Open questions on the environmental chemistry of radionuclides

Journal Article · Thu Nov 12 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Communications Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-020-00418-6· OSTI ID:1712548

Deblonde, Gauthier J. -P. ; Kersting, Annie B. ; Zavarin, Mavrik

Anthropogenic radionuclides are created during nuclear explosions, irradiation in nuclear reactors, particle or X-ray bombardment of materials, and α, β, γ, and ε decay or even fission (spontaneous or neutron induced) of parent radioisotopes. Natural radionuclides are produced by stellar nucleosynthesis and cosmic-ray spallation processes. However, with the exception of the uranium series (notably ^238/234U and ²²⁶Ra), natural radioactive isotopes do not pose a significant health concern or environmental perturbation. Anthropogenic radionuclides are produced under extreme pressures, temperatures, and radiation fields, as well as non-equilibrium physicochemical conditions, and this may subsequently influence the surrounding geology and the radionuclides’ fate in the environment. For example, radionuclides deposited in the immediate aftermath of an underground nuclear detonation undergo temperatures that exceed 1,000,000 K, vaporizing ~70 tons and melting another 700 tons of rock for every kiloton of yield1. Fortunately, the vast majority of the radionuclides produced by anthropogenic activities (electricity generation, medicine, research, etc.) are short-lived (half-lives <10 years) and the associated waste can be managed by leveraging the natural fast decay of the isotopes. The main concern shared by past, present, and future generations will be the longer-lived (>10 years) radionuclides (lanthanide fission products, ³H, ⁹⁰Sr, ⁹⁴Nb, ⁹⁹Tc, ¹³⁷Cs, ²²⁶Ra, ^{233/234/235/236/238}U, ²³⁷Np, ^{239/240/241/242/244}Pu, ^241/243Am, ^{244/245/246/247}Cm, and so on), which will ultimately decay to harmless isotopes too—but only after hundreds or thousands of years. Thus, their potential to adversely impact human health and our environment must be understood at the millennial timescale.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344
• OSTI ID: 1712548
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1736325
• Report Number(s): LLNL-JRNL-815005; 167; PII: 418
• Journal Information: Communications Chemistry, Journal Name: Communications Chemistry Vol. 3 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 2399-3669
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY