Associations and mobility of uranium in soils near a depleted uranium （DU） weapons testing site, SW Scotland

Natural uranium has three isotopes, ^238U, ^235U and ^234U, with natural abundances of 99.27 atom %, 0.72% and 0.0055%, respectively. Only ^235U is fissile and the production of nuclear fuel and nuclear weapons involves enrichment of uranium in ^235U. This process also results in separation of ^234U from ^238U, leaving depleted uranium （DU）, with typical ^234U/^238U and ^235U/^238U activity ratios of about 0.19 and 0.013, respectively, as a waste product. The high density, high melting and boiling points and chemical stability of uranium and the availability of DU in relatively pure form mean that DU has many uses, including armour-piercing munitions. Such munitions have been developed in the UK since the 1960s and testing has been carried out by the Ministry of Defence （MoD） at firing ranges such as Dundrennan, SW Scotland and Eskmeals, NW England. The firing of DU munitions can result in the dispersion of DU and its combustion products （oxides） as aerosols or as larger fragments, with the potential for human exposure either directly at the site of detonation or via post-depositional migration in the environment. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential environmental mobility of DU by characterizing the associations of U in soil porewaters with increasing distance from a firing site. To this end, several soil cores located down-wind of the firing site at Dundrennan, near Kirkcudbright, SW Scotland, were collected in May 2006. These were sectioned on-site into 1- or 2-cm depth intervals and porewaters were isolated by centfifugation （10 minutes; 8873 g） on return to the laboratory. Following filtration through 0.2-micron cellulose nitrate filters, the porewaters were analyzed by ICP-QMS （U concentration） and ICP-OES （Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Mn concentrations）. Sub-samples were also subjected to centrifugal ultrafiltration （100, 30, and 3 kD） and to gel electrophoretic fractionation （agarose; 0.045 M Tris-borate; 20 mA, 30 minutes）. Results showed that U was present at up to 4 μg/L in the soil porewater and that the associations of U varied with sample location and soil depth.     

Synergistic effect of combining sulfate reducing bacteria and zerovalent iron permeable reactive barriers on the treatment of groundwater rich in uranium, sulfate and heavy metals

Uranium processing and mining activities that generate many contaminants, such as high concentrations of U （VI）, sulfate and heavy metals （Zn, Cu, Ni, etc）, may pose a serious threat to the groundwater resources. In recent years, considerable research has been conducted respectively on two kinds of permeable reactive barriers （PRB）, including zerovalent iron （ZVI） and sulfate reducing bacteria （SRB）, for in-situ removal of these pollutants from groundwater. However, little investigation has been carried out on the potential benefits of bioaugmenting ZVI barriers to enhance the elimination of the pollutants by combining ZVI with SRB systems. The main goal of this study was to conduct batch and column experiments to determine whether the combination of SRB and ZVI can function synergistically and accelerate the rate of pollutant removal. The results of anaerobic batch experiments demonstrated that although the integrated ZVI/PRB system itself has no ability to reduce and remove sulfate directly, SRB can utilize hydrogen gas produced during the slow process of ZVI corrosion as an electron donor to raise biomass yields significantly and accelerate reductive sulfate removal. In particular, ferrous cations produced as the byproduct of ZVI corrosion process reacted with hydrogen sulfide from sulfate reduction and formed iron-bearing sulfide precipitates, which can stimulate the growth of SRB and promote sulfate removal activity by eliminating the biotoxicity of hydrogen sulfide. It was also shown that secondary mineral products （pyrite/ferrous sulfide） formed as a consequence of microbial sulfate reduction and ZVI corrosion process can enhance the microbial precipitation of soluble U （VI） as insoluble uraninite（uranium dioxide）.     

大湾铀矿田铀-镭平衡系数及迁移富集特征研究

从分析大湾铀矿田各矿床(点)的铀镭平衡系数变化特征出发,结合放射性同位素比值特征分析铀镭迁移富集行为,指出了各矿床(点)氧化带的深度,以了解各铀矿床(点)潜在的工业价值.     

