Variation of uranium isotopic composition in soil within the JCO grounds from the 30 September 1999 criticality accident at JCO, Tokai-mura, Japan.

摘要

Following the 30 September 1999 criticality accident at JCO, 29 surface and 3 core soil samples were collected inside and outside the JCO grounds to evaluate possible contamination by 235U-enriched uranium (18.8%) being handled at the time of the accident. Uranium (234U, 235U, and 238U) and thorium (228Th, 230Th, and 232Th) isotopes were determined by alpha-spectrometry and ICP-MS after radiochemical separation. Concentrations of 238U and 234U ranged from 11.3 to 63.5 and 11.6 to 360 mBq g(-1), respectively. Higher amounts of 238U and/or 234U were found in the vicinity of the uranium conversion building. The calculated 234U/235U activity ratios ranged from a 1.0 radioactive equilibrium value to an unusually high 5.7 value. Several of the soil samples showed considerably higher 235U/238U atomic ratios (1.06-4.37%) than 0.725% for natural uranium. Based on the assumption that measured U-series nuclides in soil samples taken from the JCO grounds were almost at radioactive equilibrium up to 230Th, excess uranium could be calculated for each sample. The results suggest that the excess uranium in the soils have lower 235U/238U atomic ratios (a few %) than the 18.8% enrichment of the precipitation tank uranium.