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Cobalt and Tantalum Tracers Measured by Activation Analysis in Sediment Transport Studies

Abstract

The paper proposes certain principles of research to be used in investigating the origin and transport of fine-grained sediments in rivers and sea arms in connection with siltation problems of harbours and navigation channels. An element, which either does not occur in the sediment or only occurs in minute quantities, is fixed to the mud from the river or sea arm. After the material is marked it is returned to the water course where it mixes with the solids moving naturally. At specified points throughout the water course sediment samples are taken to determine the marking element by activation analysis. This gives an insight into the flow path of the suspended matter. The selection and successful application of tracers that can be measured by activation analysis depends on the sensitivity of detection, the natural occurrence of the relevant elements in the sediments under investigation and the fixation capacity of the tracer to the various grain size fractions. Further, the influence of the added element on the sedimentation behaviour of the mud in suspension and on the desorption properties must be considered. The irradiation of Co and Ta with thermal neutrons gives rise to a very sensitive evaluation of the original  More>>
Authors:
Groot, A.J. de; [1]  Allersma, E.; [2]  Bruin, M. de; Houtman, J. P.W. [3] 
  1. Institute for Soil Fertility, Haren (Netherlands)
  2. Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft (Netherlands)
  3. Reactor Institute, Delft (Netherlands)
Publication Date:
Sep 15, 1970
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
IAEA-SM-129/57
Resource Relation:
Conference: Symposium on Use of Isotopes in Hydrology, Vienna (Austria), 9-13 Mar 1970; Other Information: 3 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.; Related Information: In: Isotope Hydrology 1970. Proceedings of a Symposium on Use of Isotopes in Hydrology| 935 p.
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; ACTIVATION ANALYSIS; COBALT; DESORPTION; GRAIN SIZE; HARBORS; IRRADIATION; LEACHING; NATURAL OCCURRENCE; RADIOSENSITIVITY; RIVERS; SEAS; SEDIMENTATION; SEDIMENTS; SUSPENSIONS; TANTALUM; THERMAL NEUTRONS
OSTI ID:
22205091
Research Organizations:
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris (France)
Country of Origin:
IAEA
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISSN 0074-1884; TRN: XA13M4043026003
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 885-897
Announcement Date:
Mar 17, 2014

Citation Formats

Groot, A.J. de, Allersma, E., Bruin, M. de, and Houtman, J. P.W. Cobalt and Tantalum Tracers Measured by Activation Analysis in Sediment Transport Studies. IAEA: N. p., 1970. Web.
Groot, A.J. de, Allersma, E., Bruin, M. de, & Houtman, J. P.W. Cobalt and Tantalum Tracers Measured by Activation Analysis in Sediment Transport Studies. IAEA.
Groot, A.J. de, Allersma, E., Bruin, M. de, and Houtman, J. P.W. 1970. "Cobalt and Tantalum Tracers Measured by Activation Analysis in Sediment Transport Studies." IAEA.
@misc{etde_22205091,
title = {Cobalt and Tantalum Tracers Measured by Activation Analysis in Sediment Transport Studies}
author = {Groot, A.J. de, Allersma, E., Bruin, M. de, and Houtman, J. P.W.}
abstractNote = {The paper proposes certain principles of research to be used in investigating the origin and transport of fine-grained sediments in rivers and sea arms in connection with siltation problems of harbours and navigation channels. An element, which either does not occur in the sediment or only occurs in minute quantities, is fixed to the mud from the river or sea arm. After the material is marked it is returned to the water course where it mixes with the solids moving naturally. At specified points throughout the water course sediment samples are taken to determine the marking element by activation analysis. This gives an insight into the flow path of the suspended matter. The selection and successful application of tracers that can be measured by activation analysis depends on the sensitivity of detection, the natural occurrence of the relevant elements in the sediments under investigation and the fixation capacity of the tracer to the various grain size fractions. Further, the influence of the added element on the sedimentation behaviour of the mud in suspension and on the desorption properties must be considered. The irradiation of Co and Ta with thermal neutrons gives rise to a very sensitive evaluation of the original elements present. The fixation process of Co is restricted to sediments with special characteristics; Ta, however, can adhere tightly to any sediment. Tantalum also has the advantage that its natural content in sediments is very low. Large quantities (several per cent by weight) can adhere to the sediment without changing the sedimentation properties to an appreciable extent. Hardly any losses occur during leaching experiments simulating natural conditions. A detailed treatment is given of the chemical aspects of the method, including the behaviour of the elements used in the light of the general environmental processes of sediment constituents in deltaic systems. Finally, the scope and limits of the method are discussed. (author)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1970}
month = {Sep}
}