Radioecological investigations of uranium-mill-tailings systems. Third technical progress report, October 1, 1981-September 30, 1982
This investigation quantitatively evaluates the potential release of important radionuclides from active and reclaimed uranium mill tailings and their entry into the food chain. For active mill tailings, we are trying to quantify the degree of escape and dispersal, primarily by wind, and to measure the accumulation of /sup 238/U, /sup 230/Th, /sup 226/Ra, and /sup 210/Po by various native plants. Of particular interest are the relationships between soil and vegetation at different sites, since the chemical environment of areas impacted by mill tailings are drastically different than undisturbed natural areas. Also of great interest, is the relative importance of various mechanisms of radionuclide accumulation by plants, such as root uptake and aerial deposition, followed by some degree of foliar absorption. In the case of reclaimed tailings, an experimental area was developed in which a slab of reasonably uniform tailings was covered with various depths of earthen materials and seeded with a native range mixture of forbs, grasses and shrubs. The influence of overburden depth on radon flux at the soil surface and on uptake of radionuclides by plants is currently under study. In addition, a comparison of radon flux from vegetated and non-vegetated subplots is underway.
- Research Organization:
- Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA). Dept. of Radiology and Radiation Biology
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-79EV10305
- OSTI ID:
- 6748815
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EV/10305-7; ON: DE83001372; TRN: 82-025660
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
MILL TAILINGS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
PLANTS
POLONIUM 210
RADIUM 226
RADON
REVEGETATION
THORIUM 230
UPTAKE
URANIUM 238
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RARE GASES
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
053000* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects
510302 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)