Influence of humic acid on the sorption of uranium(IV) to kaolin

Safety assessments for radioactive waste disposal require estimations of the migration of radionuclides in soils. The influence of humic acid (HA) on the sorption of uranium in its +4 oxidation state to kaolin has been examined from pH 4 to 8, with HA concentrations of 15–200 ppm. In the absence of HA, 20–40% of the U(IV) was in solution, with more sorption occurring at higher pH. The presence of HA solubilised up to 90% of the uranium with higher solubilities at higher HA concentrations and higher pH values. Uranium sorption was mapped against HA sorption, and it was found that there was a lower level of U(IV) sorption than can be accounted for by just measuring HA sorption. However, this effect got less marked as the pH rose. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the fraction of surface-bound HA is the controlling parameter for modelling in these systems.     

Redox potential and uranium sorption onto sediments: kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics

ABSTRACT

The effects of the flooding and initial Eh of sediments on the sorption of uranium onto the sediments were analysed by flooding and static experiments. The changes in uranium species with Eh and kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of the uranium sorption onto the sediments were investigated. The flooding experiment indicates that the initial Eh of the sediment gradually decreased with the increase in flooding time. Based on the redox potential in the flooding experiment, simulation results obtained using the geochemical simulation software PHREEQC show that the concentration of U (VI) decreased. In contrast, the concentrations of U (III), U (IV), and U (V) gradually increased. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model well fitted the experimental data, which shows that the sorption was mainly chemical sorption. The thermodynamic parameters suggest that the entropy and enthalpy under the used conditions were positive and that ΔG^θ was negative. A thermodynamic analysis shows that the sorption was endothermic and spontaneous. These results are useful for the understanding of the sorption mechanism and migration of uranium onto the sediment under different initial sediment redox potentials and provide a good theoretical foundation for radioactive pollution remediation.     

Geologic materials and gamma radiation in the built environment

Human exposure to natural ionizing radiation is due to both internal sources such as ingestion and inhalation of radioactive isotopes, and external sources from cosmic radiation and primordial radionuclides present in the Earth crust. Primordial radionuclides are ⁴⁰K and radioisotopes of the decay series of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th, which emit gamma radiation at low doses. Gamma emission can occur both in outdoor, due to background geologic radiation, and in indoor spaces, due to the use of geologic materials in dwellings. This radiation has received less attention than man-made sources because it contributes less to the total doses that affect humans, on the average. However, there are geographical areas and rocks used as building materials that contain high concentrations of radionuclides, thus being a source of relatively high gamma dose exposures. Assessing exposure is difficult, especially in indoor situations where there are marked variations regarding materials application. Nonetheless, some measures and regulations to control such dose exposures on building materials have been suggested. This article reviews gamma radiation in geologic materials used for buildings. We discuss: (1) procedures that relate radionuclide contents in building materials to external gamma radiation, considering namely indoor applications and that are used for establishing restrictions on building materials commerce; (2) relation of rock radionuclide contents with their geologic history that can lead to listing of some geologic materials as potentially hazardous in terms of gamma radiation; and (3) the implications for the European regulation, which has an universal criteria that might be excessively restrictive for the commerce of geologic materials used in small amounts, and does not have provisions regarding existing structures where geologic materials are used in extended amounts.     

Beurteilung von Bodenkontaminationen mit Radioaktivität im Gebiet Hannover-List nach Maßstäben und Ansätzen der BBodSchV

Background, aim, and scope In the district List of Hanover (Lower Saxony) radioactive contaminations of the ground were detected at a site of a former chemical plant. Due to the lack of an ordinance regarding intervention regulations in the case of radioactive contaminations in Germany this situation had to be assessed on the basis of scales and methods of the German regulations concerning soil protection and contaminated sites. In particular it was necessary to develop methods and levels for the assessment of radioactive contaminations. Materials and methods Because radioactivity can be considered as a carcinogenic substance the methodical approaches of the BBodSchV for this group of substances were used in order to derive test thresholds for radioactive contaminations at children’s play areas, residential areas as well as parks and recreation facilities. Results For the assessment of radioactive soil contaminations with naturally occurring radionuclides at children’s play areas and residential areas the ingestion of soil is the decisive pathway of exposure. For children’s play areas a threshold level of 0.2?Bq/g for the sum U-238,max?+?Th-232,max was obtained. At areas with only impacts of ambient radiation from the contaminated ground test thresholds of 0.5?µSv/h are recommended. A special pathway is the migration of radon from the contaminated soil into basement floors of buildings. Taking into account the natural background levels of radon a concentration of 260?Bq/m³ is suggested as a test threshold in the framework of soil protection benchmarks. Discussion and conclusions will be described in Part 2 of the paper.     

河流放射性核素水体弥散模型及其应用

随着我国核能及核技术利用产业的迅速发展,放射性物质运输对饮用水水源地的潜在放射性污染健康风险越来越大,阐明事故情况下放射性物质在地表水体中的迁移弥散行为可为居民饮水健康风险防范提供科学依据。针对含钴-60、铯-137、锶-90货包公路运输在事故工况下放射性物质释放造成黄河兰州段河流型饮用水源放射性污染,讨论了河流放射性物质弥散模型和居民饮用水的健康风险。结合国内现有放射源活度水平及国内外放射性物质事故资料,考虑泥沙的影响,设定铯-137不同活度水平、不同流量情形,根据饮用水中铯-137的死亡风险系数和患病风险系数对距离事故点为64 km、114 km的河流下游两个饮用水源地居民饮用受污染自来水存在的健康风险进行评估,同时选择钴-60、锶-90两种核素以30年间河水平均流量偏小值为例进行对比评估。放射性核素在黄河河流的稀释作用下,由饮用受钴-60、铯-137、锶-90污染的水随放射源活度、河水流量及泥沙含量的变化存在不同程度的死亡风险与患病风险。因此,应当对受到放射性污染的水源及时采取适当措施,预防放射性核素造成的风险。     

水滑石及其焙烧产物对阴离子染料酸性蓝-80的吸附

研究了水滑石(HT)及其焙烧产物(HTC)对阴离子染料酸性蓝-80的吸附特征.结果表明,在常见染料废水浓度范围内,HTC的吸附量和吸附速率都明显大于HT,HTC的吸附等温线和动力学分别符合Langmuir等温方程和粒间扩散模型.HTC对阴离子染料的去除受无机阴离子(Cl-, SO2-4 和CO2-3)的影响较小,阴离子表面活性剂十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)的存在能明显降低酸性蓝-80的吸附量.吸附量随温度的升高明显下降.     

多溴联苯醚在啮齿类动物体内的代谢动力学研究进展

多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)是一类持久性有机污染物(POPs),其作为一种广泛使用的溴化阻燃剂在环境中普遍存在.PBDEs对生物体和人体存在内分泌干扰等毒性危害,正受到人们越来越多的关注.然而目前PBDEs对人体造成的影响都是由动物实验(主要是啮齿类动物)外推而得,因此研究不同的PBDEs同系物在啮齿类动物体内的代谢动力学...     

Measurement of radon,thoron and their daughters in the air of marble factories and resulting alpha-radiation doses to the lung of workers

