Walther / Gupta Radionuclides in the Environment

Influence of chemical speciation and plant uptake on radionuclide migration
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-3-319-22171-7
Verlag: Springer Nature Switzerland
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 277 Seiten

Reihe: Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

This book provides extensive and comprehensive information to researchers and academicians who are interested in radionuclide contamination, its sources and environmental impact. It is also useful for graduate and undergraduate students specializing in radioactive-waste disposal and its impact on natural as well as manmade environments.A number of sites are affected by large legacies of waste from the mining and processing of radioactive minerals. Over recent decades, several hundred radioactive isotopes (radioisotopes) of natural elements have been produced artificially, including 90Sr, 137Cs and 131I. Several other anthropogenic radioactive elements have also been produced in large quantities, for example technetium, neptunium, plutonium and americium, although plutonium does occur naturally in trace amounts in uranium ores. The deposition of radionuclides on vegetation and soil, as well as the uptake from polluted aquifers (root uptake or irrigation) are the initial point for their transfer into the terrestrial environment and into food chains. There are two principal deposition processes for the removal of pollutants from the atmosphere: dry deposition is the direct transfer through absorption of gases and particles by natural surfaces, such as vegetation, whereas showery or wet deposition is the transport of a substance from the atmosphere to the ground by snow, hail or rain. Once deposited on any vegetation, radionuclides are removed from plants by the airstream and rain, either through percolation or by cuticular scratch. The increase in biomass during plant growth does not cause a loss of activity, but it does lead to a decrease in activity concentration due to effective dilution. There is also systemic transport (translocation) of radionuclides within the plant subsequent to foliar uptake, leading the transfer of chemical components to other parts of the plant that have not been contaminated directly.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Walther, Clemens

Gupta, Dharmendra K.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Preface;6
2;Contents;10
3;Sources Contributing to Radionuclides in the Environment: With Focus on Radioactive Particles;12
3.1;1 Release of Radioactivity in the Environment;13
3.2;2 Particle Characterisation Techniques;18
3.2.1;2.1 Identification and Isolation of Radioactive Particles;21
3.2.2;2.2 Nano- and Microfocusing Analytical Techniques;21
3.2.3;2.3 Identification of Isotope Ratios for Source Identification of Single Particles Using MS Techniques;24
3.3;3 Linking Sources and Particle Characteristics;26
3.3.1;3.1 Particles Originating from Testing of Nuclear Weapons;27
3.3.2;3.2 Particles Released During Nuclear Accidents;30
3.3.3;3.3 Particles Originating from Nuclear Reprocessing Activities;32
3.3.3.1;3.3.1 Particles Released from North American Sites;32
3.3.3.2;3.3.2 Particles Released from Russian Sites;33
3.3.3.3;3.3.3 Particles Released from European Reprocessing Plants;34
3.3.4;3.4 Particles Associated with Dumping of Waste;35
3.3.5;3.5 Nuclear Accidents Involving Satellites;36
3.3.6;3.6 Conventional Detonation of Nuclear Weapons;36
3.3.7;3.7 Depleted Uranium Ammunitions;38
3.3.8;3.8 Radioactive Particles of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material Origin;39
3.4;4 Conclusion;39
3.5;References;41
4;Mobility and Bioavailability of Radionuclides in Soils;48
4.1;1 Introduction;49
4.1.1;1.1 Objective and Overview;49
4.1.2;1.2 Vertical Movement of Radionuclides in Undisturbed Soils;51
4.1.3;1.3 The Solid-Liquid Distribution Coefficient, Kd;51
4.1.4;1.4 Radionuclide Bioavailability in Soils;52
4.2;2 Factors Controlling the Behaviour of Radionuclides in Soil;53
