The fate of Pu released from nuclear test events into the environment
The fate of Pu released from nuclear test events into the environment
Nuclear weapons tests conducted worldwide have dispersed long-lived and radioactive nuclear debris including plutonium (Pu). A reliable assessment of the environmental impact of these radioactive contaminants and their potential implications for human health requires an understanding of their physical/chemical characteristics at the molecular scale. This lecture focuses particularly on the physical/chemical characterisation of the Pu contaminant, one of the most problematic radioactive contaminants released from nuclear tests, by synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy / spectroscopy. The study reveals direct experimental evidence that the Pu legacy remaining at one of the former testing sites in Australia (Taranaki, Maralinga) exists as particulates of Pu(IV) oxyhydroxide compounds, a very concentrated and low-soluble form of Pu, which will serve as ongoing radioactive sources far into the future. Based on the obtained results, a possible scenario of the physical/chemical transformation of the original Pu materials dispersed in the semi-arid environment at Maralinga can be also deduced. The lecture also highlights the importance of the comprehensive characterization of radioactive contaminants for reliable environmental- and radiotoxicological assessment.
Keywords: Actinides; plutonium; environmental science; chemical transformation; synchrotron; X-ray microscopy; X-ray spectroscopy
-
Invited lecture (Conferences)
Guest lecture at the lecture series "Radioecology", 18.05.2017, TU Dresden, Germany
Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-25444
Publ.-Id: 25444