The economics of uranium demand

The major characteristics of the demand for uranium are identified, and a number of factors which determine the actual level of uranium requirements of the nuclear power industry are discussed. Since the role of inventories is central to the process of short-term price formation, by comparing projections of uranium production and apparent consumption, the relative level of total inventories is calculated and an assessment is made of its likely impact on the uranium market during the 1980s.     

Effective diffusivity of the uranyl ion in a granite from Inada, Ibaraki, Japan

The effective diffusivity of uranium(VI) in Inada granite has been determined by through-diffusion. Experiments were performed at room temperature (20–25°C) in a 0.1 mol 1⁻¹ KCl solution where uranium is present predominantly as the poorly sorbing UO₂²⁺. An effective diffusivity (D_e) of (3.6 ± 1.6) × 10⁻¹⁴ m² s⁻¹ was obtained, close to that for uranine (nonsorbing organic tracer), but one order of magnitude lower than those obtained for Sr²⁺ and NpO₂⁺, and two orders of magnitude lower than that obtained for I⁻. According to well established theory, a proportional relationship exists between D_e and the diffusivity in the bulk of the solution (D_v). The effective diffusivity obtained in granite was not proportional to D_v. This agrees with results obtained for effective diffusivity in a Swedish granite. The ratio D_e/D_v was found to be not constant but increased with D_e or D_v. This result suggests a limit to the application of the theory.     

Intercomparison of reactive transport models applied to UO2 oxidative dissolution and uranium migration

Oxidative dissolution of uranium dioxide (UO₂) and the subsequent migration of uranium in a subsurface environment and an underground waste disposal have been simulated with reactive transport models. In these systems, hydrogeological and chemical processes are closely entangled and their interdependency has been analyzed in detail, notably with respect to redox reactions, kinetics of mineralogical evolution and hydrodynamic migration of species of interest.Different codes, where among CASTEM, CHEMTRAP and HYTEC, have been used as an intercomparison and verification exercise. Although the agreement between codes is satisfactory, it is shown that the discretization method of the transport equation (i.e. finite elements (FE) versus mixed-hybrid FE and finite differences) and the sequential coupling scheme may lead to systematic discrepancies.     

Migration behavior of naturally occurring radionuclides at the Nopal I uranium deposit, Chihuahua, Mexico

Oxidation of pyrite at the Nopal I uranium deposit, Peña Blanca district, Chihuahua, Mexico has resulted in the formation of Fe-oxides/hydroxides. Anomalous U concentrations (i.e. several hundred to several thousand ppm) measured in goethite, hematite, and amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxides in a major fracture that crosscuts the deposit and the absence of U minerals in the fracture suggest that U was retained during secondary mineral growth or sorbed on mineral surfaces. Mobilization and transport of U away from the deposit is suggested by decreasing U concentrations in fracture-infilling materials and in goethite and hematite with distance from the deposit. Greater than unity ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios measured in fracture-infilling materials indicate relatively recent ( < 1 Ma) U uptake from fluids that carried excess ²³⁴U. Systematic decreases in ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios of fracture materials with distance from the deposit suggest a multistage mobilization process, such as remobilization of U from ²³⁴U-enriched infill minerals or differential or diminished transport of U-bearing solutions containing excess ²³⁴U.     

Distribution and mode of occurrence of uranium in bottom ash derived from high-germanium coals

The radioactivity of uranium in radioactive coal bottom ash(CBA) may be a potential danger to the ambient environment and human health. Concerning the limited research on the distribution and mode of occurrence of uranium in CBA, we herein report our investigations into this topic using a number of techniques including a five-step Tessier sequential extraction, hydrogen fluoride(HF) leaching, Siroquant(Rietveld) quantification, magnetic separation, and electron probe microanalysis(EPMA). The Tessier sequential extraction showed that the uranium in the residual and Fe–Mn oxide fractions was dominant(59.1%and 34.9%, respectively). The former was mainly incorporated into aluminosilicates,retained with glass and cristobalite, whereas the latter was especially enriched in the magnetic fraction, of which about 50% was present with magnetite(Fe_3O_4) and the rest in other iron oxides. In addition, the uranium in the magnetic fraction was 2.6 times that in the non-magnetic fraction. The experimental findings in this work may be important for establishing an effective strategy to reduce radioactivity from CBA for the protection of our local environment.     

