Characterization of thorium and uranium contaminated soil from a nuclear fuel facility
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
- Ecotek, Inc., Erwin, TN (United States)
This paper describes the utility of soil characterization using electron microscopy to support decontamination efforts of contaminated soil. Soil contaminated with thorium and uranium from the grounds of a nuclear fuel manufacturing facility was subjected to remediation efforts. A light acid leach was able to remove only 30% of the thorium suggesting that the thorium was present in two or more forms. Analytical electron microscopy determined that all of the thorium was present as ThO{sub 2}, but in a bimodal size distribution and occasionally closely associated with other minerals. Electron microscopy was useful in understanding the remediation data and demonstrates the need for characterization of contaminated soils.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 10124582
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/CMT/CP-80853; CONF-940225-18; ON: DE94006816
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste management `94: working towards a cleaner environment,Tucson, AZ (United States),27 Feb - 3 Mar 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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