Radionuclides in Peconic river fish, mussels, and sediments

For regulatory oversight and quality control of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) actions, fish, mussels, and sediments were analyzed from the Peconic River system on Long Island, NY, downstream of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, as well as from contr ol locations. The analyses were for photon-emitting radionuclides (notably Co-60 and Cs-137), uranium, plutonium, and americium. Sediments were cored in 4 sections to 0.37 rn depth, whole fish were analyzed, and mussels were separated into flesh and shells. Radioisotopes of the cited elements were d etected in sediment, some of the fish contained Cs-137, Am-214, and uranium , and mussel flesh contained Cs-137 and uranium. All of the Co-60, U-233, a nd enriched uranium, and some of the Cs-137 and Am-241, can most likely be attributed to Brookhaven National Laboratory. The other radionuclides (and some of the Cs-137 and Am-241) are believed to have either fallout or natur e as their origin. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) evaluat ed the radiological data in terms of adverse health implications due to con sumption of fish with the levels of reported radioactivity. The NYSDOH dete rmined that the added radiation doses likely to result from eating this fis h are a small fraction of the radiation dose that normally results from rad ionuclides present in the body from natural sources.