Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Strontium-90 in Canada goose eggshells and reed canary grass from the Columbia River, Washington

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Strontium-90 (90SR) released to the ground near the N Reactor at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site enters the Columbia River through shoreline seeps. The 90Sr is then potentially available for uptake by plants and animals. The life history and foraging behavior of nesting Canada geese is such that female geese could ingest 90Sr while foraging on shoreline plants. Radichemical analyses showed that goose eggshells taken from an island, downstream from the N Reactor, contained more 90Sr than did eggshells collected from other downstream islands. Reed canary grass samples taken from shoreline areas immediately downstream from the N Reactor contained higher concentrations of 90Sr than samples from other downstream areas. All goose eggshells did not contain enhanced levels of 90Sr, and all reed canary grass samples did not contain enhanced levels of 90Sr, but a relationship exists between the releases of 90Sr to the Columbia River and the enhanced levels of 90Sr in some of the environmental samples analyzed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ball, I. J., Bowhay, E. L., and Yocum, C. F.: 1981, Ecology and Management of the Western Canada Goose in Washington, Wash. Dept. of Game Biol. Bull. No. 16, 67 pp.

  • Bowen, H. S. M.: 1966 Trace Elements in Biochemistry, Academic Press, New York, 241 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eberhardt, L. E.: 1987, Ecology of Great Basin Canada Goose Broods in South-Central Washington, Doctoral Dissertation, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. 93 pp.

  • McCormack, W. D. and Carlile, J. M. V.: 1984, Investigation of Ground-Water Seepage from the Hanford Shoreline of the Columbia River, PNL-5289, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington. 30 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaquish, R. E. and Mitchell, P. J. (eds): 1988, Environmental Monitoring at Hanford for 1987, PNL-6120, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington. 109 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romanoff, A. L. and Romanoff, A. J.: 1949, The Avian Egg, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 918 pp.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Northwest Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, 99352, Richland, Washington, USA

    W. H. Rickard & K. R. Price

Authors
  1. W. H. Rickard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. R. Price
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Pacific Northwest Laboratory is operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-ACO6-76RLO 1830.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rickard, W.H., Price, K.R. Strontium-90 in Canada goose eggshells and reed canary grass from the Columbia River, Washington. Environ Monit Assess 14, 71–76 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394358

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394358

Keywords

Search

Navigation