The dissolution of ThO2(cr) in carbonate solutions and a granitic groundwater

Kim, S. S.; Baik, Min Hoon; Choi, Jong Won; Shin, H. S.; Yun, Jong-Il

doi:10.1007/s10967-010-0614-5

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Langmuir (1997) calculated similar thorium solubilities in J-13 water from Yucca Mountain ( 6.0 Â 10 À7 ) and in Stripa groundwater ( 5.7 Â 10 À7 ) using the thermodynamic database of Turner et al (1993); however, these values are much higher than those calculated by Bruno et al (2000) for waters from Ä spö and Gideå using EQ3NR (about 2 Â 10 À10 M). They are also much higher than measured solubilities in ultrafiltered granitic water ($ pH 9.0) from the Korean underground research facility (5.3 Â 10 À9 -7.3 Â 10 À9 M) (Kim et al, 2010). The authors of the latter study suggest that the measured values are well below the calculated solubility of ThO 2(am, hyd) because of the formation of unidentified thorium colloids prior to saturation with that phase.…”

Section: Actinides and Nuclear Waste Disposalmentioning

confidence: 59%

Radioactivity, Geochemistry, and Health

Siegel

Bryan

2014

Treatise on Geochemistry

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Section: Actinides and Nuclear Waste Disposalmentioning

confidence: 59%

Radioactivity, Geochemistry, and Health

Siegel

Bryan

2014

Treatise on Geochemistry

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“…Thorium is less soluble than U in all conditions. In solution, the species Th(OH) 4 and Th(OH) 3 (CO 3 − ) form colloids or precipitates with iron and manganese oxyhydroxides (Kim et al, 2010). Furthermore, the Th precipitates if the pH increases to values above 5 (Langmuir and Herman, 1980) and the geochemical modelling indicates that all analysed waters are saturated in ThO 2 .…”

Section: Geochemistry Of Watersmentioning

confidence: 98%

Assessment of metal and metalloid contamination in the waters and stream sediments around the abandoned uranium mine area from Mortórios, central Portugal

Neiva

Carvalho

Antunes

et al. 2019

Journal of Geochemical Exploration

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In the abandoned Mortórios uranium mine area there are quartz veins containing wolframite and sulphides and basic rock dykes with torbernite and autunite cutting a porphyritic granite. The basic rock dykes were exploited and produced about 27 t of U 3 O 8 , from 1982 to 1988. There are an open pit lake and nine dumps. Surface water and groundwater are contaminated in U, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Pb. Stream sediments are contaminated in U, As, Th and W, which are adsorbed by smectite, kaolinite and iron-and aluminium-oxy-hydroxides. The maximum U concentrations are of 1268 μg/L in the open pit lake, 100 μg/L in surface water, 103 μg/L in groundwater and 81.5 mg/kg in stream sediments all downstream of the open pit lake and dumps. Further downstream the U concentration in water decreases, due to the high mobility of U (VI), but the U concentration in stream sediments increases. Calcium uranyl carbonate dominates in the open pit lake, but uranyl carbonate complexes dominate in surface water and groundwater. The maximum As concentrations are 56.0 μg/L in the open pit lake, 63.4 μg/L in the surface water and 66.7 μg/L in the groundwater, both downstream of the open pit lake and dumps. The arsenic occurs as As (V). The Mortórios area is compared with two other areas exploited from open pits, all located in the uranium-bearing Beira area of central Portugal. Vale de Abrutiga produced 90 t of U 3 O 8 between 1982 and 1989 and Mondego Sul produced 75 t of U 3 O 8 from 1987 to 1991. The two mines consist of quartz veins containing sulphides, saleeite and meta-saleeite at Vale de Abrutiga and with sulphides, autunite, torbernite, meta-uranocircite and meta-saleeite at Mondego Sul cutting the Schist-graywacke Complex. The mine area of Vale de Abrutiga with the highest exploitation of U 3 O 8 has strongly acidic to slight alkaline water, which is the most contaminated. Mortórios with the lowest exploitation presents a higher contamination of slightly acidic to alkaline water than that of acidic to alkaline water from Mondego Sul, but the former has As (V), whereas the latter has As (III), which is toxic. The stream sediments from Mortórios present the lowest contamination, except for Th that has a higher median value than that from Vale de Abrutiga. Stream sediments from Mondego Sul have higher U, Th, Pb and lower Co, Cr, Cu and Zn median values than those of Vale de Abrutiga.

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“…The carbonate concentration increases the formation of soluble complex of carbonate, and those complexes increase the thorium concentration in water. However, they easily form colloids or precipitates (Kim et al 2010). Thorium (IV) forms strong complexes with humic and fulvic acids, and its adsorption to organic matter, clays and oxides increase with pH, limiting its mobility and bioavailability.…”

Section: Speciation Of As Pb Th and U In Surface Waters And Groundwmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential toxic elements in stream sediments, soils and waters in an abandoned radium mine (central Portugal)

Antunes

Neiva

Albuquerque

et al. 2017

Environ Geochem Health

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The Alto da Várzea radium mine (AV) exploited ore and U-bearing minerals, such as autunite and torbernite. The mine was exploited underground from 1911 to 1922, closed in 1946 without restoration, and actually a commercial area is deployed. Stream sediments, soils and water samples were collected between 2008 and 2009. Stream sediments are mainly contaminated in As, Th, U and W, which is related to the AV radium mine. The PTEs, As, Co, Cr, Sr, Th, U, W, Zn, and electrical conductivity reached the highest values in soils collected inside the mine influence. Soils are contaminated with As and U and must not be used for any purpose. Most waters have pH values ranging from 4.3 to 6.8 and are poorly mineralized (EC = 41-186 lS/cm; TDS = 33-172 mg/L). Groundwater contains the highest Cu, Cr and Pb contents. Arsenic occurs predominantly as H 2 (AsO 4)and H(AsO 4) 2-. Waters are saturated in goethite, haematite and some of them also in lepidocrocite and ferrihydrite, which adsorbs As (V). Lead is divalent in waters collected during the warm season, being mobile in these waters. Thorium occurs mainly as Th(OH) 3 (-CO 3)-, Th(OH) 2 (CO 3) and Th(OH) 2 (CO 3) 2 2-, which increase water Th contents. Uranium occurs predominantly as UO 2 CO 3 , but CaUO 2 (CO 3) 3 2and CaUO 2 (-CO 3) 3 also occur, decreasing its mobility in water. The waters are contaminated in NO 2-, Mn, Cu, As, Pb and U and must not be used for human consumption and in agricultural activities. The water contamination is mainly associated with the old radium mine and human activities. A restoration of the mining area with PTE monitoring is necessary to avoid a public hazard.

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The dissolution of ThO2(cr) in carbonate solutions and a granitic groundwater

Cited by 11 publications

References 14 publications

Radioactivity, Geochemistry, and Health

Radioactivity, Geochemistry, and Health

Assessment of metal and metalloid contamination in the waters and stream sediments around the abandoned uranium mine area from Mortórios, central Portugal

Potential toxic elements in stream sediments, soils and waters in an abandoned radium mine (central Portugal)

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