Study of leachable uranium, thorium, and radium isotopes and associated radon emanations from selected samples of fly ash

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5871221

Jang, J C

The leachability of U, Th, and Ra isotopes from selected samples of fly ash generated in coal-fired power plants was measured by the Column method, the proposed ASTM Batch method, and the Long-term Batch method. The activities of Ra-226, Ra-228, U-234, U-235, U-238, and Th-232 in the fly ash used in the leaching tests were determined to be 1.96, 1.63, 2.43, 0.06, 2.09, and 1.63 pCi/g, respectively, and those activities can be seen to be higher than average soil activities for the United States by an average factor of 2.8. The highest activity of gross alpha, gross beta, Ra-226, U-234, U-235, U-238, Th-230, and Th-232 in leachates generated in the aforementioned methods were determined to be 1.44, 675.0, 0.62, 11.03, 0.95, 12.0, < 1.38, and < 1.42 pCi/l, respectively. According to EPA drinking water regulations, the concentration of gross alpha, gross beta, and Ra-226 in drinking water should be less than 15, 50, and 3 pCi/l, respectively. The activity of gross alpha, gross beta(minus K-40), and Ra-226 in leachates met the EPA criteria. Potassium-40 is not considered a hazardous radioelement due to the homeostasis between the human body and the environment. Uranium and thorium are not included in the EPA regulations. However, the highest activity of U-238 in leachates was approximately 400 times higher that of usual tap water and the thorium activity was found to be equivalent to surface water levels. The average radon emanation rate from fly ash was determined to be 0.85%. The Branched Chain Analysis method was used to predict the likely radon concentration in a room where the walls are made of fly ash. It was determined that the tested fly ash could be utilized as raw building material without creating an undue radiological health risk to building occupants.

• Research Organization: Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5871221
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010800 -- Coal
Lignite
&amp; Peat-- Waste Management
050400* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Feed Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
AEROSOL WASTES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ASHES
BUILDING MATERIALS
DISPERSIONS
DISSOLUTION
FLY ASH
ISOTOPES
LEACHATES
LEACHING
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON ISOTOPES
RECOVERY
RESIDUES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES