Radionuclides in Peconic River fish, mussels, and sediments

Long-term monitoring of radioactivity in fish from New York waters

As part of an environmental surveillance program operated by the New York State (NYS) Department of Health, measurements of various radionuclides in aquatic life (primarily fish) collected from waterways in NYS have occurred for decades. An investigation was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the occurrence, activity levels, and extent of radionuclide variations in aquatic life obtained from local waterways in relation to concentrations reported in fish from sites outside NYS (e.g., Pacific Ocean tuna). The man-made isotopes (137)Cs and (90)Sr were detectable at activities below 1 Bq/kg in the edible portions of fish from most NYS waterways, with the exception of greater activities in fish collected downstream of Brookhaven National Laboratory. Calculated effective doses resulting from eating the fish, estimated as 11-390 nSv/yr for (137)Cs and 0.3-7.9 nSv/yr for (90)Sr, are considered extremely low.

Human exposure to uranium in groundwater

High concentrations of uranium (mean=620 microg/L) were detected in water samples collected from private wells in a residential community. Based on isotopic analyses, the source of the uranium contamination appeared to be from naturally occurring geological deposits. In homes where well water concentrations of uranium exceeded the drinking water standard, the residents were advised to use an alternate water source for potable purposes. Several months after the residents had stopped drinking the water, urine samples were collected and tested for uranium. Elevated concentrations of uranium (mean=0.40 microg/g creatinine) were detected in urine samples, and 85 percent of the urine uranium concentrations exceeded the 95th percentile concentration of a national reference population. Urine uranium concentrations were positively correlated with water uranium concentrations, but not with the participants' ages or how long they had been drinking the water. Six months later, a second urine sample was collected and tested for uranium. Urine uranium concentrations decreased in most (63 percent) of the people. In those people with the highest initial urine uranium concentrations, the urine levels decreased an average of 78 percent. However, urine uranium concentrations remained elevated (mean=0.27 microg/g), and 87 percent of the urine uranium concentrations exceeded the 95th percentile concentration of the reference population. The results of this investigation demonstrated that after long-term ingestion of uranium in drinking water, elevated concentrations of uranium in urine could be detected up to 10 months after exposure had stopped.