Interactions of Pu(VI) with iron and manganese oxyhydroxide minerals

Plutonium has been the focus of many studies due to its complex redox chemistry, long half-life (24, 100 years), and toxicity to living organisms. The presence of Pu in the environment is a major concern for facilities that use or produce actinides and geologic repositories that store spent nuclear fuel. There is also a legacy of sites contaminated with radionuclides due to nuclear weapons production and testing. These radionuclides include U, Np, Pu, other actinides, and fission products. The threat of accidental release increases as the actinide content of production facilities increases and storage containers age. The need for a fundamental understanding of the molecular-level interactions of Pu with environmental systems is vital to demonstrate good stewardship and responsibility in health and safety matters at actinide facilities and radioactively contaminated sites, and for accurate risk assessment at nuclear waste storage sites. To that end, we are focused on investigating the interactions between plutonium and minerals systems