A review of the potential for radium from luminising activities to migrate in the environment.
During the first half of the twentieth century, radium, mixed with other components, was used to luminise many items, including watches, clocks, dials and meters. On many sites, and in particular MoD sites, luminised instruments and paint were disposed of by burning and burial. This paper presents a review of the potential for radium from such sites to migrate in the environment. The most likely mechanisms of migration of radium from former luminising sites in the UK are surface-water erosion and transport, and the action of animals and people. Plant uptake or rainsplash followed by cropping of the plants is another possible mechanism, but the extent of impact is uncertain. The migration of significant quantities of radium through soils or rocks, or due to landsliding or wind transport, is considered to be of minimal importance to most UK sites. A low pH, high salinity (in particular of group II metals) or reducing groundwater would need to be present for migration through soils/rocks to occur and such conditions are unlikely to be present in most shallow aquifer systems in the UK. To reduce the potential for migration to occur it is recommended that luminising wastes at ground surface are removed or covered, that controls are put in place to limit animal activity and that human entry to former luminising sites is restricted.
Baker
A C
AC
Dstl Environmental Sciences, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK. acbaker@dstl.gov.uk
Toque
C
C
D000818:Animals; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D011883:Radium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D006113:United Kingdom; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods; D014872:Water Movements
D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D011883:Radium