Form and behavior of radium, uranium, and thorium in central Pennsylvania soils derived from dolomite

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i006p00833· OSTI ID:6263863

Greeman, D J; Rose, A W; Jester, W A ^[1]

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1. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA)

In a pair of well- and poorly-drained soils developed on Ordovician carbonate rocks in Central Pennsylvania, the distribution with depth and chemical form of {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th, and {sup 226}Ra have been compared to soil properties. Concentrations range from 3.3 to 8 ppm U and 6.3 to 11 ppm Th in the soils. Although radium is in equilibrium with U at depth in both soils, in surficial A-horizons Ra is well in excess of U (165-180%). Ra and U are enriched 10{times}-12{times} over the bedrock. Th is enriched, along with Al and Fe, by 20{times}. Progressive selective extractions for U, Th, and Ra in soil show half the radium occurring in pedogenic phases, chiefly in the organic fractions (24% of total Ra). By contrast, <1% of the U and Th occurs in any of the organic fractions; up to 80% occurs in the silt and clay fractions with a significant occurrence in the Fe-oxides, up to 50% for Th. Ra and chemically similar Ba are cycled by vegetation but Ra is retained in soil, bound in humified soil organic matter while Ba is not. Radon emanation of these soils (8-27%) can be almost entirely attributed to highly emanative Ra bound in organic matter. In these soils the action of vegetation leads to high soil gas radon by maintaining high Ra concentration and enhancing its emanating power.

• OSTI ID: 6263863
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA) Vol. 17:6; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540230* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring &amp; Transport-- (1990-)
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BARIUM
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE MINERALS
CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBONATES
CHEMISTRY
DEPTH
DIMENSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
DOLOMITE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENRICHMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
FEDERAL REGION III
FLUIDS
GAS ANALYSIS
GASES
GEOLOGIC AGES
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MAGNESIUM CARBONATES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MINERALS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
ORGANIC MATTER
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PENNSYLVANIA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON
RARE GASES
RECYCLING
ROCKS
SAMPLING
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
THORIUM 232
THORIUM ISOTOPES
UPTAKE
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ISOTOPES
USA
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES