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- Author or Editor: P. Thakur x
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Abstract
The determination of actinides in environmental soil and sediment samples are very important for environmental monitoring. A rapid actinide separation method has been developed and implemented that allows measurement of U, Pu and Am isotopes in large soil samples (10–15 g) with high chemical yields and effective removal of matrix interferences. The radiochemical procedures involve the total dissolution of soil samples, separation on anion-exchange resin, and separation and purification by extraction chromatography, e.g., UTEVA, TEVA, and TRU with measurements of radionuclides by alpha-spectrometry. The validation of the method is performed through the analysis of reference materials or by participating in laboratory intercomparison programs.
Abstract
The simultaneous determination of actinides in air filter and water samples around the WIPP site have been demonstrated. The analytical method is based on the selective separation and purification by anion exchange and Eichrome-TEVA, TRU and DGA-resin followed by determination of actinides by alpha spectrometry. Counting sources for alpha spectrometric measurements were prepared by microcoprecipitation on neodymium fluoride (NdF3). Radiochemical yields were determined using 242Pu, 229Th, 243Am and 232U as tracers. The validation of the method is performed through the analysis of reference materials or participating in laboratory intercomparison programs. The plutonium concentrations in aerosols varied seasonally, being highest in spring and summer due to the spring-time enhanced wind-storm transportation of radioactive aerosols from the stratosphere to the troposphere. The 238Pu/239+240Pu activity ratio in the aerosol samples is typically close to that of global fallout from historic above-ground nuclear weapons testing. The results presented here indicate that the source of plutonium in the WIPP environment results mainly from global nuclear fallout and there is no evidence of increases in radiological contaminants in the region that could be attributed to releases from the WIPP.
Three-year (2007/2008–2009/2010) field experiment was conducted at the Directorate of Water Management Research Farm under Deras command in Odisha, India to assess the crop yield, irrigation water use efficiency (WUE), sustainable yield index (SYI), land utilization index (LUI) and changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) for dominant rice systems, viz. rice-maize-rice, rice-cowpea-rice, rice-sunflower-rice, rice-tomato-okra and rice-fallow-rice. Results revealed that crop yield, in terms of total system productivity (TSP) increased by 273, 113, 106 and 58% in rice-tomato-okra, rice-sunflower-rice, rice-maize-rice and rice-cowpea-rice, respectively, when compared to rice-fallow-rice. Irrigation WUE was 49–414% greater in rice-based diversified systems than the existing rice-fallow-rice (2.98 kg ha−1 mm−1). The SYI ranged from 0.65 to 0.75 indicating greater sustainability of the systems. Three crops in a sequence resulted in greater LUI and production efficiency compared to rice-fallow-rice. The gross economic return and benefit-cost ratio was in the order: rice-tomato-okra > rice-maize-rice > rice-sunflower-rice > rice-cowpea-rice > rice-fallow-rice. The SOC storage ranged from 40.55 Mg ha−1 in rice-fallow-rice to 46.23 Mg ha−1 in rice-maize-rice system. The other systems had also very close values of SOC storage with the rice-maize-rice system; there was a positive change of SOC (7.20 to 12.52 Mg ha−1) for every system, with highest in rice-maize-rice system and the lowest in rice-fallow-rice. It is concluded that the appropriate rice-based system would be rice-tomato-okra followed by rice-maize-rice, rice-sunflower-rice and rice-cowpea-rice. Rice-fallow-rice is not advisable because of its lower productivity, lower LUI and economic return.
