Quantitative Assessment of the Long Term Behavior of super(90)Sr in Lake Uruskul, Southern Urals, Russia

Scientists enacted tests to evaluate the long-term behavior of strontium 90 migration from water to bottom sediments of Lake Uruskul, which is located in the Southern Urals of Russia. Contamination of the lake occurred after the nuclear accident at the Mayak nuclear complex in 1957. Data are reported from an effort aimed at analyzing certain transfer parameters important to the behavior of super(90)Sr in the water-sediment system. Techniques used to determine the radionuclide migration velocity from the water column to the bottom sediment are described. Factors that affected the radionuclide migration rate from bottom sediment to water were considered. Researchers also analyzed the radionuclide migration rate from bottom sediment to deep sediment. Data from this effort were compared to data from lakes in Italy contaminated by nuclear weapons test fallout.