Disequilibrium study of natural radionuclides of uranium and thorium series in cores and briny groundwaters from Palo Duro Basin, Texas

Laul, J C; Smith, M R

Title: Disequilibrium study of natural radionuclides of uranium and thorium series in cores and briny groundwaters from Palo Duro Basin, Texas

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Abstract

The concentrations of natural radionuclides of the /sup 238/U and /232/Th series are reported in several cores and in ten deep and five shallow briny groundwaters from various formations in the Palo Duro Basin. The formations include Granite Wash, Pennsylvanian Granite Wash, Wolfcamp Carbonate, Pennsylvanian Carbonate, Seven River, Queen Grayburg, San Andres, Yates and Salado. The natural radionuclide data in cores suggest that the radionuclides have not migrated or been leached for at least a period of about 1 million years. Relative to the U and Th concentrations in cores, the brines are depleted by a factor of 10/sup 4/ to 10/sup 5/, indicating extremely low solubility of U and Th in brines. The natural radionuclide data in brines suggest that radium is not sorbed significantly and thus not retarded in nine deep brines. Radium is somewhat sorbed in one deep brine of Wolfcamp Carbonate and significantly sorbed in shallow brines. Relative to radium, the U, Th, Pb, Bi, and Po radionuclides are highly retarded by sorption. The retardation factors for /sup 228/Th range from 10/sup 2/ to 10/sup 3/, whereas those for /sup 230/Th and /sup 234/U range from 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 5/, depending on the formation. Themore »« less

Authors:: Laul, J C; Smith, M R

Publication Date:: Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988

Research Org.:: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)

OSTI Identifier:: 6972068

Report Number(s):: PNL/SRP-5783
ON: DE89000268

DOE Contract Number:: AC06-76RL01830

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Resource Relation:: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; BRINES; SORPTIVE PROPERTIES; DRILL CORES; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; GROUND WATER; BACKGROUND RADIATION; PALO DURO BASIN; SALT DEPOSITS; THORIUM 230; URANIUM 234; URANIUM 238; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; HEAVY NUCLEI; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PERMIAN BASIN; RADIATIONS; RADIOISOTOPES; SURFACE PROPERTIES; THORIUM ISOTOPES; URANIUM ISOTOPES; WATER; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage; 560151 - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man

Citation Formats


                    Laul, J C, and Smith, M R. Disequilibrium study of natural radionuclides of uranium and thorium series in cores and briny groundwaters from Palo Duro Basin, Texas.  United States: N. p., 1988. 
        Web.

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                    Laul, J C, & Smith, M R. Disequilibrium study of natural radionuclides of uranium and thorium series in cores and briny groundwaters from Palo Duro Basin, Texas.  United States.

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                    Laul, J C, and Smith, M R. 1988.  
        "Disequilibrium study of natural radionuclides of uranium and thorium series in cores and briny groundwaters from Palo Duro Basin, Texas".  United States.

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@article{osti_6972068,

  title        = {Disequilibrium study of natural radionuclides of uranium and thorium series in cores and briny groundwaters from Palo Duro Basin, Texas},

  author       = {Laul, J C and Smith, M R},

  abstractNote = {The concentrations of natural radionuclides of the /sup 238/U and /232/Th series are reported in several cores and in ten deep and five shallow briny groundwaters from various formations in the Palo Duro Basin. The formations include Granite Wash, Pennsylvanian Granite Wash, Wolfcamp Carbonate, Pennsylvanian Carbonate, Seven River, Queen Grayburg, San Andres, Yates and Salado. The natural radionuclide data in cores suggest that the radionuclides have not migrated or been leached for at least a period of about 1 million years. Relative to the U and Th concentrations in cores, the brines are depleted by a factor of 10/sup 4/ to 10/sup 5/, indicating extremely low solubility of U and Th in brines. The natural radionuclide data in brines suggest that radium is not sorbed significantly and thus not retarded in nine deep brines. Radium is somewhat sorbed in one deep brine of Wolfcamp Carbonate and significantly sorbed in shallow brines. Relative to radium, the U, Th, Pb, Bi, and Po radionuclides are highly retarded by sorption. The retardation factors for /sup 228/Th range from 10/sup 2/ to 10/sup 3/, whereas those for /sup 230/Th and /sup 234/U range from 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 5/, depending on the formation. The /sup 234/U//sup 238/U ratios in these brines are constant at about 1.5. The magnitude of the /sup 234/U//sup 230/Th ratio appears to reflect the degree of redox state of the aquifer's environment. The /sup 234/U//sup 230/Th ratio in nine deep brines is about unity, suggesting that U, like Th/sup +4/, is in the +4 state, which in turn suggests a reduced environment. 49 refs., 23 figs., 18 tabs.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6972068},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988},

  month        = {Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988}

}

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