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The transfer of uranium from sediment to water along Jucar River, Spain

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Abstract

The effect of sediment size, pH, temperature and conductivity on the transfer of uranium from sediment to water has been studied. The uranium concentration and the234U/238U,235U/238U activity ratios were measured in water, sediments and suspended matter sampled from Jucar River, using low level alpha-spectrometry. Distribution factors were obtained from these measurements. A more detailed sampling was done in the neighbourhood of the Cofrentes Nuclear Plant (Valencia, Spain). Total uranium activity,234U/238U activity ratio and distribution factors for234U and238U were found to vary with pH. Leaching and dilution, which depend on pH and salinity, are the probable mechanisms for these changes.

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Rodríguez-Alvarez, M.J., Sánchez, F. The transfer of uranium from sediment to water along Jucar River, Spain. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 242, 297–307 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02345556

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02345556

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