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Abstract
Radiocesium (137Cs) is a long-lived, hazardous byproduct of the nuclear fission process. In addition to releases from large disasters, radiocesium has also been released during weapons testing and nuclear production at US Department of Energy (USDOE) sites such as the Savannah River Site (SRS) located in Aiken, SC. Plant and fungal surveys conducted in the terrestrial environment near a former nuclear cooling canal on the SRS documented relatively high radiocesium activity concentrations, especially in ferns and fungi. Transfer from soil to plant/fungi was estimated by transfer factors. Transfer factor values near the cooling canal ranged from 0 to 313.7, well above those observed in nuclear exclusion zones, as well as other USDOE sites. Unique soil properties and cation concentrations may contribute to high bioavailability of radiocesium at the SRS. Implications of high transfer factors at the SRS include risk to higher trophic levels as well as nearby human populations.