Studies of biological consequences of nuclear industrial contaminants in the environment increase in importance as the potential for exposure of wildlife populations rises. Thus, we examined levels of radiocesium (cesium-137) contamination in wood duck (Aix sponsa) eggs from a Department of Energy nuclear facility in South Carolina during 1990. Radiocesium levels in individual eggs from 5 locations on the site ranged from below detectable concentrations (<0.147 Bq/g) to a maximum of 2.21 Bq/g wet mass. Eggs from an abandoned reactor cooling reservoir contained the greatest burdens; mean egg concentrations there were more than an order of magnitude higher than those from other locations studied. Eggs from a second abandoned cooling [...]
