This publication is one of the series of IAEA publications on the environmental behaviour of naturally occurring radionuclides. It outlines uranium behaviour in different environments, as well as its transfer to, and metabolism in, humans. The publication also provides concepts, models and data required for the assessment of the impacts of uranium on non-human biota. Assessing the environmental and health effects of uranium poses specific challenges because of the combination of different types of hazard and potential exposures. Therefore, both the radiotoxicity and chemical toxicity of uranium are considered in this publication.
In recent years, radioactive contamination in the environment by uranium (U) and its daughters has caused increasing concerns globally. This book provides recent developments and comprehensive knowledge to the researchers and academicians who are working on uranium contaminated areas worldwide. This book covers topics ranging from the beginning of the nuclear age until today, including historical views and epidemiological studies. Modelling practices and evaluation of radiological and chemical impact of uranium on man and the environment are included. Also covered are analytical methods used for the determination of uranium in geo/bio environments. Some chapters explore factors which influence uranium speciation and in consequence plant uptake/translocation. Last but not least, several chapters provide approaches and practices for remediation of uranium contaminated areas.
Polonium-210 is an alpha emitting radionuclide with no radioactive progeny and produces only very-low-intensity gamma rays at very low abundance. This means doses largely arise from internal exposure. In addition to the relatively high ingestion does coefficient of 210Po, radionuclide transfer in the environment results in high activity concentrations in certain foods. This publication focuses on radionuclide transfers in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, and provides information on key transfer processes, concepts and models--back cover.
Radioactive particles have been released to the environment from a number of sources, including nuclear weapon tests, nuclear accidents and discharges from nuclear installations. Particle characteristics influence the mobility, biological uptake and effects of radionuclides, hence information on these characteristics is essential for assessing environmental impact and risks. This publication presents a series of papers covering sources and source term characterisation, methodologies for characterizing particles, and the impact of particles on the behaviour of radioactive particles in the environment. Sources covered include the Chernobyl accident, nuclear weapons accidents at Thule and Palomares accident, the discharges from Dounreay and Krashnoyarsk, and depleted uranium in Kosovo and Kuwait. The overall aim is that an increased understanding of particle characteristics and behavior will help to reduce some of the uncertainties in environmental impact and risk assessment for particle contaminated areas.
A review of contemporary actinide research that focuses on new advances in experiment and theory, and the interplay between these two realms Experimental and Theoretical Approaches to Actinide Chemistry offers a comprehensive review of the key aspects of actinide research. Written by noted experts in the field, the text includes information on new advances in experiment and theory and reveals the interplay between these two realms. The authors offer a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach to the nature of actinide chemistry, and explore the interplay between multiple experiments and theory, as well as between basic and applied actinide chemistry. The text covers the basic science used in contemporary studies of the actinide systems, from basic synthesis to state-of-the-art spectroscopic and computational techniques. The authors provide contemporary overviews of each topic area presented and describe the current and anticipated experimental approaches for the field, as well as the current and future computational chemistry and materials techniques. In addition, the authors explore the combination of experiment and theory. This important resource: Provides an essential resource the reviews the key aspects of contemporary actinide research Includes information on new advances in experiment and theory, and the interplay between the two Covers the basic science used in contemporary studies of the actinide systems, from basic synthesis to state-of-the-art spectroscopic and computational techniques Focuses on the interplay between multiple experiments and theory, as well as between basic and applied actinide chemistry Written for academics, students, professionals and researchers, this vital text contains a thorough review of the key aspects of actinide research and explores the most recent advances in experiment and theory.
This report assesses the levels and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. Scientific findings underpin radiation risk evaluation and international protection standards. This report comprises a report with two underpinning scientific annexes. The first annex recapitulates and clarifies the philosophy of science as well as the scientific knowledge for attributing observed health effects in individuals and populations to radiation exposure, and distinguishes between that and inferring risk to individuals and populations from an exposure. The second annex reviews the latest thinking and approaches to quantifying the uncertainties in assessments of risk from radiation exposure, and illustrates these approaches with application to examples that are highly pertinent to radiation protection.
Originally published in 1983, this book presents both the technical and political information necessary to evaluate the emerging threat to world security posed by recent advances in uranium enrichment technology. Uranium enrichment has played a relatively quiet but important role in the history of efforts by a number of nations to acquire nuclear weapons and by a number of others to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. For many years the uranium enrichment industry was dominated by a single method, gaseous diffusion, which was technically complex, extremely capital-intensive, and highly inefficient in its use of energy. As long as this remained true, only the richest and most technically advanced nations could afford to pursue the enrichment route to weapon acquisition. But during the 1970s this situation changed dramatically. Several new and far more accessible enrichment techniques were developed, stimulated largely by the anticipation of a rapidly growing demand for enrichment services by the world-wide nuclear power industry. This proliferation of new techniques, coupled with the subsequent contraction of the commercial market for enriched uranium, has created a situation in which uranium enrichment technology might well become the most important contributor to further nuclear weapon proliferation. Some of the issues addressed in this book are: A technical analysis of the most important enrichment techniques in a form that is relevant to analysis of proliferation risks; A detailed projection of the world demand for uranium enrichment services; A summary and critique of present institutional non-proliferation arrangements in the world enrichment industry, and An identification of the states most likely to pursue the enrichment route to acquisition of nuclear weapons.
The "Red Book", jointly prepared by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, is a recognised world reference source on the uranium industry. This publication collates and analyses key information drawn from the twenty editions of the Red Book published between 1965 and 2004, in order to set out a comprehensive review of developments in the world uranium industry from the birth of civilian nuclear energy through to the beginning of the 21st century. It summarises developments in the major uranium-producing countries and topics covered include: installed nuclear capacity, reactor-related uranium requirements, market price, exploration, resources, production, natural and enriched uranium inventories, thorium, mine start-up and closure histories, environmental aspects of uranium mining and processing.
This volume provides a comprehensive overview on the chemical thermodynamics of those elements that are of particular importance in the safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal systems. This is the first volume in a series of critical reviews to be published on this subject. The book provides an extensive compilation of chemical thermodynamic data for uranium. A description of procedures for activity corrections and uncertainty estimates is given. A critical discussion of data needed for nuclear waste management assessments, including areas where significant gaps of knowledge exist is presented. A detailed inventory of chemical thermodynamic data for inorganic compounds and complexes of uranium is listed. Data and their uncertainty limits are recommended for 74 aqueous complexes and 199 solid and 31 gaseous compounds containing uranium, and on 52 aqueous and 17 solid auxiliary species containing no uranium. The data are internally consistent and compatible with the CODATA Key Values. The book contains a detailed discussion of procedures used for activity factor corrections in aqueous solution, as well as including methods for making uncertainty estimates.
Reports on the outcome of an IAEA coordinated research project in the area of measurement and characterization of radioactive particles in the environment. This publication summarizes the achievements and findings of the project participants and gives guidance for application of the techniques for evaluation of contaminated areas.