Concentrations of radon (²²²Rn) and thoron (²²⁰Rn) were measured in the air of different marble factories by using a nuclear track technique. The influence of the marble dust nature and ventilation on radon and thoron concentrations was investigated. It was observed that measured radon and thoron concentration ranged from 310 to 903 Bq m⁻³ and 6 to 48 Bq m⁻³, respectively. In addition, alpha-activities due to the unattached and attached fractions of ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po radon short-lived progeny were evaluated in the marble factories studied. Committed equivalent doses due to the attached and unattached fractions of ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po nuclei were evaluated in the lung tissues of marble factory workers. The dependence of the resulting committed equivalent dose on the concentration of the attached and unattached fractions of the ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po radionuclides and mass of the tissue was investigated. The resulting annual committed effective doses to the lung of marble factory workers due to the attached and unattached fractions of the ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po radionuclides were calculated. The obtained results show that about 80% of the global committed effective doses received by workers in the studied marble factories are due to the attached fraction of the ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po radon short-lived daughters from the inhalation of polluted air. Male workers spending 8 h per day (2080 h per year) in a marble factory receive a maximum dose of 34.46 mSv y⁻¹ which is higher than the (3–10 mSv y⁻¹) dose limit interval given by the ICRP. Good agreement was found between data obtained for the average effective dose gotten by using this method and the UNSCEAR and ICRP conversion dose coefficients.

     

Radioactive Contamination in the Italian Seas: An Overview Also in the Light of the European Marina-Med Project

Following a similar project performed for the Northern European Seas in the years 1985-1990, a study on the radioactive contamination of the Mediterranean Sea has recently been conducted by a group of experts of the European Union (MARINA-MED Project). Its aim was to assess the radiological exposure of the population of the European Union, due both to natural and man-made radionuclides in the Mediterranean Sea. A review of the conclusions of this study is presented, with special attention to the environmental radioactive data. the Italian radioactive monitoring organisation is described. Starting from this experience, some proposals for new research projects are presented.     

Radioactive Contamination in the Italian Seas: An Overview Also in the Light of the European Marina-Med Project

Following a similar project performed for the Northern European Seas in the years 1985–1990, a study on the radioactive contamination of the Mediterranean Sea has recently been conducted by a group of experts of the European Union (MARINA-MED Project). Its aim was to assess the radiological exposure of the population of the European Union, due both to natural and man-made radionuclides in the Mediterranean Sea. A review of the conclusions of this study is presented, with special attention to the environmental radioactive data. the Italian radioactive monitoring organisation is described. Starting from this experience, some proposals for new research projects are presented.     

Release,deposition and elimination of radiocesium (137Cs) in the terrestrial environment

Radionuclide contamination in terrestrial ecosystems has reached a dangerous level. The major artificial radionuclide present in the environment is ¹³⁷Cs, which is released as a result of weapon production related to atomic projects, accidental explosions of nuclear power plants and other sources, such as reactors, evaporation ponds, liquid storage tanks, and burial grounds. The release of potentially hazardous radionuclides (radiocesium) in recent years has provided the opportunity to conduct multidisciplinary studies on their fate and transport. Radiocesium’s high fission yield and ease of detection made it a prime candidate for early radio-ecological investigations. The facility setting provides a diverse background for the improved understanding of various factors that contribute toward the fate and transfer of radionuclides in the terrestrial ecosystem. In this review, we summarize the significant environmental radiocesium transfer factors to determine the damaging effects of radiocesium on terrestrial ecosystem. It has been found that ¹³⁷Cs can trace the transport of other radionuclides that have a high affinity for binding to soil particles (silts and clays). Possible remedial methods are also discussed for contaminated terrestrial systems. This review will serve as a guideline for future studies of the fate and transport of ¹³⁷Cs in terrestrial environments in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 2011.     

香港大气中有毒挥发性有机物研究

用吸附／热脱除－ＧＣ＝／ＭＳ方法研究了香港不同功能区大气中挥发笥有机物的组成。分析结果表明，香港大气中存在６０多种ＶＯＣＳ，其主要成分是苯系物，烷烃和卤代烃。在检出物中有１７种是有毒挥发性有机物，其主要成分是苯系物和氯代烃。其中氯仿，苯，甲苯，四氯乙烯，三氯乙烯和１，２－二氯乙烷是含量最高的组分。     

