Studies of the distribution of uranium in animal tissues (1, 2) have shown that a large proportion of the injected dose accumulates initially in the bone and kidney. 40 days after injection, however, bone is the only tissue which has retained significant quantities of the metal (2). Because of the importance of bone as a storage site for uranium, more specific information has been obtained conc...

A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study of the transport of anthropogenic and natural contaminants to public-supply wells (PSWs) in four aquifer systems documents the occurrence and distribution of arsenic and uranium, and determines some of the mechanisms for their mobilization and movement. The study areas include a glacial aquifer system in Woodbury, Connecticut (referred to herein as CT); the...

The oxi-hydroxides, present at trace level in uranium mill tailings, are responsible of about 70% of the 226 radium sorption, half being fixed on crystallized forms. This radionuclide (half time = 1622y), present at high level (50 to 100kBq.kg), can be released in groundwater, involving a possible contamination of the food chain (actual concentration limit = 0.37Bq.l). So, it is very important ...

BACKGROUND Recent reports have drawn attention to increases in congenital birth anomalies and cancer in Fallujah Iraq blamed on teratogenic, genetic and genomic stress thought to result from depleted Uranium contamination following the battles in the town in 2004. Contamination of the parents of the children and of the environment by Uranium and other elements was investigated using Inductively...

The reaction chemistry of uranium metal has been well documented for use in the development of nuclear fuels. The oxidation of uranium from the thermal stress of nearby combustion is different than that of a reactor environment due to the selectivity of the various competing reactions. This work extracts available information in literature and various experiments over the last 60 years to provi...

Green rusts, which are mixed ferrous/ferric hydroxides, are found in many suboxic environments and are believed to play a central role in the biogeochemistry of Fe. Analysis by U LIII-edge X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy of aqueous green rust suspensions spiked with uranyl (U(VI)) showed that U(VI) was readily reduced to U(IV) by green rust The extended X-ray absorption fine structure (...

Contamination of soils, water, and sediments by radionuclides and toxic metals from uranium mill tailings, nuclear fuel manufacturing and nuclear weapons production is a major concern. Studies of the mechanisms of biotransformation of uranium and toxic metals under various microbial process conditions has resulted in the development of two treatment processes: (i) stabilization of uranium and t...

The concept of toxic-radioactive warfare dates back to World War II when air attacks with uranium oxide aerosols were considered a realistic threat. The military recognized the potential of uranium smoke (aerosol) as a terrain contaminant and an instrument of gas warfare that kills and incapacitates troops and civilians and denies territory to enemy. US War Department’s Manhattan Project consid...

The synthesis and characterization of uranium(VI) mono(imido) complexes, by the oxidation of corresponding uranium(V) species, are presented. These experimental results, paired with DFT analyses, allow for the comparison of the electronic structure of uranium(VI) mono(oxo) and mono(imido) ligands within a conserved ligand framework and demonstrate that the magnitude of the ground state stabiliz...

This Fact Sheet covers the start of the nuclear industry chain – uranium mining. It aims to present a concise overview of the nature of uranium, its mining and milling, and the numerous environmental and radiological aspects associated with this heavy industrial endeavour. It is clear that uranium is a finite resource and that the environmental costs associated with mining are significant and m...