Ядерна фізика та енергетика Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy   ISSN: 1818-331X (Print), 2074-0565 (Online)   Publisher: Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine   Languages: Ukrainian, English   Periodicity: 4 times per year   Open access peer reviewed journal

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O. O. Odintsov^*, L. A. Palamar, L. B. Chikur

Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Chornobyl, Ukraine

^*Corresponding author. E-mail address: ooodin@ukr.net

Abstract: The results of experimental determination of the forms of uranium and radionuclides ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹⁵⁴Eu, ²³⁸Pu, ^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, and ²⁴⁴Cm in the bottom sediments of the premises 001/3 of the "Shelter" object are presented. By the sequential extraction procedure, the following amounts are determined: water-soluble, exchange, carbonate, and acid-soluble forms of uranium, fission products (⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹⁵⁴Eu), and transuranium elements (²³⁸Pu, ^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴⁴Cm) in the bottom sediments in the premises 001/3 on a mark of -2.60 m of auxiliary systems of the reactor compartment of the "Shelter" object. The concentration of uranium in the bottom sediments of room 001/3 is 3.1 ± 0.5 g/kg. Specific activity of ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs in the bottom sediments is within the range of 6·10⁸ - 1·10⁹ Bq/kg, and ^239+240Pu and ²⁴¹Am within the range of 6·10⁵ - 8·10⁶ Bq/kg. Radionuclides ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹⁵⁴Eu, ²³⁸Pu, ^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴⁴Сm in the bottom sediments are in different chemical forms that will define their different potential mobility. Uranium and ¹³⁷Cs in the bottom sediments of premises 001/3 mainly are in exchange forms. The amount of water-soluble forms of uranium and cesium is 1.5 - 3 %. The basic amount of ⁹⁰Sr, more than 60 %, is carbonate soluble in a weak acid at рН 4.8. More than 65 % of ²³⁸Pu and ^239+240Pu in the bottom sediments are in acid-soluble forms. The mobility of ¹⁵⁴Eu, ²⁴¹Am and ²⁴⁴Cm in the bottom sediments is much higher than that of plutonium; at pH 4.8 more than 40 % of ²⁴¹Am go to soluble state. The ratio between the activities of ¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁰Sr, ⁹⁰Sr/^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am/^239+240Pu, and ²⁴⁴Cm/^239+240Pu in the bottom sediments considerably differ from the analogical relations of radionuclides in a fuel containing materials of the "Shelter" object.

Keywords: uranium, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, plutonium, americium, sequential extraction, speciation of radionuclides, bottom sediments, "Shelter" object.

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