Recommended Lead-210 Values for Four CCRMP Uranium Reference Materials

The Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project reports recommended values of lead-210 activity in four uranium reference materials previously certified for uranium and radium-226. Eleven laboratories participated in the interlaboratory program for DL-1a, BL-4a, DH-1a and BL-5; three measurement techniques were applied. Procedural and instrumental calibrations were performed with a certified lead solution from Amersham International Corp., thereby establishing traceability of the recommended values for lead-210. Activity ratios for uranium-238. radium-226 and lead-210 demonstrate these uranium reference materials to be in secular equilibrium, within experimental uncertainties.     

Determination of Lead-210, Radium-226, Thorium-228 and Uranium-238 in Five CCRMP Reference Samples by Gamma-Ray Spectrometry

Lead-210, radium-226, thorium-228 and uranium-238 concentrations have been determined in five CCRMP reference samples using direct gamma-ray spectrometry. Literature data are available for only lead-210 and radium-226 levels in these samples.     

Recommended Radium-226 Values for Four CCRMP Uranium Reference Materials

The Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project announces recommended values for radium-226 activity in four reference materials previously certified for uranium. Thirteen laboratories participated in the interlaboratory program for DL-la, DH-la, BL-4a and BL-5. Four measurement techniques were applied. Procedural and instrument calibrations were performed with certified radium solutions from the National Bureau of Standards, thereby establishing traceability of the recommended values for radium-226 in DL-la, DH-la, BL-4a and BL-5. These reference ores are also shown to be close to, if not in, radioactive equilibrium.     

Current status of the debate about the age of Lake Nyos dam (Cameroon) and its bearing on potential flood hazards

Scientific visits to Lake Nyos in Northwestern Cameroon in the aftermath of the gas disaster that killed over 1,750 people in 1986 revealed the presence of a pyroclastic natural dam in the northern border of the lake. This dam is being affected by back erosion. Collapse of the dam could cause a flood that would affect inhabited areas over a 220?km distance. Timing of dam collapse has been hotly debated based on vastly different carbon-14 and potassium-argon formation ages. In previous work, we used uranium series disequilibria to suggest a formation age of >5,000?years. Detailed comparison of uranium series and trace element data for lavas of Lake Nyos and Mt. Cameroon, both belonging to the Cameroon Volcanic Line, suggests that Lake Nyos basalts erupted with an initial radium-226/thorium-230 ratio that is two times higher than lavas erupting on Mt. Cameroon today. This information is used to infer an age of 8,750?±?490?years, which we suggest is the formation age of the Lake Nyos dam. The erosion rate deduced from this age does not indicate that collapse of the dam from back erosion alone and the attendant potential flood disaster are as eminent and alarming as previously thought. However, other factors militate for action to secure the dam. Work is underway to reinforce it by engineering methods.     

Distribution of natural uranium,thorium, lead,and polonium radionuclides in tidal phases of a Delaware salt marsh

Natural radionuclides in the uranium and thorium series were measured in solid tidal phases (suspended particles, bottom sediment, surface microlayer colloids) of a salt marsh in lower Delaware. The purpose was to identify potential processes responsible for trace element cycling (sources, redistribution and exchange) in salt water marshes and with their coastal waters. Generally, concentrations of U, Th,²¹⁰Pb, and²¹⁰Po on the tidal solid phases suggest a general mechanism by which tidal marshes appear to be trapping the nuclides into their interiors. The processes may include transport of enriched fine particles into the marsh, capture by salt marsh grass and chemical fixation by redox processes at the sediment surface. Specifically, the uranium contents of most of the samples are similar with activity ratios²³⁴U²³⁸U≧1, indicating a mixture of detrital and nondetrital (authigenic) uranium inputs such as seawater or ground water. Since the²³⁰Th daughter is generally deficient by about 50%, the authigenic enrichment process appears to favor uranium and is potentially linked to the extensive diagenetic sulfur redox cycle of salt marsh sediments. The²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratio is less than one on Spartina adsorbed solids, and could suggest a general process in salt marshes which favors²¹⁰Pb enrichment by atmospheric fallout over enrichment of²¹⁰Po on time scales of weeks which correspond to complete tide marsh exchange. A²²⁸Th/²³²Th activity ratio of less than unity on the solids adsorbed onto marsh grass suggests a net process whereby diffusive loss of the intermediate daughter²²⁸Ra from the adsorbed solids to tidal waters dominates over potential²²⁸Th scavenging by suspended sediment.     

