Spatial variability in sedimentation rates and artificial radionuclide storage in alluvial banks of the lower Rhône River
Résumé
This paper analyzes the relationship between bank sediment storage and radionuclide content in six alluvial sites located in different geomorphic contexts along the lower Rhône River. The 137Cs, 238Pu, 239+240Pu, 241Am and 210Pb profiles show different patterns, which indicates a differential storage of contaminated sediment in the banks. Three sites record historical nuclear releases in the river and give evidence for long-term retention of particle-reactive long-lived radionuclides. Two sites record only atmospheric global fallout. Only one site, connected to the river groundwater, provides some evidence for desorption of particle-bound contaminants, with a low and constant 137Cs activity profile. The history of the releases from the Marcoule spent-fuel reprocessing plant-the main source of artificial radioactivity-provides a reliable chronology of the last 50 years. Sediment grain size and bank topography are important factors in determining where artificial radionuclides are stored, but these two parameters cannot be used alone to determine variations in high concentrations of radionuclides. The chronology of fluvial geomorphic "metamorphosis" during the twentieth Century, especially after 1960, is also a critical factor affecting the spatial variability in sedimentation rates and artificial radionuclide storage; the timing of channel deepening and bank sedimentary accretion interfere with the chronology of major floods and the short period of low discharge during the height of contamination from nuclear liquid effluents. The reach-scale adjustment described in this paper can contribute to determining what the local history may have been. This result has important implications for river management decisions. © 2012 Springer Basel AG.