From Annual Summary and Assessment of Environmental Radiological Data for 1998 (1)

Table 3.7.2 Pickering Area Terrestrial Biota - 1998

 

"Samples of terrestrial biota representative of the 1998 growing season were taken from the vicinity of the Pickering, Darlington, and BNPD (Bruce) sites. Actual sample locations and the wind sectors in which they were taken at each nuclear site are shown in Appendix C (Darlington - Map C2, Pickering - Map C3, BNPD - Map C4). Analyses were carried out for tissue-free water tritium and Carbon14 (not shown here, ed. CCRC). Where multiple sample names are found (i.e., carrot and corn at a given location) the samples were composited prior to analysis.

 

One can see that these levels of tritium in the environment around the Pickering Nuclear Power Station are much lower than the tritium levels around the SRB light factory in Pembroke, except Indicator Site 2 at the Petticoat Creek Conservation Area environmental monitoring station and site 29.

Location Number	Sample Type (Composite)	HTO (Free Water) Bq/L
Indicator Site 2	Red & Green Peppers, Beans, Cucumbers, Chives	1854.8 +/-23.3
3	Chestnuts	108.8 +/- 6.0
Indicator Site 6	Lettuce, Carrots, Beans, Squash	209.1 +/- 8.1
7	Apples	97.2 +/- 5.7
Indicator Site 9	Apples, Peppers, Chives	167.9 +/- 7.3
10	Apples	149.1 +/- 7.0
12	Apples	42.2 +/- 4.2
15	Tomato, Onion, Cucumber, Pumpkin	23.1 +/- 3.5
16	Tomato, Apple, Potato	7 +/- 2.7
17	Cauliflower, Broccoli, Tomato, Red Peppers	12.7 +/- 3.0
18	Celery, Tomato, Red Pepper, Egg Plant, Cucumber	18.7 +/- 3.3
22	Apples, Blueberries	113 +/- 6.2
25	Apples	336.4 +/- 10.2
27	Apples	26.4 +/- 3.6
28	Apples	22.1 +/- 3.4
29	Red Berries	1926 +/- 23.9
30	Barley	51.6 +/- 4.5
30	Corn Silage	42.6 +/- 4.2
30	Haylage	159.3 +/- 7.2

(1) Ontario Power Generation. 'Annual Summary and Assessment of Environmental Radiological Data for 1998'. April 29, 1999: 71-81.

 

see discussion of health effects of Tritium in the environment

 

Darlington Tritium data / Bruce Tritium data / AECL Tritium data / tritium in vegetation trends: 1982 to 1998 / Environmental Tritium in Trees at AECL, Chalk River, Ontario. / Pembroke, ON tritium test results

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