铀在土壤中的吸附动力学

以四川盆地红层丘陵区涪江河谷两岸广泛分布的第四系中更新统亚粘土为对象,用动态法测定了铀在该土壤中的平衡吸附量,为极低放废物的处置提供一些理论依据。研究了流速、土壤粒度及铀溶液初始浓度对土壤吸附铀的影响,并用常用的吸附动力学方程对实验数据进行了拟合。结果表明：土壤粒度小的平衡吸附量较大;流速越小、平衡吸附量越大;铀溶液的初始浓度越大,平衡吸附量越大;在用动力学方程拟合时,E lovich方程的拟合度最好;该土壤对铀的最大吸附率为61.1%,吸附性能较差。     

2016—2021年四川省地表水体中铀的放射性水平及健康风险评价

为调查四川省地表水体中放射性物质铀（U）的含量,评价居民摄入地表水体中U导致的健康风险,在四川省主要地表水系中共设置23个监测断面,于2016—2021年检测了U的放射性水平,并根据健康风险评价模型对居民的健康风险进行评估。结果表明：四川省地表水体中U的质量浓度为0.16～3.6 μg/L,参照《生活饮用水卫生标准》（GB 5749—2022）,均合格;不同年份、不同地表水体中U的放射性水平间的差异均无统计学意义（P＞0.05）;不同水期U的放射性水平间的差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。各年龄组通过饮水、水体浸没途径摄入U所致总年均待积有效剂量均＜0.1mSv;对各年龄段居民的总致癌风险为4.18×10^-9 ～2.24×10^-8 ,均低于世界卫生组织（WHO）和国际放射防护委员会（ICRP）发布的最严格控制限值。全省主要地表水体中U对各年龄组都是安全的。     

Uranium and other trace elements’ distribution in Korean granite: implications for the influence of iron oxides on uranium migration

To understand trace radionuclide (uranium) migration occurring in rocks, a granitic batholith located at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) site was selected and investigated. The rock samples obtained from this site were examined using mineralogical methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The changes in the distribution pattern of uranium (U) and small amounts of trace elements, and the mineralogical textures affected by weathering, were examined. Based on the element distribution analyses, it was found that Fe²⁺ released from fresh biotite is oxidized in short geological time, forming amorphous iron oxides, such as ferrihydrite, around silicate minerals. In that case, the amorphous ferrihydrite does not show distinct adsorption for U. However, as it gradually crystallizes to goethite or hematite, the most U-rich phases were found to be associated with the secondary iron oxides having granular forms. This evidence suggests that the geological subsurface environment is favorable for the crystallized iron oxides to keep their structures more stable for a long time as compared with the amorphous phases. There is a possibility that the long residence of U which is in contact with the stable crystalline phases of iron may finally lead to the partial sequestration of U in their structure. Consequently, it seems that Fe-oxide crystallization can be a dominating mechanism for U uptake and controls long-term U transport in granites with low U contents.     

Uranium removal from groundwater via in situ biostimulation: Field-scale modeling of transport and biological processes

During 2002 and 2003, bioremediation experiments in the unconfined aquifer of the Old Rifle UMTRA field site in western Colorado provided evidence for the immobilization of hexavalent uranium in groundwater by iron-reducing Geobacter sp. stimulated by acetate amendment. As the bioavailable Fe(III) terminal electron acceptor was depleted in the zone just downgradient of the acetate injection gallery, sulfate-reducing organisms came to dominate the microbial community. In the present study, we use multicomponent reactive transport modeling to analyze data from the 2002 field experiment to identify the dominant transport and biological processes controlling uranium mobility during biostimulation, and determine field-scale parameters for these modeled processes. The coupled process simulation approach was able to establish a quantitative characterization of the principal flow, transport, and reaction processes based on the 2002 field experiment, that could be applied without modification to describe the 2003 field experiment. Insights gained from this analysis include field-scale estimates of the bioavailable Fe(III) mineral threshold for the onset of sulfate reduction, and rates for the Fe(III), U(VI), and sulfate terminal electron accepting processes.     

上海天然水中铀含量

一分析仪对上海市天然水体中的铀含量进行了１０年连续监测，并比较了不同水体的铀含量，描述了其分布及其变化情况。结果表明，上海天然水体中铀含量的范围为０．０５－０８９μｇ＝Ｌ，属我国天然水铀含量本底范围。