Environmental aspects of americium. [Transport through environment to man]

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6592513· OSTI ID:6592513

Bennett, B. G.

The environmental behavior of americium was investigated using the fallout background source. Measurements were made of /sup 241/Am concentrations in soil, plants, diet, and man, and theoretical procedures were developed to describe the movement of americium along the pathways from input into the environment to man. The isotope is not produced directly in nuclear tests but is formed upon decay of /sup 241/Pu. An atmospheric transport model was formulated to give detailed description of the particulate movements. When applied to /sup 241/Pu, the model gives estimates of the concentrations of /sup 241/Pu and also /sup 241/Am in air. Measurements of the depth profiles of /sup 241/Am and /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu in soil indicate that americium is slightly less mobile than plutonium. From a plant uptake study it is concluded that transfer to plants is similar for americium and plutonium. The occurrence pattern for /sup 241/Am in diet is similar to /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu - highest in shellfish and fresh foods and lowest in meats and processed foods. Americium in man is due almost entirely to the inhalation intake. Calculated skeletal burdens of /sup 241/Am and /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu agree with estimates from measurement. Less initial retention of /sup 241/Am and more rapid elimination from liver were observed. Much of the body burden of /sup 241/Am is due to intake and subsequent decay of /sup 241/Pu. It is concluded that the environmental behavior of americium is reasonably well established. The atmospheric transport is governed by the movements of the host particles. Physical, chemical, and biological factors determine the characteristic transfer to diet and man.

• Research Organization: Department of Energy, New York (USA). Environmental Measurements Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6592513
• Report Number(s): EML-348
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FOOD CHAINS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INGESTION
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MAN
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 241
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PRIMATES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SOILS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES