Filters
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Results 1 - 1 of 1.
Search took: 0.015 seconds
Mangeret, Arnaud; Blanchart, Pascale; Alcalde, Gilles; Amet, Xavier; Cazala, Charlotte; Gallerand, Marie-Odile, E-mail: arnaud.mangeret@irsn.fr2018
AbstractAbstract
[en] Highlights: • Radiological characterization of a wetland impacted by a former uranium mine was performed. • The wetland was subjected to long-term impact of former discharges of underground uranium mine waters. • Localized hotspots of uranium are identified in these soils. - Abstract: The present study reports the evidence of a radioactive contamination in a wetland located downstream from a former French U mine in Brittany. This situation is demonstrated according to the measurements of gamma dose rates and activity ratios of 238U and 232Th-decay series nuclides, which give the justification regarding the accumulation of significant amounts of 238U, 230Th and 226Ra in this wetland. The dose rate map highlights an increase of radiation level along the former mine water pathway compared to the background value, with a maximum value of 1500 nSv.h−1 reached in the wetland. Activities of 238U, 230Th and 226Ra and 232Th/238U ratios measured in surface wetland soils are significantly higher than the geochemical background. 230Th/238U ratios less than unity suggest a preferential accumulation of U in the wetland, compared to its daughter isotopes. Moreover, the loss of 226Ra compared to 230Th raises its higher mobility compared to its parent isotope. In far-field sediments, 226Ra/238U ratio of 1.76 implies a different geochemical behavior of U, which could be explained by the occurrence of mobile U species. The results suggest that contamination of wetland soils and far-field sediments could result from discharges of underground mine waters.
Primary Subject
Source
S0265931X17310007; Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.08.018; © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Record Type
Journal Article
Journal
Country of publication
ACTINIDE NUCLEI, ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES, ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES, AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS, CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES, ECOSYSTEMS, EVALUATION, EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI, HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES, HEAVY NUCLEI, HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS, ISOTOPES, NEON 24 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES, NUCLEI, OXYGEN COMPOUNDS, RADIOISOTOPES, RADIUM ISOTOPES, SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES, THORIUM ISOTOPES, URANIUM ISOTOPES, YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
Reference NumberReference Number
INIS VolumeINIS Volume
INIS IssueINIS Issue