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Title: Behavior of plutonium oxide particulates in a simulated Florida environment

Abstract

The behavior of /sup 238/Pu oxide particles (20 to 74 ..mu..m in diameter) deposited on a soil surface was studied by using an environmental test chamber. The soil was obtained from Florida orange groves, and the chamber was set up to simulate a Florida climate. After more than 9 months and more than 60 simulated rainfalls, the plutonium oxide particles remained on top of the soil and showed no evidence of having moved down into the soil column. Plutonium was released into the soil drainages at the rate of 18 ng/m/sup 2//L. This release, which represents a minute portion of the source, appears to correlate with the volume of the drainage rather than with time and probably consists of plutonium attached to very fine soil particles. The average concentration of plutonium observed in the air was 7 fCi/L, which on an absolute basis, represents 8 x 10/sup -12/% of the source material. Thus the generation of airborne plutonium constitutes an insignificant release pathway in terms of the original source. However, the air concentration during, and especially at the beginning of, a rainfall was typically much higher (1400 fCi/L). This concentration decayed rapidly after the end of the rainfall. These resultsmore » are compared with those from past experiments, and their implications are discussed.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
6500698
Report Number(s):
LA-10498-MS
ON: DE86003298
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; PLUTONIUM 238; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; PLUTONIUM OXIDES; RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES; ACCIDENTS; SOILS; RAIN; ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CHALCOGENIDES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HEAT SOURCES; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; MASS TRANSFER; NUCLEI; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; RADIOISOTOPES; TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; 070300* - Isotopic Power Supplies; 510301 - Environment, Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987)

Citation Formats

Heaton, R C, Patterson, J H, and Coffelt, K P. Behavior of plutonium oxide particulates in a simulated Florida environment. United States: N. p., 1985. Web. doi:10.2172/6500698.
Heaton, R C, Patterson, J H, & Coffelt, K P. Behavior of plutonium oxide particulates in a simulated Florida environment. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6500698
Heaton, R C, Patterson, J H, and Coffelt, K P. 1985. "Behavior of plutonium oxide particulates in a simulated Florida environment". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6500698. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6500698.
@article{osti_6500698,
title = {Behavior of plutonium oxide particulates in a simulated Florida environment},
author = {Heaton, R C and Patterson, J H and Coffelt, K P},
abstractNote = {The behavior of /sup 238/Pu oxide particles (20 to 74 ..mu..m in diameter) deposited on a soil surface was studied by using an environmental test chamber. The soil was obtained from Florida orange groves, and the chamber was set up to simulate a Florida climate. After more than 9 months and more than 60 simulated rainfalls, the plutonium oxide particles remained on top of the soil and showed no evidence of having moved down into the soil column. Plutonium was released into the soil drainages at the rate of 18 ng/m/sup 2//L. This release, which represents a minute portion of the source, appears to correlate with the volume of the drainage rather than with time and probably consists of plutonium attached to very fine soil particles. The average concentration of plutonium observed in the air was 7 fCi/L, which on an absolute basis, represents 8 x 10/sup -12/% of the source material. Thus the generation of airborne plutonium constitutes an insignificant release pathway in terms of the original source. However, the air concentration during, and especially at the beginning of, a rainfall was typically much higher (1400 fCi/L). This concentration decayed rapidly after the end of the rainfall. These results are compared with those from past experiments, and their implications are discussed.},
doi = {10.2172/6500698},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6500698}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985},
month = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985}
}