Arsenic removal using natural biomaterial-based sorbents

Arsenic contamination of water is a major problem worldwide. A possible solution can be approached through developing new sorbents based on cost-effective and environmentally friendly natural biomaterials. We have developed new sorbents based on biomaterial impregnation with iron oxyhydroxide. In this study, raw peat material, iron-modified peat, iron-modified biomass (shingles, straw, sands, cane and moss) as well as iron humate were used for the removal of arsenate from contaminated water. The highest sorption capacity was observed in iron-modified peat, and kinetic studies indicated that the amount of arsenic sorbed on this material exceeds 90 % in 5 h. Arsenate sorption on iron-modified peat is characterised by the pseudo-second-order mechanism. The results of arsenic sorption in the presence of competing substances indicated that sulphate, nitrate, chloride and tartrate anions have practically no influence on As(V) sorption onto Fe-modified peat, whereas the presence of phosphate ions and humic acid significantly lowers the arsenic removal efficiency.     

Mathematical modeling and computer simulation of radioactive and toxic chemical species dispersion in porous media in the vacinity of uranium recovery operations

The management of uranium recovery operations, such as mill production, tailings, heep leaching or solution mining (in-situ mining), has been one of the most challenging issues facing environmental engineers and scientists in the last decade. Almost any activity (mill production, evaporative and holding ponds, storage sites of chemicals, tailings ponds and transportation) results in radioactive and toxic chemicals contamination of surface and groundwaters. Current estimates based on observations of plant operations indicate that 70–80% of the water used in mill production is lost by seepage and 10–20% by evaporation. This large quantity of seepage raises serious questions as to the degree of migration of radioactive and potentially toxic chemical species from the tailings pond and their impact on the surrounding surface and subsurface environments.This paper discusses the major radioactive and toxic chemicals involved in the uranium recovery operations and presents computer simulation results of their hydrodynamic dispersion, migration and prediction of future material movements.     

亚甲基蓝在缺氧活性污泥上的吸附平衡和动力学

为了考察缺氧活性污泥对染料的吸附性能和吸附机理,以缺氧活性污泥作为吸附剂,亚甲基蓝作为吸附质进行等温吸附试验。结果表明:亚甲基蓝在缺氧活性污泥上的吸附遵循准二级速率方程,吸附方式为化学吸附;吸附行为符合Langmuir和Redlich-Peterson吸附等温式,为单分子层吸附,理论最大吸附量9.25 mg/g;亚甲基蓝分子在污泥颗粒内扩散动力学曲线存在线性部分,说明吸附过程存在污泥颗粒微孔内扩散效应。     

Artificial radionuclides in sediment of the Yenisei River

Releases from the nuclear facility Mining-and-Chemical Combine (MCC) located at Zheleznogorsk have contributed to the radionuclide contamination of the Yenisei River since operations commenced in 1958. The aim of this study was to assess the activity concentrations of artificial radionuclides and the strength of their binding in Yenisei River sediments. Investigation of Yenisei River sediment samples revealed the presence of artificial radionuclides typical of the MCC radioactive discharge: namely, isotopes of europium, caesium, ⁶⁰Co and transuranium elements. The concentrations of artificial radionuclides in the sediment layers remain relatively high as far as 200 km downstream of the MCC. In sediment cores collected upstream of the MCC, γ-spectrometric measurements registered only one artificial radionuclide, ¹³⁷Cs, with a maximal activity of 8 Bq·kg^?1. Sequential extraction performed on samples of the upper layers of the sediment core showed different degrees of potential environmental availability for artificial radionuclides: the highest was recorded for ²⁴¹Am and ¹⁵²Eu (up to 85% of initial activity), followed by ⁶⁰Co (up to 32%), and finally, ¹³⁷Cs (up to 15%). In a few samples, ²⁴¹Am was present in the unextractable form, which may be accounted for by the presence of reactor fuel microparticles.     

