Concentrations of uranium and / ratios in soil and plant samples collected around the uranium conversion building in the JCO campus

Yoshida, Satoshi; Muramatsu, Yasuyuki; Tagami, Keiko; Uchida, Shunsuke; Ban-Nai, Tadaaki; Yonehara, Hidenori; Sahoo, Sarat Kumar

doi:10.1016/s0265-931x(00)00075-8

Cited by 36 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…These results accord with other findings reported in the literature where non-natural U in soils has been transferred to plant tissues. 34,35 The results presented here also demonstrate the utility of MC-ICP-MS for such measurements, as to perform the U isotope measurements for Raeberry Gun plant samples using alpha spectrometry would have required sample sizes of 45 -100 g per replicate in order to obtain sufficient counts (~500) to quantify 235 U activity confidently within a 3 week counting period. Therefore, while alpha spectrometry remains a highly useful tool for examining environmental samples with U concentrations at or above the range observed in soils, MC-ICP-MS is a more suitable technique for analysing samples with lower U concentrations (e.g.…”

Section: Plant Uptake Of Du At the Dundrennan And Eskmeals Firing Rangesmentioning

confidence: 68%

Assessing depleted uranium (DU) contamination of soil, plants and earthworms at UK weapons testing sites

et al. 2007

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Depleted uranium (DU) weapons testing programmes have been conducted at two locations within the UK. An investigation was therefore carried out to assess the extent of any environmental contamination arising from these test programmes using both alpha spectrometry and mass spectrometry techniques. Uranium isotopic signatures indicative of DU contamination were observed in soil, plant and earthworm samples collected in the immediate vicinity of test firing points and targets, but contamination was found to be localised to these areas. The paper demonstrates the superiority of the 235 U: 238 U ratio over the 234 U: 238 U ratio for identifying and quantifying DU contamination in environmental samples and also describes the respective circumstances under which alpha spectrometry or mass spectrometry may be the more appropriate analytical tool. IntroductionNatural uranium (U) principally consists of three isotopes, primordial 238 U (t 1/2 = 4.47x10 9 y) and 235 U (t 1/2 = 7.04x10 8 y), which are parent members of natural radioactive decay series, and 234 U (t 1/2 = 2.45x10 5 years), which is a member of the 238 U decay chain. For natural U, the 235 U: 238 U activity ratio has a constant value 0.046 (Table 1), while the 234 U: 238 U activity ratio is variable as a consequence of decay chain disequilibrium that arises from preferential transfer of 234 U to surface and groundwater. 1,2 This disequilibrium results in pronounced 234 U: 238 U activity ratio variations, but for soils the commonly observed range is 0.8 -1.2 (e.g. 3,4 ). Depleted uranium (DU) is a byproduct of U enrichment processes, whereby the fissile isotope 235 U is preferentially concentrated for the production of nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons. The enrichment processes, e.g. gas centrifugation or gaseous diffusion, also separate 234 U from 238 U, leaving a waste material (DU) which is depleted with respect to both 234 U and 235 U. Although the exact isotopic composition of DU, particularly that used by the British military, has been determined on relatively few occasions 5,6 and thus may exhibit some subtle variation, DU has an isotopic signature strikingly distinct from naturally occurring U (Table 1). This isotopic difference can be used to identify and quantify contamination in the environment arising from the use of DU munitions, with both the 234 U: 238 U and 235 U: 238 U ratios being potentially useful for this purpose.Due to its high density (19.05 g cm -3 ), penetrating power and pyrophoric properties, DU has been used for military purposes such as tank-piercing ammunition and tank armour. In the UK alone, research and development of DU munitions dates back to the 1960s, with test programmes having been conducted at several Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites. The environmental fate of DU has, however, only recently begun to receive attention in the scientific literature, mostly in relation to areas such as the former Yugoslavia 7-14 and the Persian Gulf 15, 16 where DU munitions have been used in active warfare. While such studies have successfull...

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Section: Plant Uptake Of Du At the Dundrennan And Eskmeals Firing Rangesmentioning

confidence: 68%

Assessing depleted uranium (DU) contamination of soil, plants and earthworms at UK weapons testing sites

et al. 2007

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show abstract

“…Fundamental knowledge of biogeochemical behaviour of these metals and processes involved in their environmental migration are also of practical importance for power generation, water supply, agriculture, sewage disposal, and environmental protection and remediation. Although there are reports in literature on biogeochemistry of both elements (Sheppard and Eveden, 1988;Mazor, 1992;Mortvedt, 1994;Voigt et al, 2000;Yoshida et al, 2000;Edmands et al, 2001;Vera Tome´et al, 2002;Ehlken and Kirchner, 2002;Rodrigues et al, 2002;Vera Tome´et al, 2003), the number of publications on uranium is much greater. This is not surprising because uranium is an important element for nuclear production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thorium uptake by wheat at different stages of plant growth

Shtangeeva

Ayrault

Jain

2005

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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“…The measured data were used for theoretical simulation based on neutron transfer model 12,17,18) . It is also noted that the uranium isotopic ratio in surface soils and plant leaves were measured to assess the possibility of leakage of 235 U-enriched uranium 19,20) .…”

Section: Purpose Of Measurements Made By the Environmental Research Gmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…235 U-enriched uranium leacage 19,20) One of the interesting results is the finding of 235 U-enriched uranium in surface soils and plants collected inside and outside of the JCO campus. The maximum value of the 235 U/ 238 U isotopic ratio observed was 0.0218 19) , which is 3-times higher than 0.0072 of natural uranium.…”

Section: (4) Discovery Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiochemical Approach to the JCO Criticality Accident in Tokai-mura, 1999 -An Overview of the Radiochemistry Group-

Komura

2001

JRR

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Concentrations of uranium and / ratios in soil and plant samples collected around the uranium conversion building in the JCO campus

Cited by 36 publications

References 5 publications

Assessing depleted uranium (DU) contamination of soil, plants and earthworms at UK weapons testing sites

Assessing depleted uranium (DU) contamination of soil, plants and earthworms at UK weapons testing sites

Thorium uptake by wheat at different stages of plant growth

Radiochemical Approach to the JCO Criticality Accident in Tokai-mura, 1999 -An Overview of the Radiochemistry Group-

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