Actinides in the environment and their uptake by man. Technical note

Technical Report · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7238714

Martell, E A

Environmental transport of plutonium (Pu) is governed initially by the physical and chemical properties of liquid and airborne effluents and subsequently by the modification of these properties in terrestrial and marine environments. Public exposure to Pu will result from the inhalation of particulate plutonium dioxide and from Pu uptake via the food chain. An assessment of inhalation exposure is particularly dependent on the size distribution of PuO/sub 2/ in airborne effluents, the air reentrainment of deposited PuO/sub 2/ by natural processes, and the recycling of PuO/sub 2/ by human and vehicular activity. Uptake of actinides via the food chain will result from a complex array of environmental processes. Present knowledge and some of the more pertinent available literature bearing on these processes are reviewed. (GRA)

• Research Organization: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7238714
• Report Number(s): PB-245727; NCAR-TN/STR-110
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510302* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDES
ANIMALS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
FOOD CHAINS
INHALATION
INTAKE
MAMMALS
MAN
METALS
PARTICLE SIZE
PLUTONIUM
PRIMATES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SIZE
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES