Man-Made Radionuclides Confirm Rapid Burial of Kepone in James River Sediments

Abstract

Profiles of man-made radionuclides in sediment cores from the James River estuary confirm the rapid burial of the pesticide Kepone. The greatest deposition of Kepone has occurred in zones characterized by very high sedimentation rates, 10 to 20 centimeters per year. Since sediment is the major Kepone reservoir, rapid burial probably reduces the exposure of organisms to further contamination. Disturbance caused by hurricanes or dredging, however, could return highly contaminated sediment to the surface although this sediment would be diluted with less contaminated particles.