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Sediment samples taken from Reynolds Channel and nearby waters in early 2013 to gauge the impact superstorm Sandy had on the environment yielded a radioactive surprise -- the element cesium-137.
McHugh was part of a team from Queens College, Adelphi University and the University of Texas at Austin that examined offshore and inshore areas to see what impact the October 2012 storm may have had. She focused on metals and wastewater indicators in waters, such as Reynolds Channel, near Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant, which went offline during the storm and sent raw and partially treated sewage into area waters.
McHugh detected increased levels of cesium-137 in the same locations where the concentration of lead, copper and zinc were also higher than what would be expected.
"Was it part of the marine environment already and resuspended by the storm or did it come from the plant?" she said. "This is not an easy black and white situation."
Cesium-137 is often found in nuclear weapons and reactors, but also is used in cancer treatments. It is most commonly associated with the fallout from atomic weapons testing dating from the 1950s. It was banned by treaty in 1963.
McHugh said the highest concentrations of cesium-137 were found in Reynolds Channel. Where one would normally see levels at 20 to 30 pico Curies per kilogram, McHugh detected the element at up to 141 pico Curies per kilogram.
"I think it's high but not terribly high," she said. "We do find that concentration elsewhere."
Professor J. Kirk Cochran, from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, said the levels are similar to what is found below the surface in Jamaica Bay. "I think the simple interpretation is that storms like Sandy can resuspend and redistribute lots of sediment," Cochran said.
The cesium-137 levels found are consistent with atmospheric weapons testing and it is not uncommon to find hot spots ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 pico Curies per kilogram, said Maureen Conley, a spokeswoman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The county has not tested for cesium-137 to see if it is moving through the plant because there are not documented "radioactivity issues with sludge, screenings or grit disposal," he said.
Hunt said the treatment plant was an unlikely source. "You wouldn't expect cesium-137 to be in a sewage treatment plant unless there was some kind of dumping upstream," he said.
A fish advisory for the area issued by the state Department of Health is already in effect, warning people to avoid crab and lobster paste and to limit intake of weakfish, bluefish, striped bass and American eel because of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.
The department does not have any current advisories related to cesium-137, spokesman Bill Schwarz said.
That's the gist of the article, can not post the whole thing.
Guess no one cares. While I'm not sure about radioactive elements in reynolds channel. I do for a fact, I I was on the inspection team that the pipe line from the cedar creek sewage plant out to the ocean has been leaking since the early eighties. The bright side to radioactive material in reynolds is we might see some monster fluke.
Why not tell everyone about the very pristine and desirable sections of Pompton Lakes, Toms River, Carteret, Elizabeth and the likes?
Check a map- none of these places were in the counties I listed. Of course Northeastern NJ is polluted.
The only thing Toms River is polluted with is Axe Body Spray and herpes cream from May to September when this quaint town becomes tainted with moronic Long Island guidos.
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Location: home...finally, home .
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Because of the many (mostly deleted) foolish and quarrelsome posts on this serious and innocuous OP , this thread is closed. Really , guys.
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