Groundwater Monitoring and Plume Discharge Zone Characterization for the NRX Radiostrontium Plume at Chalk River Laboratories

Abstract

Groundwater is the principal pathway for the migration of most radiological and non-radiological compounds from past and present operating areas at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s Chalk River Laboratories (CRL). The CRL Groundwater Monitoring Program (GWMP) was established to measure the groundwater quality around the perimeters of areas affected, or potentially affected, by groundwater plumes. One of these is the NRX Rod Bays plume, a legacy plume that originated from the fuel storage bays of the National Research Experimental (NRX) reactor. This plume contains primarily 90Sr migrating along the groundwater flow system to the Ottawa River. A characterization study of the shoreline region was completed recently to map the plume discharge zone by collecting samples from mini-piezometers and groundwater seeps (springs) during a period of low river level. Analysis of discharging groundwaters determined that the 90Sr concentrations were very similar to those sampled from nearby (upgradient) GWMP monitoring wells. With this favorable correlation, the high density of seep and mini-piezometer sampling along the shoreline allowed refinements to be made in defining the northerly and southerly boundaries of the radiostrontium plume. The seep and mini-piezometer sampling also provided evidence that the monitoring wells sampled routinely within the CRL GWMP are positioned appropriately for providing representative sampling of the plume. Shoreline seep and mini-piezometer sampling can lead to refinements in the conceptual site model for plumes with limited effort and cost. The supplemental characterization work can also potentially identify other targets for routine groundwater monitoring.