Radionuclide speciation and its relevance in environmental impact assessments

Salbu, Brit; Lind, Ole Christian; Skipperud, Lindis

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2004.01.008

Cited by 71 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Once they enter the environment, radionuclides end up in soil and sediments, which are the major sinks for their accumulation. The long-term impact of certain radioactive contaminant onto ecosystems depends on its speciation, mobility and biological uptake (Salbu et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation study of cobalt(II) and strontium(II) sorption–desorption behavior for selection of soil remediation technology

Smičiklas

Dimović

Jović

et al. 2015

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Sorption-desorption properties of cobalt(II) and strontium(II) ions were studied using a soil sample from the vicinity of the Serbian radioactive waste processing and interim storage facilities. The mobility of the cations in the soil was evaluated and compared with the intention to facilitate the selection of optimal remediation strategy in case of accidental soil contamination with radioactive cobalt-60 and strontium-90 isotopes. A systematic sorption study was performed through a series of batch experiments at different aging times, cation concentrations and pH. Kinetics experiments revealed that sorbed amounts of cobalt(II) continuously increased with contact time until quasi-equilibrium was reached, while initial fast strontium(II) sorption was followed by a desorption step. Based on the shapes of the sorption isotherms and calculated sorption parameters, it was concluded that cobalt(II) sorbed more selectively and strongly than strontium(II). Sequential extraction showed that, regardless of the initial content of contaminants in the soil and the aging time, high amounts of both cations were bonded to relatively mobile fractions: strontium(II) in the exchangeable, while cobalt(II) in the carbonate and ferromanganese oxide fraction. Strontium(II) was readily desorbed in acidic, calcium(II) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-containing media, whereas complexing agents such as citric and tartaric acids at low pH were more effective reagents for cobalt(II) desorption. The results from the present study indicate that chemical extraction can be considered as remediation option for strontium(II)-and cobalt(II)-contaminated soil.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation study of cobalt(II) and strontium(II) sorption–desorption behavior for selection of soil remediation technology

Smičiklas

Dimović

Jović

et al. 2015

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…2), typical of uranyl compounds, and a crystalline structure (Fig. 3) which was quite different from all DU particles observed in Kosovo and other sites in Kuwait, as well as from that of U particles released during the Chernobyl accident (Salbu et al, 1998(Salbu et al, , 2001(Salbu et al, , 2004b. XANES spectra of these particles were similar to solid uranyl standards.…”

Section: Identification and Characterisationmentioning

confidence: 77%

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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“…From a general point of view, this is of prime importance, notably in relation with environmental impact assessments [20]. Hence in the framework of our studies, the main media of interest will be soils and waters in contact with biosphere (human and non-human biota).…”

Section: Some Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Speciation needs in relation with environmental and biological purposes

et al. 2005

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Abstract. Radionuclides can occur in the environment either through chronic releases of nuclear facilities, or due to incidents or accidents. In order to study there behaviors in the environment (migration, retention, transfer, …) and in human organisms (metabolism, retention, excretion), it is of prime importance to know their solution chemistry, and more particularly thermodynamic equilibrium constants, allowing to calculate their speciation. In fact, speciation governs the migration, the bioavailability and the toxicity of elements. Moreover, this knowledge is also of great interest for decorporation or decontamination purposes. In this framework, a CEA working group on speciation has been created in order to share data both on thermodynamic constants and on analytical speciation methods, interesting chemists, environmentalists and biologists. It has been focused, in a first time, on actinides and a choice of specific ligands considered to be most representative of environmental and biological media. The thermodynamic database used is BASSIST (developed by CEA) in interaction with the speciation model JCHESS. Different examples are then presented on the selection of data (thermodynamic constants, ligands of interest) through benchmark exercises to test our state of knowledge in this area. Also, analytical methods to determine thermodynamic constants or direct speciation are discussed.

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Radionuclide speciation and its relevance in environmental impact assessments

Cited by 71 publications

References 20 publications

Evaluation study of cobalt(II) and strontium(II) sorption–desorption behavior for selection of soil remediation technology

Evaluation study of cobalt(II) and strontium(II) sorption–desorption behavior for selection of soil remediation technology

Characterisation of DU Particles from Kosovo and Kuwait

Speciation needs in relation with environmental and biological purposes

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