90Sr in an alkaline pulp mill located in the South of Spain

The flux and concentration of 90Sr in an alkaline pulp mill located in the South of Spain have been obtained. 90Sr activity has been measured via its daughter 90Y by the Cerenkov counting with a liquid scintillation counter. A parameterised colour quenching correction was introduced in order to adequately evaluate the 90Y sample activity concentration. Pulp production, recovery cycles and the biofuel-powered electric and heat plant were the main mill sections studied in this work. As expected 90Sr seems to be retained at the Ca-cycle. 90Sr concentrations and flux have also been calculated in the controlled solid, liquid and gaseous waste discharges. It is estimated that, respectively, some 5.6, 5×10-4 and 2 GBq are annually discharged into the environment under typical working conditions