title: Investigation of uranium binding forms in selected German mineral waters.
abstract: Cryogenic time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy was successfully used to identify uranium binding forms in selected German mineral waters of extremely low uranium concentrations (<2.0 μg/L). The measurements were performed at a low temperature of 153 K. The spectroscopic data showed a prevalence of aquatic species Ca2UO2(CO3)3 in all investigated waters, while other uranyl-carbonate complexes, viz, UO2CO3(aq) and UO2(CO3)2 (2-), only existed as minor species. The pH value, alkalinity (CO3 (2-)), and the main water inorganic constituents, specifically the Ca(2+) concentration, showed a clear influence on uranium speciation. Speciation modeling was performed using the most recent thermodynamic data for aqueous complexes of uranium. The modeling results for the main uranium binding form in the investigated waters indicated a good agreement with the spectroscopy measurements.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, P.O. Box 510119, 01314, Dresden, Germany, a.osman@hzdr.de.
authors.forename: Alfatih A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geipel
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernhard
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Worch
mesh_terms: D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D005858:Germany; D008900:Mineral Waters / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D008900:Mineral Waters; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium