History of mercury use and environmental contamination at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant

Scott C. Brooks; George R. Southworth

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2010.09.009

History of mercury use and environmental contamination at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant

Scott C. Brooks
, George R. Southworth

Biogeochemical Dynamics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

133 Scopus citations

Abstract

Between 1950 and 1963 approximately 11 million kilograms of mercury (Hg) were used at the Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 NSC) for lithium isotope separation processes. About 3% of the Hg was lost to the air, soil and rock under facilities, and East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) which originates in the plant site. Smaller amounts of Hg were used at other Oak Ridge facilities with similar results. Although the primary Hg discharges from Y-12 NSC stopped in 1963, small amounts of Hg continue to be released into the creek from point sources and diffuse contaminated soil and groundwater sources within Y-12 NSC. Mercury concentration in EFPC has decreased 85% from ∼2000 ng/L in the 1980s. In general, methylmercury concentrations in water and in fish have not declined in response to improvements in water quality and exhibit trends of increasing concentration in some cases.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	219-228
Number of pages	10
Journal	Environmental Pollution
Volume	159
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.09.009
State	Published - Jan 2011

Funding

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program and is a product of the Science Focus Area (SFA) at ORNL. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DEAC05-00OR22725. The authors wish to express their gratitude to two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments.

Keywords

Bioaccumulation
Heavy metals
Multiple stress
Stress ecology
Vegetation

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abstract = "Between 1950 and 1963 approximately 11 million kilograms of mercury (Hg) were used at the Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 NSC) for lithium isotope separation processes. About 3\% of the Hg was lost to the air, soil and rock under facilities, and East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) which originates in the plant site. Smaller amounts of Hg were used at other Oak Ridge facilities with similar results. Although the primary Hg discharges from Y-12 NSC stopped in 1963, small amounts of Hg continue to be released into the creek from point sources and diffuse contaminated soil and groundwater sources within Y-12 NSC. Mercury concentration in EFPC has decreased 85\% from ∼2000 ng/L in the 1980s. In general, methylmercury concentrations in water and in fish have not declined in response to improvements in water quality and exhibit trends of increasing concentration in some cases.",

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AB - Between 1950 and 1963 approximately 11 million kilograms of mercury (Hg) were used at the Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 NSC) for lithium isotope separation processes. About 3% of the Hg was lost to the air, soil and rock under facilities, and East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) which originates in the plant site. Smaller amounts of Hg were used at other Oak Ridge facilities with similar results. Although the primary Hg discharges from Y-12 NSC stopped in 1963, small amounts of Hg continue to be released into the creek from point sources and diffuse contaminated soil and groundwater sources within Y-12 NSC. Mercury concentration in EFPC has decreased 85% from ∼2000 ng/L in the 1980s. In general, methylmercury concentrations in water and in fish have not declined in response to improvements in water quality and exhibit trends of increasing concentration in some cases.

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KW - Stress ecology

KW - Vegetation

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History of mercury use and environmental contamination at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant

Abstract

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Keywords

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