厦门火烧屿裸露岩石的铀放射系不平衡

用HPGeγ谱方法测定了厦门火烧屿裸露岩石天然放射性核素^40K、^228Ra、^228Th、^238U、^226Ra和^210Pb含量，对其铀系不平衡关系进行了讨论，发现钍系核素^228Ra和^228Th基本上是平衡的，而大部分样品^226Ra相对于^228U、^210Pb相对于^226Ra亏损。由此推论，水体作用下岸边岩石中^226Ra直接进入水体，可以是海水中^226Ra的一个来源；岸边岩石中^222Rn逸出后，衰变^210Pb再进入水体，可以是海水中^210Pb的一个来源。     

A Re - Assessment of the Criteria for Certifiability in CCRMP

The effect of the between- and within-laboratory standard deviation and of the number of laboratories on the magnitude of the certification factor, CF, introduced in 1975 by the Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project (CCRMP) has been discussed. The applicability of CF to reference materials has been assessed on the basis of the correlation between the between- and within-laboratory standard deviation. The validity of the critical value of 4 for CF for certifiability is examined.
An examination of all available data has led to the conclusion that the quality of an interlaboratory program is sufficient to warrant certifiability only if the ratio of the between-to the within-laboratory standard deviation is 3 or less for most elements and 2 or less for uranium. It has been shown that the number of laboratories rejected based on the upper limit of this ratio differs only slightly from that based on laboratory means differing by more than twice the standard deviation of the overall mean for the majority of elements that have been certified. A new measure for assessing the certifiability of an element has been introduced and is based on the requirement that the percentage of laboratories that are rejected to give a ratio of the between- to within-laboratory standard deviation less than or equal to the critical value of 3 or, for uranium, 2 should be no greater than 15% regardless of the number of laboratories in the certification program.     

钻孔岩心剖面210Po测定及其找矿意义

在苗儿山地区已知花岗岩型铀矿床上的试验结果显示,在矿化规模较大、品位较高的钻孔岩心剖面上观察到了分布范围大大超过矿体,且强度较高的210Po异常。据此认为,在勘探最后阶段通过测定钻孔岩心的210Po可以判断钻孔深部以及周围是否还存在隐伏矿体,以指导进一步钻探。本技术有望用于花岗岩型铀矿床的勘查工作。     

210Po法在粤北青障山地区花岗岩型铀矿找矿中的应用研究

为扩大粤北花岗岩型铀矿找矿成果,以青嶂山矿集区1:5万210Po测量数据为依据,研究了210Po法在粤北花岗岩型铀矿找矿中的异常特征及应用效果。结合研究区地质特征,应用趋势面分析等数理统计方法对数据进行处理,结果表明:趋势面分析消除了不同铀含量的地质背景对提取210Po异常的影响;210Po法与地面伽马能谱、氡气测量、 AMT组合应用对寻找花岗岩区深部隐伏矿体具有良好的效果,多种测量方法均出现峰值的部位,为含矿构造带或铀矿体产出部位;经钻探工程验证,在210Po法及相关方法异常区揭露到铀矿工业矿段,210Po法在粤北花岗岩型铀矿勘查中具有较大的指导意义。     

Evaluation of lead isotopic methods for uranium exploration, Koongarra Area, Northern Territory, Australia

Analysis of radioactive (²¹⁰Pb) and stable lead isotopes in near-surface samples has been tested as a method of uranium exploration in the Pine Creek Geosyncline, Northern Territory, Australia. The lead isotopes were extracted from the samples by a mild leaching agent and were measured by alpha spectrometry for ²¹⁰Pb and by mass spectrometry for stable lead isotopes. The results are compared with those obtained by conventional methods utilizing measurements of radioactivity and radon (Track Etch) in situ and ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and U contents of soils. The major problems addressed were whether the lead isotopic methods are more sensitive than the conventional methods and whether they can discriminate “real” anomalies from the common barren anomalies found in black soils and swamps which contain radium in excess of the uranium present.Four test areas, representing a range of exploration problems, were chosen in the vicinity of the Koongarra uranium deposits and 25 samples from each area were analyzed. Most samples have more ²²⁶Ra than uranium. Radium analyses of several water samples show the source of this radium to be non-uraniferous rocks within the Kombolgie sandstone. The results for soil ²²⁶Ra, radon, scintillometry and ²¹⁹Pb were generally closely correlated, and as a result, the ²¹⁰Pb method was not considered to have any advantages over the conventional methods.At the Koongarra X prospect, which has a weak surface expression, the ratio gave the strongest indication of the underlying uranium mineralization with an anomaly to background ratio of 12.5. However, this ratio is correlated with uranium content and does not offer any particular advantages over uranium analyses alone. More subtle indications of uranium mineralization were found by relating the radiogenic lead (²⁰⁶Pb) and the thorium-derived lead (²⁰⁸Pb) to the common lead content (²⁰⁴Pb). A plot of versus (horizontal axis) is linear for country rock samples, irrespective of the amount of more recently introduced ²²⁶Ra. Samples above uranium mineralization lie off this trend, along a line of near-zero slope. By the use of this plot, indications were found of the Koongarra No. 2 orebody, which is concealed by about 40 m of barren overburden; none of the other techniques detected this mineralization.     

铀系国际标准样鉴定结果讨论

铀系国际标准样的鉴定是开展铀系方法的一项基础工作。其主要内容是测定实验流程中所必需使用示踪剂的参数,测试地质样品中各项同位素比值和年龄,检验各国铀系实验室的全部实验程序。     

用于实验室间比对的铀矿地质样品制备及铀含量均匀性检验

为进行核地质分析实验室间比对,采集了南方硬岩和北方砂岩铀矿石样本,按照标准物质制备方法制备了2种铀矿地质样品(编号分别为Albriug-09、Albriug-10),其粒度为小于60μm,铀含量分别为497mg·kg~(-1)和935mg·kg~(-1)。对用于样品均匀性检验的时间分辨紫外脉冲光诱导荧光分析法(TRLIF)进行了分析性能有效性评价。TRLIF测定铀的检出限为0.09mg·kg~(-1),测定范围为0.27~1250mg·kg~(-1);当铀含量范围在4.6~514mg·kg~(-1)之间时,其精密度(RSD%)在9.6%~3.43%之间;当铀含量范围在1.7~514mg·kg~(-1)之间时,其正确度(RE%)在±16.3%~±0.2%之间。应用TRLIF对制备的样品进行了铀含量均匀性测试并采用单因子方差分析法进行了统计检验,其统计量F分别为0.61和0.76,均小于临界值F0.05(9,10)(3.02),表明制备的样品均匀性好,符合实验室间比对测定要求。     

电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定二氧化铀和八氧化三铀粉末中的杂质元素

本文简述了等离子体质谱法测定二氧化铀和八氧化三铀粉末中的硼、钛、钒、钼、铬、锌、镉等７个痕量元素的方法。本方法采用ＴＢＰ萃取色层分离铀基体后,用高分辨等离子体质谱仪（ＩＣＰ－ＭＳ）测定多个痕量元素,测定下限达１×１０－９ｇ／ｇ,测定的相对标准偏差小于１５％。核工业１４个实验室比对试验结果表明,本方法结果准确可靠     

考虑矿层渗透系数非均质性和不确定性的砂岩型铀矿地浸采铀过程随机模拟与分析

砂岩型铀矿矿层渗透系数普遍具有空间非均匀性,但受试验和分析手段制约,非均匀渗透系数难以准确刻画,导致地浸采铀过程预测出现偏差,限制了地浸采铀过程精细化管控。针对该问题提出一种矿层非均匀参数分布随机表征方法,在此基础上,开展水盐耦合数值随机模拟,揭示不同渗透系数空间分布条件下,群井抽注所引起的溶浸剂储层内部迁移过程和影响范围。在内蒙古某铀矿床应用结果显示：沿区域地下水流方向渗透系数增加,有利于注入溶浸剂疏散;相反,溶浸剂易出现聚集效应。利用水位监测数据对模型边界条件进行识别与验证后,在均质假设条件下溶浸剂扩散速率为210 m2/d,20 a开采周期波及范围为1.53 km2;考虑矿层非均质性和参数不确定性,预测溶浸剂扩散速率为191～228 m2/d,波及范围为1.47～1.74 km2。相比于均质假设,溶浸剂扩散速率和波及范围不确定性显著,分别为17.62%和17.65%。考虑渗透系数非均质性和不确定性,使得溶浸剂迁移转化行为预测结果更具代表性,可为合理制定地浸采铀方案提供更加可靠的依据。     

广西福海山地区物探测量结果及其解释

简要介绍了高精度磁测、210 Po法和EH-4电导率成像系统的工作原理。通过对已知矿床剖面试验成果分析解释,发现在铀矿体上方地表存在负磁异常和210 Po异常。把福海山地区高精度磁测和210Po法面积测量结果与已知矿床剖面试验成果进行对比分析,圈出了铀矿化区和断裂构造F1、隐伏断裂F0的分布特征,并采用EH-4电磁测深进行验证。说明利用高精度磁测和210 Po法可以有效地推测出测区构造、断裂带的分布范围,为矿区矿化地段深部找矿工作提供有利的勘查区域范围,为下一步的普查工作提供了可靠的地球物理依据。     

