Redox Reactions Involving Chromium, Plutonium, and Manganese in Soils. Final Report, 1 July 1978-30 September 1981

摘要

Although particulate movement through wind and water erosion is the most important mechanism of dispersion of Pu at the Nevada Test Site, dispersion of water-soluble species may also be occurring. However, because Pu is toxic, usually insoluble, not uniformly distributed in the soil, and can exist in four oxidation states in the environment, it is very difficult to study. Therefore, Cr reactions in soil were investigated as a possible general model for Pu reactions in soil, since it was postulated that the redox chemistries of the two elements should be similar. Chemical fractionation methods were used to determine the redox states of Pu in a Nevada Test Site soil and the amounts of Pu associated with various soil components in order to deduce possible reactions between the various Pu species and soil components so that weathering and dispersion by chemical mechanisms can be predicted. Chemical fractionation and kinetics experiments were performed to study reactions of Cr with soil, manganese oxides, and fulvic acids in order to provide information to eventually develop a qualitative, predictive model for Pu behavior in soil. (ERA citation 07:062020)