Dissolution of uranium and plutonium particles: simulations using the Mercer equation

There is a need to be able to predict the amount of plutonium that will be in solution at a given time from dissolution of particles in order to better predict the environmental behavior and possible adverse effects of plutonium spills. The equation developed by Mercer (1967) to simulate the dissolution of particles in lungs was parameterized and used to simulate the dissolution of a population of plutonium or uranium particles in the soil. Parameter values for the size distribution of particles in soil, and the density of the particles were found; however, values for the shape factors, and the dissolution rate were virtually non-existent. The calculated mass dissolved was most sensitive to the median diameter of the population of particles and least sensitive to the geometric standard deviation. A given percent change in the shape parameter and the dissolution rate resulted in approximately an equal percent change in the mass dissolved. Provided that the population of particles follows a log-normal distribution, the particles are homogeneous in composition and the dissolution can be represented by first-order kinetics, this equation can probably be applied with slight modification to estimate the mass dissolved at a given time. 66 references, 7 figures, 4 tables