新疆扎基斯坦地区土壤元素有机结合态测量法找铀试验研究

针对常规物化探方法对寻找砂岩型铀矿几乎无效这一现实，初步探讨了土壤元素有机结合态形成机理，并应用土壤有机结合态铀、钼测量法在新疆伊犁盆地南缘扎基斯坦地区进行了寻找地浸砂岩型铀矿试验。与全铀及210Po法测量结果对比表明，土壤有机结合态铀、钼异常能较好地反映埋深200 m以内的铀矿化，而全铀及210Po测量结果对深部砂岩型铀矿化几乎无任何显示。因此，土壤有机结合态铀、钼测量法有望成为地浸砂岩型铀矿找矿的有效方法。     

210Po法在东胜地区砂岩型铀矿探测中的应用

东胜地区是当前地浸砂岩型铀矿找矿的热点地区之一,该地区覆盖层较厚,适宜于开展攻深能力较强的氡及其子体方法,本文扼要介绍了210Po法测量原理、工作方法和应用效果。通过对东胜地区地浸砂岩型铀矿探测中的应用研究,得出210Po测量结果形成的曲线在矿体上为低值异常,而在矿体两端呈高值异常。通过U-Ra平衡系数、氡的运移、粒子的反冲、团簇效应等对其进行了解释,说明了该方法应用的有效性。     

New CCRMP Refernce Soils SO-1 to SO-4

Four reference soils have been prepared and certified through the cooperation of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada and Agriculture Canada. Their origin and details of preparation and characterization are presented. Thirty-six laboratories participated in the international certification program by providing approximately 16000 results for 65 elements. One or more of the reference soils were certified for 18 elements and preliminary data were obtained for another 47.     

层间氧化带型砂岩铀矿床地浸过程的热力学研究：以伊犁盆地512铀矿床为例

伊梨盆地512层间氧化带型砂岩铀矿床是中国第一个工业化规模开发的地浸铀矿床,作者简要地介绍了其地质特征和地浸开发工艺,并利用较新的Gibbs自由能和平衡常数数据,对该矿床地浸处理中铀的地球化学行为进行了定量研究。首先,通过标准电动势（E^o）,氧化-还原电位（Eh）的计算和分析,阐明了H2O2、硝酸盐、大气中自由氧都能提升溶液的Eh值,从而加速矿物相U^4 的氧化溶解,为了节约地浸氧化剂成本,对于U^4 /U^6 比值不太高的矿床来说,建议充分利用大气中自由氧化氧化剂,然后,通过化学平衡计算,推导出了地下水和硫酸浸出液中铀存在形式的计算公式,计算结果表明：（1）512铀矿床矿体所赋存的含矿层地下水中,铀主要以碳酸铀酰类络合物形式存在,并且以UO2（CO3)^4-3和UO2（CO3）^2-2形式为主,并随着pH从7.31升高到8.20,UO2CO3从3.80%降低到0.06%,UO2（CO3）^2-2从21.91%降低到3.12%,而UO2（CO3）^4-3则从74.28%升高到96.82%,（2）512铀矿床硫酸浸出液中,铀主要以硫酸铀酰类络合物形式存在,其中,UO2SO4占63.28%～ 63.86%,UO2(SO4)^2-2占16.55%～21.36%,UO^2 2占15.04%～19.62%,从推导出的计算公式可以看出,硫酸浸出液中铀的存在形式随溶液pH、总SO^2-4含量的变化而变化,并呈非线性关系,为了提高离子交换树脂的吸附性能,可利用文中推导出的公式进行计算,以使调节溶浸液的pH和总SO^2-4含量,从而达到浸出液中铀存在形式的最佳比例关系,最后,因热力学数据对化学反应平衡计算的影响呈指数关系,在进行热力学数据计算时,必须采用较新、较准确的数据。     

2010年的美国铀矿业

2010年,美国铀矿总共施工7 209个钻孔,总进尺1 493 520 m;生产铀1 628.55 t;铀矿业总支出费用为2.773亿美元,其中铀矿地勘费支出为3 450万美元,占铀矿业总费用的12.44%。铀矿地勘钻探费用为4 460万美元,占铀矿业总费用的16.08%。