1. Tracking Legacy Radionuclides in St
Tracking Legacy Radionuclides in St. Louis, Missouri, via Unsupported 210Pb
Marco Kaltofen, PhD., PE., Boston Chemical Data Corp.
Robert Alvarez, Institute for Policy Studies
Lucas Hixson,
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2. Summary
This study tracked 1940’s-era uranium processing wastes around St. Louis, MO, USA.
287 soils, sediments and dusts were tested for radioactive residues remaining after uranium ore was made into metallic uranium for weapons.
Samples were tested for uranium, thorium, radium, radon and 210Pb.
Waste disposal sites, their drainage channels and surrounding floodplains were targeted for analyses.
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5. Methods Put your research in context
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6. Results: Airport Storage Site
Drainage channel sediments at St. Louis’s Lambert Field Airport had uranium and thorium activities at 6X background.
Sediment activity was 654 Bq kg-1 vs. 116 Bq kg-1 for controls, for the six most abundant uranium and thorium isotopes.
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US Army Corps of Engineers photo

7. Results: Coldwater Creek Homes
Maximum indoor dust activities were ~10X background or more.
226Ra 283 ± 240 Bq kg-1
228Th 311 ± 195 Bq kg-1
210Pb 3,790 ± Bq kg-1
Soil 210Pb and 226Ra activities ranged as high as 4σ above the mean.
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Author photo: Coldwater Creek

8. Results : West lake Landfill
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Google earth image: West Lake landfill

9. Conclusions
Isotopes of uranium and thorium reach elevated levels in sediments and indoor house dusts around Coldwater Creek.
210Pb activities were highest in areas known to be contaminated with residues from Mallinckrodt uranium processing wastes.
This is evidence that much of the environmental 210Pb detected originated by decay of short-lived, fugitive radon gas that escaped the West Lake landfill.
After reviewing the 287 environmental sample results, the most effective method for tracking uranium-processing wastes was to monitor unsupported 210Pb.
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10. Next steps/future work
Current new work: Sampling and testing of buried Coldwater Creek sediments for radium and 210Pb.
Potential future work: Will landfill fire create preferential pathways for radon release?
For more information see:
#Westlakelandfill
#USACE #Mississippi Valley Division
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Author photo: Coldwater creek