Details
| Translated title of the contribution | Räumlich aufgelöste Isotopenanalyse von einem Tschernobyl Corium Fragment extrahiert aus Umweltboden |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Article number | 107699 |
| Journal | Journal of Environmental Radioactivity |
| Volume | 286 |
| Early online date | 24 Apr 2025 |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 24 Apr 2025 |
Abstract
Micrometer sized particles accounted for a considerable fraction of the radioactivity released into the environment during the Chernobyl accident. In addition, there is a special kind of particles, so called shelter-derived fuel containing material (FCM), that formed as a consequence of the cooling of the reactor melt, and was so far only found inside the reactor building. For the first time, a FCM particle was located in and extracted from soil of a former agricultural field 5 km south-southeast of the former nuclear power plant. Using a combination of energy scanning electron microcopy and dispersive x-ray analysis and Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry we found that the particle is comprised of a silicon matrix containing evenly distributed amounts of U, Pu and Am. Embedded in that chemically stable matrix are small inclusions of reactor U of varying chemical composition. We could show this particle type to be largely unaffected by weathering under environmental conditions.
Keywords
- Hot Particles, Fuel containing materials, FCM, Weathering, SNMS, Chernobyl lava, Hot particles
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Environmental Chemistry
- Environmental Science(all)
- Waste Management and Disposal
- Environmental Science(all)
- Pollution
- Environmental Science(all)
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
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In: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 286, 107699, 06.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatially resolved isotope analysis of a Chernobyl corium fragment extracted from environmental soil
AU - Schulz, Wolfgang Dietrich
AU - Weiß, Martin
AU - Raiwa, Manuel Alexander Christoph
AU - Walther, Clemens
AU - Leifermann, Laura
PY - 2025/4/24
Y1 - 2025/4/24
N2 - Micrometer sized particles accounted for a considerable fraction of the radioactivity released into the environment during the Chernobyl accident. In addition, there is a special kind of particles, so called shelter-derived fuel containing material (FCM), that formed as a consequence of the cooling of the reactor melt, and was so far only found inside the reactor building. For the first time, a FCM particle was located in and extracted from soil of a former agricultural field 5 km south-southeast of the former nuclear power plant. Using a combination of energy scanning electron microcopy and dispersive x-ray analysis and Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry we found that the particle is comprised of a silicon matrix containing evenly distributed amounts of U, Pu and Am. Embedded in that chemically stable matrix are small inclusions of reactor U of varying chemical composition. We could show this particle type to be largely unaffected by weathering under environmental conditions.
AB - Micrometer sized particles accounted for a considerable fraction of the radioactivity released into the environment during the Chernobyl accident. In addition, there is a special kind of particles, so called shelter-derived fuel containing material (FCM), that formed as a consequence of the cooling of the reactor melt, and was so far only found inside the reactor building. For the first time, a FCM particle was located in and extracted from soil of a former agricultural field 5 km south-southeast of the former nuclear power plant. Using a combination of energy scanning electron microcopy and dispersive x-ray analysis and Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry we found that the particle is comprised of a silicon matrix containing evenly distributed amounts of U, Pu and Am. Embedded in that chemically stable matrix are small inclusions of reactor U of varying chemical composition. We could show this particle type to be largely unaffected by weathering under environmental conditions.
KW - Hot Particles
KW - Fuel containing materials
KW - FCM
KW - Weathering
KW - SNMS
KW - Chernobyl lava
KW - Hot particles
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105003193539&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2025.107699
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2025.107699
M3 - Article
VL - 286
JO - Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
JF - Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
SN - 0265-931X
M1 - 107699
ER -