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Solubility classification of airborne products from uranium ores and tailings piles. [Solubility parameters are based on airborne and seived ground dust samples]

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6417974· OSTI ID:6417974

Airborne products generated at uranium mills were assigned solubility classifications for use in the ICRP Task Group Lung Model. No significant difference was seen between the dissolution behavior of airborne samples and sieved ground samples of the same product. If the product contained radionuclides that dissolved at different rates, composite classifications were assigned to show the solubility class of each component. If the dissolution data indicated that a radionuclide was present in two chemical forms that dissolved at different rates, a mixed classification was assigned to show the percentage of radionuclide in each solubility class. Uranium-ore dust was assigned the composite classification: (/sup 235/U, /sup 238/U) W; (/sup 226/Ra) 10% D, 90% Y; (/sup 230/Th, /sup 210/Pb, /sup 210/Po) Y. Tailings-pile dust was classified: (/sup 226/Ra) 10% D, 90% Y; (/sup 230/Th, /sup 210/Pb, /sup 210/Po) Y. Uranium octoxide was classified Y, uranium tetrafluoride was also classified Y, ammonium diuranate was classified D, and yellow-cake dust was classified (/sup 235/U, /sup 238/U) 60% D, 40% W. The term yellow cake, however, covers a variety of materials which differ significantly in dissolution rate. Solubility classifications based on the dissolution half-times of particular yellow-cake products should, thus, be used when available. The D, W, and Y classifications refer to biological half-times for clearance from the human respiratory tract of 0 to 10 days, 11 to 100 days, and > 100 days, respectively.

Research Organization:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-06-1830
OSTI ID:
6417974
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-0530; PNL-2870
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English