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U.S. Department of Energy
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Behavior in subterranean environments of uranium and thorium discharged by the nuclear industry (in French)

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4935282
From symposium on enviromnental behaviour of radionuclides released in the nuclear industry; Aix-en Provence, France (14 May 1975). A study was made of the behavior in the soil of uranium and thorium coming from exterior sources in contrast to the behavior of U and Th considered as natural constituents of the soil. Various types of soils (acid and alkaline) and various minerals (clay minerals, calcite, and quartz) were used. Uranium in solution, or more exactly the uranyl ion, has a certain mobility in the soils. The distribution coefficient of the uranyl ion between the solution and the mineral was measured at different concertrations. The effect of pH of the soil-water solution is very important and the retention of U by the soil increases sharply in certin pH regions. Thorium is very strongly retained by clay and limestone soils; certin soils fix it completely. The effect of various parameters (pH, concentration, soil composition) is also very important because the retertion becomes very reduced under certain extreme conditions. The risk of propagation of Th in solution diluted over a long distance is negligible in the majority of terrains; on the contrary a certain diffusion of U under the influence of the movement of subterranean waters can be predicted. Evaluations of this diffusion are given. (tr-auth)
Sponsoring Organization:
Sponsor not identified
NSA Number:
NSA-29-010137
OSTI ID:
4935282
Report Number(s):
CEA-CONF--2336; CONF-730503--6; SM--172/55
Country of Publication:
France
Language:
French