high to indicate radionuclide concentrations higher than those normally encountered in an environmental sample. Further examination of the samples exhibiting higher than normal beta count will also be made using a multichannel gamma spectrometer. Isotopes potentially present in the collected water samples and which can readily be identified and quantitatively determined through the use of multichannel gamma spectrometry include: Barium-lanthanum140 Cobalt60 Cerium-praseodymium144 Ruthenium106 Cesium-137 Zinc65 Chromium57 Zirconium-niobium95 If present in sufficient quantity to permit their identification, radionuclides in addition to those enumerated above will be identified and quantitatively reported. Present capabilities for processing samples using multichannel analysis are relatively limited due to the rather lengthy hand calculations which are required. A system of successive approximations must be used to unscramble the complex gamma spectrum which may be obtained. A computer program currently being developed by Denver based personnel of the Computer Branch unit and QW personnel will, when completed, greatly accelerate the speed of turning out multichannel analyses. Tritium analyses will be made, at least initially, by the tritium laboratory in Washington, D.C. on all samples collected for the surveillance network. Gordon Stewart plans to make some adjustment between these locations and the present National tritium surface water locations, and will so advise you. The request is for two samples: A representative four-liter sample will be required for the radiochemical analysis and a one- liter sample for tritium measurements. No pretreatment of any kind nor addition of any preservatives will be required. Specially washed and labeled four-liter polyethylene bottles will be provided the district offices by the Radiochemical Surveillance Unit and the Tritium Laboratory in Washington, for the collection of the samples. Samples collected should be boxed (cardboard or fiber container) and shipped to Denver (Radiochemical) and Washington (Tritium) by Railway Express as soon as possible after collection. Use standard GBL form charged against Account No. 5-460500. It is hoped that these samples can be collected by district personnel at such times as the regular water quality samples are collected. If unusual effort or time is required for the collection of the radiochemical surveillance sample and the sampling cannot be incorporated in the regular quality sampling runs, some reimbursement will be considered. Sample containers for the collection of the surveillance samples will be sent out to the cooperating district offices early in October and sampling should begin soon thereafter. Results of the radiochemical analyses obtained on all surveillance samples will be provided to the District offices. It may of interest to district personnel that, as part of the reorientation or radiochemical studies in Denver, responsibility for routine radiochemical analyses formerly assigned to the Radioelements Project has been transferred to the new Radiochemical Surveillance Unit under Mr. V.J. Janzer. Responsibility for the standard chemical analyses previously handled by the Radioelements Project has been transferred to the Analytical Methods - Water Chemistry section under Mr. M. Skougstad. Other radiochemical analyses can and will be performed on samples in addition to those collected for the surveillance unit as the need arises. Analytical capabilities of the Radiochemical Surveillance Unit outlined above will be available to the district offices on a repay basis. However, firm cost estimates for analytical work and multichannel gamma spectrometry analysis provided as a service cannot be made at the present time. Charges made for analyses will be comparable to costs previously charged for equivalent analyses and will be based on a conservative estimate of the time required. Cost estimates for single sample can be given for the following determinations: Analysis Cost Uranium $12.00 Radium 10.00 Alpha and beta (gross) 15.00 Extractable alpha 20.00 Strontium90 30.00 Information regarding any procedures, availability of analyses outlined above, or analyses in addition to those outlined, may be obtained by contacting V.J. Janzer, QW, Denver, Colorado. S. K. Love A,B,FO4,SL