Technetium sources and behavior in the environment

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1979.00472425000800020004x· OSTI ID:5759774

Wildung, R E; McFadden, K M; Garland, T R

Technetium (Tc) may enter the environment as a result of nuclear weapons testing, nuclear power production, nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear waste storage, and pharmaceutical use. On the basis of this current knowledge, the behavior and implications of Tc in the environment are assessed and avenues of research are suggested. The most stable chemical species of Tc in aqueous solution is the pertechnetate ion, TcO/sub 4//sup -/. As the pertechnetate ion, Tc is highly soluble in water and in soil, but reduced forms (dioxide and sulfide) have limited solubility; sorption is significant in surface soils of high organic C content and low pH and may be significant in subsoils and geologic media under reduced conditions. A fraction of the sorption measured in surface soils may also have been due to immobilization in microbial cells. The pertechnetate ion is readily available to microbiota, algae, and higher plants and is toxic to higher plants at relatively low soil levels (0.1 ..mu..g/g). In higher plants, it is transported largely as the pertechnetate ion and toxicity appears to be due to biochemical rather than radiation effects. Uptake and toxicity appear to be due to Tc functioning as a nutrient analog. Preliminary studies indicate that, in contrast to hydrolyzable radionuclides, incorporation of Tc in plants reduces Tc absorption in animals. Ultimately, the mobility and availability of Tc to biota will be governed by the quantity and form emitted and its form and solubility over the long-term in soils, sediments, and waters. Uptake by biota will be dependent upon the rate and extent of Tc movement across biological membranes and its toxicity. Proper evaluation of these phenomena will be largely dependent on development of an understanding of Tc sorption mechanisms in soils and sediments and the determination of the stable forms of soluble chemical species that occur in the environment over the long term.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-06-1830
• OSTI ID: 5759774
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 8:2; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560171* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADSORPTION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MIXTURES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERTECHNETATES
PLANTS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
REFRACTORY METALS
SEDIMENTS
SOILS
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
SORPTION
SURFACE WATERS
TECHNETIUM
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM COMPOUNDS
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UPTAKE
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES