RADIOACTIVITY TRANSPORT IN WATER--BEHAVIOR OF RUTHENIUM IN ALGAL ENVIRONMENTS. Technical Report No. 4

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4163675

Bolch, W E; Gloyna, E F

Results are reported from an investigation of the factors involved in the transport of Ru by a common aquatic microorganism. Chlorella pyrenoidosa was chosen to determine the uptake of nitro nitrosylruthenium and ruthenium chloride. This alga was chosen because it is a prolific organism, particularly in nutrient rich streams. It is believed that this organism's role in the aquatic transport of certain radionuclides will become more significant. Factors which appear to contribute to the transport by algae were derived from preliminary investigations in five environmertal systems. The algal environments were altered by various combinations of light, carbon dioxide, nutrients, bacteria, live algal cells, and dead algal debris. Ruthenium-106 was used to trace the fate of the ruthenium compounds. Evidence was found for the presence of two possible methonds of transport; namely, surface sorption typical of ion exchange and sorption typical of loosely adsorbed aggregates of the ruthenium compounds on algal cells. The factors which appear to affect the degree and method of transport are discussed. (auth)

• Research Organization: Texas. Univ., Austin. Environmental Health Engineering Research Lab.
• NSA Number: NSA-18-001340
• OSTI ID: 4163675
• Report Number(s): TID-19529
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ADSORPTION
ALGAE
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHLORELLA
CYTOLOGY
DISTRIBUTION
ENVIRONMENT
FOOD
ION EXCHANGE
LIGHT
MICROORGANISMS
MITOSIS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOISOTOPES
RUTHENIUM 106
RUTHENIUM CHLORIDES
RUTHENIUM COMPOUNDS
SURFACES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VARIATIONS
WATER