Isotopic composition and origin of uranium and plutonium in selected soil samples collected in Kosovo

Danesi, P.R.; Bleise, A.; Burkart, W.; Cabianca, T.; Campbell, Mike; Makarewicz, M.; Moreno, Jesús Pérez; Tuniz, Claudio; Hotchkis, M.A.C.

doi:10.1016/s0265-931x(02)00043-7

Cited by 82 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In contrast, the 236 U/ 235 U atom ratio measured in DU particles from Kuwait varied with sampling site, with values of ∼10 −2 measured in particles associated with the DU ammunition storage facility fire, and values of ∼10 −3 measured in particles collected inside disabled tanks. Using ICP-MS and AMS, Danesi et al (2003a) confirmed that the 236 U/ 235 U atom ratios in bulk samples of the highly contaminated Ceja Mountain soils were similar to those found for individual particles (∼10 −2 ). The presence of 236 U can only originate from the use of U recycled from spent fuel or to handling of natural U with equipment previously contaminated in the course of recycling operations in enrichment plants.…”

Section: Source Identificationsupporting

confidence: 62%

Characterisation of DU Particles from Kosovo and Kuwait

Lind¹,

Salbu²,

Janssens

et al. 2009

Radioactive Particles in the Environment

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Large amounts of DU material has been released to the environment in Kosovo and Kuwait due to the use of depleted uranium (DU) ammunition during the 1991 Gulf war and the 1999 Balkan conflict. Following the impact of metallic DU penetrators on solid targets, DU particles are dispersed and ignited, and uranium in the particles is oxidized. Following inhalation or ingestion of DU particles, the amount of DU that is absorbed into the blood and distributed to tissues and organs will largely depend on the particle size distribution and associated weathering rates (solubility) both in the respiratory system as well as the GI tract. Particle weathering rates are related to particle characteristics such as specific surface area, size distribution, elemental composition, U oxidation states and crystallographic structure.In order to improve the basis for health impact assessments related to contamination of DU in Ceja Mountains, Kosovo and Al Doha, Um Al Kwaty as well as Manageesh Oil fields in Kuwait, DU particles originating from these sites have been isolated and characterised in detail using advanced analytical techniques. Information on particle size, surface structure and surface elemental distribution were obtained by means of electron microscopy, whereas elemental distribution, oxidation state and crystallographic structure of U were determined using synchrotron radiation (SR) based x-ray microscopic techniques. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) were employed to obtain U isotope ratios for source identification purposes.Characteristics of DU particles in soil/sand from Kosovo and Kuwait contaminated during the Balkan conflict and Gulf war varied significantly depending on the release scenario. Atom ratios ( 236 U/ 235 U) obtained from ICP-MS and AMS varied between individual particles, but demonstrated that U in the DU-particles originated from reprocessed fuel. The bright yellow, highly oxidised DU particles associated with a fire in a DU ammunition storage facility showed a wide particle size distribution; from submicron to several O.C. LIND ET AL. 58 hundred micrometers. Furthermore, the micro-XRD signals closely resembled those of schoepite, dehydrated schoepite and metaschoepite. DU in sand samples contaminated with these particles is expected to dissolve quite rapidly in biological fluids. In contrast, the potential mobility of smaller and less oxidised DU particles, originating from the corrosion of DU penetrators or collected in tanks hit by DU ammunition should be significantly lower. The presence of respiratory DU particles where U is more oxidised than UO 2 , and exhibiting high weathering rates, reflects that DU particles are potentially more bioavailable than natural uranium. Thus, environmental or health impact assessments for areas affected by DU ammunitions should take into account oxidation states, their corresponding weathering rates and the subsequent mobilisation of U from oxidized DU particles.

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Section: Source Identificationsupporting

confidence: 62%

Characterisation of DU Particles from Kosovo and Kuwait

Lind¹,

Salbu²,

Janssens

et al. 2009

Radioactive Particles in the Environment

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“…Although its production is less, 236 U/ 238 U indicates anthropogenic activities or a neutron burst, 235 U (n,C ) 236 U on the bombardment. However, some papers have noticed the presence of 236 U in penetrators [24] and also in soil samples [25,26].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of uranium and its isotopes at trace levels in environmental samples using mass spectrometry

Sahoo¹

2009

Indian J Phys

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: Actinides have widely entered the environment as a result of nuclear accidents and atmospheric weapon testing. These radionuclides, especially uranium, are outstanding radioactive pollutants, due to their high radiotoxicity and long half-lives. In addition to this, since depleted uranium (DU) has been used in the Balkan conflict in 1999, there has been a concern about the possible consequences of its use for the people and environment. Therefore, accurate, precise and simple determination methods are necessary in order to evaluate the human dose and the concentration and effects of these nuclides in the environment. The principal isotopes of uranium e.g. 235 U and 238 U are of primordial origin and 234 U present in radioactive equilibrium with 238 U. 236 U occurs in nature at ultra trace concentrations with a 236 U : 238 U atom ratio of 10 -14 . Concentrations of uranium in soil samples were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and isotope ratios of uranium were measured using a thermal ionisation mass spectrometer. Radioactive dis-equilibrium of 234 U/ 238 U, depletion of 235 U/ 238 U and significant evidence of 236 U/ 238 U were noticed in soil samples.

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“…DU is an extremely dense (19.05 g cm −3 ), hard, autopyrophoric, relatively cheap metal used for military applications such as piercing of munitions and enhancement of armor protection (Jia et al 2005). Soil analyses performed in the Kosovo area indicated that U concentrations exceeding normal environmental values (*2-3 mg/kg) were due to DU contamination (Danesi et al 2003a). An additional study of the same area yielded results which did not permit a legitimate extrapolation for all war sites hit by DU in the conflict, but indicated the probability of "spots" where hundreds of thousands of particles are present in a few milligrams of DU-contaminated soil (Danesi et al 2003b), About 50 % of the DU particles collected in the Kosovo war zone were characterized as UO 2 , whereas the remaining DU particles were either U 3 O 8 or a mixture of oxidized forms (Salbu et al 2003).…”

Section: Depleted Uranium In the Balkanmentioning

confidence: 99%