Re-emission of HTO into the atmosphere after HT/HTO conversion in the soil

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Fusion Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6385406

Foerstel, H; Lepa, K; Trierweiler, H

After HT is converted to HTO by the soil, the HTO is reemitted back into the atmosphere. Since HTO is more radiotoxic by a factor of 10/sup 4/, this reemission is an important part of the radioecological pathway of HT. Laboratory studies show that the reemission rate from natural soil cores depends on the turnover in the gas space above the soil surface. Up to a wind velocity of about 4 m s/sup -1/, the portion of HTO reemitted hourly increases to about 18% of the initial amount of the reaction product. However, after the first hour, the observed reemission rate decreases quickly to about 3% h/sup -1/. Varying the humidity of an air stream fed into the reaction chamber had no influence on the reemission rate. For the Canadian release study, small soil samples were exposed to the plume and afterwards to the air. Then, at certain intervals following the release, the soil containers were sealed with gastight lids. The remnant HTO activity was then determined by azeotropic distillation. The reemission rate was about 3% h/sup -1/ during the day. During the night, no HTO loss was observed, possibly due to dew formation.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Research Centre (KFA), Radioagronomy, Juelich (DE)
• OSTI ID: 6385406
• Journal Information: Fusion Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Fusion Technol.; (United States) Vol. 14:2; ISSN FUSTE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510300 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700206* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Environmental Aspects
AIR
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
AZEOTROPE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CANADA
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
ECOLOGY
EMISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
GASES
HUMIDITY
INFORMATION
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SAMPLING
SOILS
SYNTHESIS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
TRITIUM OXIDES