4.2.1;2.1 Soil Organic Matter;54
4.2.2;2.2 Mineral Soil Components;54
4.2.3;2.3 Redox Potential (Eh) and the pH;55
4.2.4;2.4 Rainfall;55
4.2.5;2.5 Soil Structure and Texture;55
4.2.6;2.6 Climate Change and Soil Management;56
4.3;3 Behaviour of Key Specific Artificial Radionuclides in Soil;56
4.3.1;3.1 Caesium;56
4.3.2;3.2 Plutonium and Americium;58
4.3.3;3.3 Strontium;61
4.4;4 Natural Radionuclides;61
4.4.1;4.1 Uranium;62
4.4.2;4.2 Thorium;63
4.4.3;4.3 Radium;64
4.5;5 Conclusions;65
4.6;References;65
5;The Influence of Edaphic Factors on Spatial and Vertical Distribution of Radionuclides in Soil;71
5.1;1 Introduction;72
5.2;2 Sources of Radionuclides in Soil;72
5.3;3 Environmental Geochemistry of Selected Radionuclides;77
5.4;4 Edaphic Factors Influencing Radionuclide Distribution in Soil;79
5.5;5 Conclusions;84
5.6;References;85
6;Modelling Speciation and Distribution of Radionuclides in Agricultural Soils;91
6.1;1 Introduction;92
6.2;2 Important Soil Parameters and Processes;93
6.2.1;2.1 Chemical Parameters and Processes;93
6.2.2;2.2 Physical Parameters and Processes;94
6.2.3;2.3 Influence of Agricultural Use;95
6.3;3 Sorption Modelling Concepts;95
6.3.1;3.1 Empirical Models;95
6.3.2;3.2 Ion Exchange;96
6.3.3;3.3 Mineral Surface Complexation Models;96
6.3.4;3.4 Ion Binding of Organic Matter;97
6.3.5;3.5 Model Parametrisation;98
6.3.6;3.6 Assemblage Models;99
6.4;4 Constructing a CA Soil Model;99
6.4.1;4.1 Speciation Code and Representative Soil Components;100
6.4.2;4.2 Thermodynamical Data;101
6.4.3;4.3 Model Parameters;101
6.4.4;4.4 Calculating the Distribution Coefficient;103
6.5;5 Verifying and Validating the Model;103
6.5.1;5.1 Comparison of Simulations with Averages of Experimental Kd Values for Two Soil Types;104
6.5.2;5.2 Simulating Experimental Uranium Distributions in Batch Experiments with Several Specified Soils;105
6.5.3;5.3 Sources of Uncertainties;105
6.6;6 Conclusion;107
6.7;References;107
7;Radiotracers as a Tool to Elucidate Trace Element Behaviour in the Water-Sediment Interface;110
7.1;1 Introduction;111
7.2;2 Experimental Studies on Sediment-Water Exchanges of Radiotracers;112
7.3;3 Biological Effects;113
7.4;4 Water and Sediment Effects;115
7.5;5 Transfer Kinetics from Overlying Water to Sediments;118
7.6;6 Conclusions and Recommendations;118
7.7;References;120
8;Uptake and Retention of Simulated Fallout of Radiocaesium and Radiostrontium by Different Agriculture Crops;123
8.1;1 Introduction;124
8.2;2 Interception of Radionuclides by Agricultural Crops;125
8.3;3 Activity Concentration of Radionuclides in Crops;129
8.3.1;3.1 Distribution of Radionuclides Between Plant Parts;132
8.4;4 Foliar Uptake of Radionuclides;134
8.4.1;4.1 Radiocaesium Transfer, from Potato Tops to Tubers;135
8.5;5 Conclusions;137
8.6;References;137
9;Root Uptake/Foliar Uptake in a Natural Ecosystem;141
9.1;1 Introduction;142
9.2;2 Materials and Methods;143
9.2.1;2.1 Study Area;143
9.2.2;2.2 Sample Collection and Processing;143
9.2.3;2.3 Activity Determination;144
9.3;3 Results and Discussion;145
9.3.1;3.1 Activity Concentration Radionuclides as a Function of Soil Depth;145
9.3.2;3.2 Activity Concentration in Sylva Plant Species;148
9.3.3;3.3 Activity Concentration of Radionuclides in Physiologically Different Plants;150
9.4;4 Conclusions;153
9.5;References;153
10;Assessment of Radioactivity in Forest and Grassland Ecosystems;155
10.1;1 Introduction;156
10.2;2 Materials and Methods;157
10.2.1;2.1 Study Area;157
10.2.2;2.2 Sample Collection and Processing;157
10.2.3;2.3 Activity Determination;158
10.3;3 Results and Discussion;159
10.3.1;3.1 Dose Calculations;159
10.3.1.1;3.1.1 Absorbed and Observed Dose Rates;159
10.3.1.2;3.1.2 Annual Effective Dose Equivalents;161
10.3.2;3.2 Radiation Hazard Indices;162
10.3.3;3.3 Comparison of the Activity Concentrations with Those Found in Similar Studies;163
10.4;4 Conclusions;163
10.5;References;164
11;Terrestrial Environmental Dynamics of Radioactive Nuclides;166
11.1;1 Introduction;167
11.2;2 Deposition of Radioactive Nuclides in the Terrestrial Environment;167
11.3;3 Radioactive Nuclide Behavior Within Soil;169
11.4;4 Radioactive Nuclide Dynamics Within Forest Ecosystem;170
11.5;5 Rediffusion of Radioactive Nuclides;171
11.6;6 Conclusion;172
11.7;References;173
12;Biotransformation of Radionuclides: Trends and Challenges;176
12.1;1 Introduction;177
12.1.1;1.1 Uranium;178
12.1.2;1.2 Technetium;179
12.1.3;1.3 Plutonium;180
12.1.4;1.4 Neptunium;181
12.1.5;1.5 Strontium and Cesium;181
12.1.6;1.6 Iodine;183
12.2;2 Mechanisms of Bioimmobilization of Radionuclides;183
12.2.1;2.1 Biosorption;184
12.2.2;2.2 Bioaccumulation;185
12.2.3;2.3 Biomineralization/Bioprecipitation;185
12.2.4;2.4 Bioreduction;185
12.3;3 Prospects and Challenges;186
12.4;References;188
13;Methods for Decrease of Radionuclides Transfer from Soil to Agricultural Vegetation;192
13.1;1 Introduction;193
13.2;2 Characteristics of Radioactive Contamination of Soils;194
13.2.1;2.1 The Accident at Mayak PA, 1957;194
13.2.2;2.2 Chernobyl Disaster, 1986;195
13.2.3;2.3 Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident, 2011;196
13.3;3 Methods for Decrease of Cesium and Strontium Radionuclides from Radioactively Contaminated Soil to Agricultural Vegetation;197
13.3.1;3.1 Removal or Plowing of Contaminated Soil Layer;198
13.3.2;3.2 Use of Mineral Fertilizers;199
13.3.3;3.3 Use of Organic Fertilizers;200
13.3.4;3.4 Liming;201
13.3.5;3.5 Phytoremediation;201
13.3.6;3.6 Addition of Sorbents;202
13.3.6.1;3.6.1 Materials and Methods;203
13.3.6.2;3.6.2 Results and Discussion;205
13.4;4 Conclusions;211
13.5;References;211
14;Bacterial Diversity in Clay and Actinide Interactions with Bacterial Isolates in Relation to Nuclear Waste Disposal;215
14.1;1 Introduction;216
14.2;2 Bacterial Diversity in Clay;217
14.3;3 Determination of Actinide Interactions with Mont Terri Opalinus Clay Isolates;220
14.3.1;3.1 U(VI) Interaction Studies with Paenibacillus sp. and Sporomusa sp. Cells;221
14.3.1.1;3.1.1 U(VI) Binding by Paenibacillus sp. and Sporomusa sp. cells as a Function of [U(VI)] and pH Including the Bacteria-Mediat...;221
14.3.1.2;3.1.2 U(VI) Speciation Explored by Potentiometric Titration (Lütke et al. 2013; Moll et al. 2013a);223
14.3.1.3;3.1.3 U(VI) Speciation Explored by Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRLFS) in the Paenibacillus sp. Syst...;225
14.3.2;3.2 Cm(III) Interaction Studies with Paenibacillus sp. and Sporomusa sp. Cells (Lütke 2013; Moll et al. 2013a, 2014);227
14.4;4 Summary and Conclusions;229
14.5;References;231
15;Analysis of Radionuclides in Environmental Samples;236
15.1;1 Introduction;237
15.2;2 Principles of Sampling and Sample Pretreatment;239
15.3;3 Carriers and Tracers in Radiochemical Analysis;240
15.4;4 Methods of Nonselective Preconcentration of Radionuclides;241
15.5;5 Methods of Selective Preconcentration and Separation of Radionuclides in Radiochemical Analysis;245
15.5.1;5.1 Use of Selective Sorbents;245
15.5.1.1;5.1.1 Thin-Layer Inorganic Sorbents;245
15.5.1.2;5.1.2 Surface-Modified Sorbents;251
15.5.2;5.2 Use of Extraction Chromatographic Resins;253
15.6;6 Conclusions;254
15.7;References;255
16;Uncertainty Analysis and Risk Assessment;259
16.1;1 Risk Analysis;260
16.1.1;1.1 Definition of Risk;260
16.1.2;1.2 Relationships Between Risk and Uncertainty;261
16.1.3;1.3 Relationship Between Risk and Hazard;262
16.1.4;1.4 Risk Quantification and Presentation;263
16.1.4.1;1.4.1 Identification of Scenarios;263
16.1.4.2;1.4.2 Consequence Analysis;264
16.1.4.3;1.4.3 Assignment of Probabilities to the Scenarios;264
16.1.4.4;1.4.4 Risk Curves and Risk Matrices;264
16.1.4.5;1.4.5 Risk Quotients;267
16.2;2 Probability;269
16.3;3 Uncertainty Analysis;270
16.3.1;3.1 Sources of Uncertainty;270
16.3.2;3.2 Assigning Probability Distributions to Model Parameters;271
16.3.2.1;3.2.1 Distribution Fitting;271
16.3.2.2;3.2.2 Maximum Entropy;271
16.3.2.3;3.2.3 Bayesian Inference;272
16.3.2.4;3.2.4 Expert Elicitation;272
16.3.3;3.3 Propagation of Uncertainties;273
16.3.3.1;3.3.1 Monte Carlo Analysis;273
16.4;4 Sensitivity Analysis;274
16.5;5 Conclusions;276
16.6;References;276