Distribution Of Environmental Plutonium In The Trinity Site Ecosystem After 27 Years

From 3rd international congress of the International Radiation Protection Association meeting; Washington, District of Columbia, USA (9 Sep 1973). Results are presented for a radioecological survey of the Trinity Site environs, where the world's first (July 1945) atomic bomb was detonated. The temporal behavior of the low environmental levels of the plutonium produced by this detonation are discussed. The data from this study were compared with similar data obtained in the Trinity Site environs nearly 20 years ago. The major change which was observed was an increased migration of Pu into the soils. Concentrations of Pu in vegetation and rodents were too low to make valid comparisons. (auth).

The first atomic bombs were constructed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where lab workers disposed of waste plutonium in nearby canyons leading to the Rio Grande. Today, the environmental consequences are just beginning to be understood as scientists examine the effects created by past mishandling of one of the most toxic chemical wastes known. Written in an engaging, accessible style, Plutonium and the Rio Grande is the first book to offer a complete exploration of this environmental history. It includes an explanation of what plutonium is, how much of it was released by the Los Alamos workers, and how much entered the river system directly from waste disposal and indirectly, as a result of atomic bomb fallout. The book includes extensive appendices, maps, diagrams, and photographs. Environmental managers, ecologists, hydrologists and other river specialists, as well as concerned general readers will find the book readable and informative.