1 - paducah environmental information center

1-1 -'-,-', --'-,' • SUrface
Paducah Site
for the TCE found at these locations. A
detectable concentration of TCE was also seen at
L 1. The data also shows acetone present at L 5.
Chloride at the Bayou Creek downstream
location was higher than at the upstream site.
The highest concentrations of suspended solids
and iron were found in the Ohio River. Uranium
was also detected at low concentrations in all
downstream creek locations.
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Figure 8.1 Surface water monitoring locations at
the Paducah Site.
downstream of. plant effluents) and L 306
(confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
at Cairo, Illinois) were added. Nqnroutine
samples were· also collected ~t other locations. as
needs dictated. The bimonthly samples were
an8Iyzed for water quality parameters· such as
VOCs, selected radionuclides, and dissolved
meta1s~ The data can be used to compare
upstreamandd~wnstream locations around the
Paducah Site. .
The results for the receiving creeks can be
compared t~ the Paducah Site's KPDES permit
standards which are based on warm water
aquatic habitat criteria established by KDOW
(401 KAR 5:031). All sample results for Bayou
and Little Bayou creeks are within KPDES
standards.
Surface water samples are also taken on a
quarterly basis at the C-746-S&T closed
landfills. Samples are taken upstream of surface
runoff from the . landfill, at the landfill, and
downstream of the landfill. Data is reported
quarterly to KDWM.. Appendix C provides the
results of surface water monitoring. Figure 8.1
shows monitoring locations.
Additional ~urface water data can be found
in Appendix C.
Sediment
,
I'
t
,
Surface Water Surveillance Results
Table 8.1 shows average concentrations
for parameters where upstream and downstream
results differed noticeably. Only one sample of
the eight samples collected had a detectable
concentration of acetone. L 12 and L 241 had
TCE concentrations of 4 mg/L and 34 mg/L,
respectively. These stations are located in Little
Bayou Creek downstream of L 10 (Figure 8.1).
Recharge of the creek from the Northeast
Groundwater Plume is believed to be responsible
Sediment is an important constituent of the
aquatic environment. If a pollutant is a
suspended solid or is attached to suspended
sediment, it can settle to the bottom (thus
creating the need for sediment sampling), be
taken up by certain organisms, or become
attached to plant surfaces. Pollutants in solution
can adsorb on suspended organic and inorganic
solids or be assimilated by plants and animals.
Suspended solids, dead biota, and excreta settle
to the bottom and become part of the organic
substrata that support the bottom-dwelling
community of organisms. Sediments play a
8-2
Nonradiological Environmental Surveillance