Distribution of organic carbon, selected stable elements and artificial radionuclides among dissolved, colloidal and particulate phases in the Rhone River (France): Preliminary results .

Eyrolle, F; Charmasson, S JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY, 55: (2) 145-155.

The behaviour of radionuclides discharged from nuclear facilities in the Rhone River depends on their distribution among the dissolved, colloidal and particulate phases. A large water sample was fractionated using sequential ultrafiltration. Size distributions of organic carbon, Fe, Al, Si, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Cs-137, Co-60 and Ru-106 were obtained. Our results show that organic colloids account for 11% of the total organic carbon content. Approximately 20% of the dissolved (<450 nm) Fe and Al are in colloidal classes. Cs-137 is not significantly transferred by the colloidal phase while 25% of Co-60 Or Ru-106 is associated with organic and inorganic colloids.