137 Cs在我国滨海核电周边海洋生物的富集及生态风险研究

铯-137(~(137)Cs)是滨海核电站液态流出物中主要人工放射性核素和重要监控指标之一,易被水生生物累积,有关核电周边海域内海洋生物的核素富集状况备受关注。通过分析海洋生物富集放射性~(137)Cs的方式、生物富集系数的种群特征、人工放射性核素在生物体内的辐射剂量率状况,结果显示:1)滨海核电周边海域内~(137)Cs的放射性水平较低; 2)海洋生物对于~(137)Cs的富集未呈现显著的种群规律; 3)目前对放射性铯的富集能力较高的生物主要是底栖生物; 4)核电厂周边海域内海洋生物通常未达到可导致电离辐射损伤的辐射剂量率水平。随着滨海核电在我国的大力发展,对能够快速反映环境放射性状况的指示生物的筛选、生物放射性质量安全及其生态健康风险需进一步关注。     

放射性核素水环境质量标准研究进展

地球环境中广泛存在的放射性核素对人类和其他物种产生辐射安全风险,成为水环境质量的重要指标之一。随着人类生活水平和环境保护意识的提升,以及核与辐射安全复杂的国际形势,放射性核素水环境质量标准的关注度越来越高。饮用水水质标准中的放射性核素限值基于个人辐射剂量标准,评估方法已经建立,并在世界卫生组织、美国、加拿大和日本等国际组织和国家的饮用水水质标准中得到广泛应用。水环境质量标准中的放射性核素限值基于辐射环境、参考生物、个体单位时间内的辐射剂量限值,对此各国际组织和国家相继开展了放射性核素的生态风险评价研究,并逐步制定相关标准。与国际水平相比,我国水环境质量标准存在放射性核素指标数量少、修订频率滞后、科学适用性有待提升等问题。在我国核能发展与生态文明建设的新形势下,加强放射性核素的健康风险和生态风险评价研究,建立健全水环境质量标准中放射性核素指标体系成为我国水环境研究的紧迫任务。     

Evidence for a mutual effect of biofilms, suspended particles and sediments on DDT sorption

This report shows that biofilms and suspended particles double DDT sorption capacity on surface sediments. Sorption of pollutants by solid materials, such as biofilms, suspended particles and sediments, is a major process controlling the fate of hydrophobic pollutants in natural waters. Most previous studies focused on the sorption of hydrophobic pollutants by single-solid material, whereas few studies considered the mutual effect of different solids on the sorption. Various solid materials often interact with each other when they coexist in the same system. Therefore, pollutants sorption could be different from that in the single-solid sorption system. Here we studied the mutual effect of biofilms, suspended particles and surface sediments on the sorption of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Results showed that biofilms and suspended particles double DDT sorption capacity on surface sediments. The different effects were mainly determined by distinct components and structures of the three solid materials, particularly by organic components. Here we show the mutual effect of biofilms, suspended particles and sediments on DDT sorption.     

The influences of different organic fractions in refuse on the sorption and bioavailability of dibutyl phthalate

The structure and composition of the organic matter in landfilled refuse might have an influence on the migration and transformation of dibutyl phthalate (DBP). Humic acid (HA) and humin (HU) were separated from aged-refuse to determine the influences of different organic fractions in the refuse on the sorption and bioavailability of DBP. The sorption kinetics and isotherms for the sorption of DBP to HA, HU, and whole refuse were determined. The results showed that the sorption constants (K) and nonlinearities decreased in the order HU?>?whole refuse?>?HA. The HA had lower K values than did the other refuse fractions, and it retarded the biodegradation of DBP over a short degradation period (48?h). Increasing the amount of HA present caused the amount of DBP that was biodegraded to decrease significantly, 81.3% of the DBP sorbed to HA being degraded in the original experiments after 48?h but 21.8% of the DBP being degraded when three times as much HA was used. Similar results were not observed when the amount of HU used was changed. These findings suggest that HA plays an important role in the biodegradation of DBP adsorbed by refuse.