NDLI: Consequences of hydrological events on the delivery of suspended sediment and associated radionuclides from the Rhône River to the Mediterranean Sea

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Eyrolle, Frédérique Radakovitch, Olivier Raimbault, Patrick Charmasson, Sabine Antonelli, Christelle Ferrand, Emmanuelle Aubert, Dominique Raccasi, Guillaume Jacquet, Stéphanie Gurriaran, Rodolfo
Copyright Year	2012
Abstract	Almost 20 nuclear reactors are situated along the Rhône valley, representing Europe’s largest concentration of nuclear power plants. The fate of suspended sediments and natural and artificial particle-bound radionuclides in relation to extreme hydrological events was assessed at the lower course of the Rhône River, which provides the main source of water and sediment inputs to the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.We sampled water at a high frequency over the period 2001–2008 and measured suspended particulate matter (SPM) loads and particle-bound natural and artificial radionuclide concentrations at the SORA observatory station in Arles, France. We monitored various hydrological events (either natural or anthropogenic origin) and characterize their influence on concentrations and fluxes.The relationship between SPM concentration and the very wide range of water discharges did not differ significantly from previous periods, indicating no significant shift in the average sediment delivery over the last 20 years. Unexpected hydrological events of anthropogenic origin, in particular those associated with flushing of reservoirs that are generally not captured by sampling strategies, were recorded and were shown to transfer significant additional sediment and associated contaminants towards the marine environment. Concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides associated with sediment (i.e., $^{137}$Cs, $^{60}$Co, $^{54}$Mn, $^{110m}$Ag, and Pu isotopes) varied over two to three orders of magnitude during periods of low and moderate flow due to variations in the liquid release from nuclear facilities. Except for Pu isotopes, the concentrations of the various particle-bound radionuclides generally showed a decreasing trend with increasing discharge, revealing the geochemical or anthropogenic background values, and providing a useful flood fingerprint for this large fluvial system before its entry into the marine environment.Our approach produced key data on the level and fate of suspended solids and radionuclide concentrations during flood events occurring in a large river system that could be contaminated by chronic or accidental radioactive releases. These results are of fundamental importance for further interpretations of sediment dynamics at the river mouth.
Starting Page	1479
Ending Page	1495
Page Count	17
File Format	PDF
ISSN	14390108
Journal	Journal of Soils and Sediments
Volume Number	12
Issue Number	9
e-ISSN	16147480
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2012-08-22
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Extreme events Floods Radionuclides Rhône River Rivers Suspended sediment Transport Soil Science & Conservation Environment Environmental Physics
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Stratigraphy Earth-Surface Processes

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