Exposure of contaminants to small mammals collected near a low-level radioactive waste site in the Amargosa Desert, Nye County, NV

Abstract The Beatty, Nevada low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) site was established in 1962 and has since transitioned to US Ecology, Inc., a company responsible for the conversion of hazardous inorganic wastes to non-hazardous, delisted residues. Throughout the years, this site has been responsible for the storage and disposal of liquid radioactive waste, volatile organic compounds, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In an effort to identify contaminant presence and movement from the immediate disposal site to ecosystems in the surrounding areas, a study was developed to asses concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), PCBs, various heavy metals, and tritium. To complete this assessment small mammals, insects, vegetation, and soil samples were collected from the area directly surrounding the LLRW site and a reference site located approximately 3 kilometers south of the LLRW site. Samples underwent analysis via LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, ICP-MS, and liquid scintillation spectroscopy depending on analyte of interest. Small mammal tissues showed varying concentrations of PFAS, PCBs, several heavy metals, and tritium. A restricted sample size of insects allowed for analyses of PFAS and PCBs which were both present at low concentrations. PCBs were the primary contaminant found in soil samples, with traces of PFAS and tritium. Little data were obtained from vegetation samples due to the complex matrix of the plant species (creosote bush). These data suggest that various anthropogenic contaminants may be moving from the LLRW to the surrounding areas but additional analyses are necessary to confirm this along with the pathways through which contaminants in this hyper-arid environment move.