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Roles of uranyl silicate minerals in the long-term mobility of uranium in fractured granite

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Abstract

In this study, the mobility of natural uranium in fractured granite was investigated by focusing on the roles of uranyl silicate minerals formed by long-term interactions with oxic groundwater. Uranium-bearing minerals observed in granite samples were identified as uranyl silicate minerals (i.e., uranophane, haiweeite, and soddyite) and this result was supported by uranium speciation calculation. The uranyl silicate minerals play important roles in understanding the mobility of uranium and the effects of water–rock interactions on long-term behavior of uranium in fractured granite systems.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korean government through research projects (Grant Nos. 2017M2B2B1072407 and 2017M2A8A5014719).

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  1. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111 Daedeok-daero 989 beongil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34057, Republic of Korea

    Min-Hoon Baik & Hye-Ryun Cho

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  1. Min-Hoon Baik
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Correspondence to Min-Hoon Baik.

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Baik, MH., Cho, HR. Roles of uranyl silicate minerals in the long-term mobility of uranium in fractured granite. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331, 451–459 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-08084-1

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