Origins and levels of artificial radionuclides within the Rhône river waters (France)for the last forty years: Towardsan evaluation of the radioecological sensitivy of river systems

The Rhône watershed extends over almost one hundred thousands square kilometers, i.e. one fifth of the metropolitan French territory. The Rhône is the major River entering the Western Mediterranean Sea as it generates the main source of sediments and freshwater (50%) to the sea, with an average wate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Radioprotection 2005-10, Vol.40 (4), p.435-446
Main Authors: Eyrolle, F., Louvat, D., Métivier, J.-M., Rolland, B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aquatic systems
artificial radionuclides
radioecological sensitivity
Rhône river
sediments
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Summary:The Rhône watershed extends over almost one hundred thousands square kilometers, i.e. one fifth of the metropolitan French territory. The Rhône is the major River entering the Western Mediterranean Sea as it generates the main source of sediments and freshwater (50%) to the sea, with an average water discharge of 1700 m3 s-1. The River input affects primary production significantly in the north-western Mediterranean area and plays a leading role on the marine ecosystem functioning in the whole Gulf of Lion. Almost twenty nuclear reactors are situated along the Rhône valley, representing Europe’s biggest concentration of nuclear power plants. Down flow all these installations the spent fuel reprocessing plant of Marcoule released over many years most of the liquid radioactive wastes including plutonium isotopes in the Rhône river. Artificial radionuclides also originate from the weathering of the catchment basin labeled by both the global and the Chernobyl accident atmospheric fallout. These radioactive inputs have led to a permanent contamination of the Rhône river waters. Long-term chronological series of artificial radionuclide activities within the waters at the lower reaches of the Rhône river were acquired from 1979 to 2002. These data give evidence for various radioecological responses of the aquatic system over years. Based on these observations several major radioecological sensitivity factors for river waters are identified. Origines et niveaux d’activités des radionucléides artificiels dans les eaux du Rhône (France) au cours des quarante dernières années : vers une évaluations de la sensibilité radioécologique des systèmes aquatiques continentaux de surface. Le basin versant du Rhône s’étend sur près de 100 000 km2, soit un cinquième du territoire français métropolitain. Le Rhône avec un débit moyen annuel de l’ordre de 1700 m3 s-1 est le fleuve principal de la mer Méditerranée occidentale apportant une partie considérable de sédiments et d’eau douce (50 %). Les apports de ce fleuve gouvernent la production primaire et le fonctionnement de l’écosystème marin dans l’ensemble du Golf du Lion. Près de vingt installations nucléaires sont implantées dans la vallée rhodanienne. La vallée est ainsi le siège de l’une des plus fortes concentrations d’industries nucléaires en Europe. Durant de nombreuses années, l’usine de retraitement du combustible irradié de Marcoule a représenté le terme source prépondérant de radioactivité artificielle pour les eaux
ISSN:0033-8451
1769-700X
DOI:10.1051/radiopro:2005022