Release and transport of radium during weathering in central and north Florida
Samples of fresh and weathered Florida phosphate rock were analyzed for several uranium decay-series radionuclides. In bulk samples, almost all radionuclides display higher activities in weathered samples compared to fresh material. /sup 230/Th is normally in isotopic equilibrium with /sup 234/U in fresh material but often depleted and occasionally enriched in highly weathered samples. /sup 226/Ra is close to equilibrium with its parent /sup 230/Th in most samples. /sup 210/Pb//sup 226/Ra activity ratios were less than 1.00, as expected, due to radon leakage. Less than unity activity ratios of /sup 210/Po//sup 210/Pb in a few weathered samples indicates a preferential release of /sup 210/Po under some conditions. Based on over 2 years of measurements, the mean concentration of dissolved /sup 226/Ra in the Suwannee River is 26 dpm 100L/sup -1/, 2-4 times higher than most other world's rivers. The annual long-term discharge of dissolved /sup 226/Ra to the Gulf of Mexico is approximately 3.3 x 10/sup 12/ dpm yr/sup -1/, about two orders of magnitude less than that discharged by the Mississippi River. Upon entrance into the Gulf, a portion of the particulate radium is released accounting for part of the high /sup 226/Ra concentrations observed in the estuary. Other possible radium sources to the estuary include submarine springs, seepage of coastal ground water and salt marshes.
- Research Organization:
- Florida State Univ., Tallahassee (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5282244
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARIBBEAN SEA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION IV
FLORIDA
GULF OF MEXICO
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RIVERS
SEAS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
THORIUM 230
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM 234
URANIUM ISOTOPES
USA
WATER POLLUTION
WEATHERING
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES