title: Uranium-contaminated soils: ultramicrotomy and electron beam analysis.
abstract: Uranium-contaminated soils from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fernald Site, Ohio, have been examined by a combination of backscattered electron imaging (BSE) and analytical electron microscopy with electron diffraction (AEM). The inhomogeneous distribution of particulate uranium phases in the soil required the development of a method for using ultramicrotomy to prepare transmission electron microscopy (TEM) thin sections from the SEM mounts. A water-miscible resin was selected that allowed comparison between SEM and TEM images, permitting representative sampling of the soil. Uranium was found in iron oxides, silicates (soddyite), phosphates (autunites), and uraninite (UO2 + x). No uranium was detected in association with phyllosilicates in the soil.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois 60439-4837, USA.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bates
mesh_terms: D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis / Q000379:methods*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008867:Microtomy / Q000379:methods*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014501:Uranium
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium