Determining depleted uranium （DU） contamination in soils and salt marsh sediments in the vicinity of DU munitions testing sites in SW Scotland and NW England, UK

• Published in: Chinese journal of geochemistry 2006, Vol.25 (B08), p.96-96
• Main Author: Ian W. Oliver Angus B. MacKenzie Rob M. Ellam Margaret C. Graham John G. Farmer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 放射性; 沉积物; 环境污染
• ISSN: 1000-9426; 1993-0364

In its natural state uranium has three isotopes; ^238U （99.27 atom % abundance）, ^235U （0.72%） and ^234U （0.0055%）, with the ^235U ： ^238U activity ratio having a constant value of 0.045 and the ^234U：^238U activity ratio commonly ranging 0.8-1.2 for soils and sediments （e.g. Fisenne 1996）. Uranium enrichment, the process by which the fissile isotope ^235U is concentrated for the production of nuclear fuel, generates a waste product that is depleted in both ^235U and ^234U. Depleted uranium （DU） therefore has a distinct isotopic signature that can be used to monitor contamination arising from the use of munitions containing it （i.e., DU weapons and armour）. The UK Ministry of Defense has tested such munitions at coastal locations in SW Scotland and NW England, resulting in possible contamination of the surrounding terrestrial and marine environments. We examined the U isotope distribution in surface soil （top 10 cm） and salt marsh sediment samples from these locations using alpha spectrometry to determine the extent of any DU contamination from the munitions testing programme. Despite 〉30 t of DU shells having been fired into the sea in this region there was no evidence of deviation from the natural ^234U ： ^238U activity ratio range in salt marsh samples. The ^235U ： ^238U activity ratio could not be used to assess these salt marsh samples because ^235U activities were at the limit of detection for alpha spectrometry.