The speciation of dissolved elements in aquatic solution. Radium and actinides

In the publication, the chemistry and speciation of radium, thorium, protactinium, uranium, neptunium, lutonium, americium and curium in ground-water environment is reviewed. Special attention is given to the transuranium elements, which have a central role in the repository of nuclear wastes. The most important methods used in the speciation of these elements is presented. The laser-induced methods, developed in the 1980's, are especially discussed. These have made it possible, e.g., to speciate the transuranium elements in their very low, actual repository ground-water concentrations (10-100 ng/l). (54 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.)