Comparative behavior of plutonium and americium in the equatorial Pacific
Inventories of /sup 239 +240/Pu and /sup 241/Am greatly in excess of global fallout levels persist in the benthic environments of Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. The amount of /sup 239 +240/Pu mobilized to solution at the atolls can be predicted from a distribution coefficient K/sub d/ of 2.3 x 10/sup 5/ and the mean sediment concentrations. The mobilized /sup 239 +240/Pu has solute-like characteristics and different valence states coexist in solution - the largest fraction of the soluble plutonium is in an oxidized form (+V,VI). The adsorption of plutonium to sediments is not completely reversible because of changes that occur in the relative amounts of the mixed oxidation states in solution with time. Characteristics of /sup 239 +240/Pu described at one location may not necessarily describe its behavior elsewhere. The relative amounts of /sup 241/Am to /sup 239 +240/Pu may be altered in future years because of mobilization and radiological decay.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6526455
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-88812; CONF-830424-1; ON: DE83009247
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 4. international ocean disposal symposium, Devon, UK, 11 Apr 1983
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Plutonium mobilization from sedimentary sources to solution in the marine environment
Radiation doses for Marshall Islands Atolls Affected by U.S. Nuclear Testing:All Exposure Pathways, Remedial Measures, and Environmental Loss of 137Cs
Related Subjects
AMERICIUM 241
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
BIKINI
RADIOECOLOGY
ENIWETOK
FALLOUT
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
BENTHOS
PARTICLE RESUSPENSION
SEDIMENTS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ECOLOGY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISLANDS
ISOTOPES
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MASS TRANSFER
MICRONESIA
NUCLEI
OCEANIA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520302* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)