Uptake rates of thorium progeny in a semiarid environment.
The release rates and transformation processes that influence the mobility, biological uptake, and transfer of radionuclides are essential to the assessment of the health effects in the food chain and ecosystem. This study examined concentrations of 222Th in both soil and vegetation at a closed military training site, Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB), New Mexico. Brazilian sludge was intentionally introduced into the topsoil in the early 1960s to simulate nuclear weapon accidents. Soil (60) and vegetation (120) samples were collected from 1996 to 2000 and analyzed for radionuclides and progeny. High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy was used to determine radionuclide activities. The results indicate that the thorium progeny were the predominant contaminant in soil and vegetation. Concentration ratios (CRs) were calculated based on actinium levels.
McClellan
Yvonne
Y
Sandia National Laboratories, Mail Stop 0748, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA. ymcclel@sandia.gov
August
Robert
R
Gosz
James
J
Gann
Steve
S
Parmenter
Robert
R
Nelson
Martin
M
Harper
Mark
M
D003889:Desert Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009516:New Mexico; D009689:Nuclear Warfare; D010944:Plants; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013910:Thorium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D013910:Thorium