鄂尔多斯盆地北部底河道砂岩型铀矿地质特征

鄂尔多斯盆地北部直罗组中的铀矿,是典型的产于河道中的砂岩铀矿,该矿床发育较好的卷状矿体。通过对该铀矿地质特征的研究,认识到发育卷状矿体的底河道砂岩型铀矿必须具备两大条件:其一是成矿砂体条件,即砂体要有较好的成层性、连通性和渗透性;其二是地层结构条件,即砂体必须存在较好的上、下隔水岩层。就砂体而言,河流相辫状沉积砂体是形成卷状矿体的主要砂体,并且以具有从辫状河向曲流河完整演化的辫状沉积砂体较好。砂体的上、下隔水岩层则有多种表现形式:下隔水层可由不透水的基岩或湖相沉积泥岩等构成;上隔水层由不透水的湖相泥岩、曲流沉积地层或岩浆岩等构成。在层间氧化作用过程上,存在纵横两个方向的氧化,即存在与河道方向一致的纵向氧化和与河道垂直的横向氧化,两种氧化作用成矿常叠加形成复杂的矿体类型;在矿化赋存的部位上,铀砂体通常发育在基底之上或不同建造之间;在古气候演变上,成矿作用发生在干旱气候条件下,或由潮湿向干旱的气候转变阶段。     

深部找铀及湘南-桂北地区深部找铀潜景分析

概述了国内外深部找矿的研究成果,指出深部找矿是当今发展的趋势。国内外重大矿产的成功发掘,其深度均在千米以上,铀矿化垂向分布深度可达4 km以上。综合介绍了国内外勘查深大矿床的特点和条件,认为岩石-构造条件是深部矿化定位的重要因素,复式岩体、成矿系统的垂向变化、构造地球物理-地球化学异常模型是深部找矿的关键依据。综述了中国南方湘南—桂北地区深部找铀的有利地质构造条件和潜力,成矿流体是该区铀矿化的根源,白垩—第三纪重大地质事件是该区深部铀成矿的重要前提,重大地质事件引发的NE-NNE,NW向深大断裂及断陷盆地是铀矿化赋存的重要场所和勘查靶区。在已知铀矿田、成矿带勘查范围基础上,在该区进行深部探索将会获得重大突破。探讨了湘南—桂北地区深部找铀的勘查思路和方法。     

华东铀资源潜力分析及危机矿山接替资源勘查工作设想

华东地区铀成矿条件良好,铀资源丰富,经过近50年的铀矿勘查,探明了大量的铀资源/储量,目前全国保留的八大铀矿山中华东有三个,每年给国家提交一定量的铀资源。随着我国核电的快速发展,铀资源的需求日趋紧迫,立足铀资源国内的原则必须继续寻找南方硬岩型铀资源。作者在总结调查报告成果的基础上,从全局的高度出发,分析了华东铀资源开采、利用现状及铀资源潜力,在实地考察华东三大铀山铀资源开采、利用情况的基础上,初步分析了资源危机程度,提出了华东铀矿山接替资源勘查工作意见。     

内蒙古东胜砂岩型铀矿后生成矿与油气关系

发育于内蒙古鄂尔多斯盆地北部中侏罗统直罗组辫状河相杂砂岩体内的砂岩型铀矿，有一系列较为特殊的与放射性铀成矿有直接或间接关系的成矿地质现象：绿色化蚀变带、漂白退色化带、二次胶结钙化砂岩团块及钙化砂岩断续层与“钙化木”后生蚀变现象；在与铀矿化和与油气的关系认识上存在一定分歧。初步分析了它们的形成、成因及与铀成矿的关系及其找矿意义。     

台北凹陷中浅储集层孔隙预测及勘探有效下限探讨

在系统研究储层物性控制因素的基础上，分析台北凹陷中浅储集层物性分布规律以及压实程度特征，建立孔隙度一深度趋势法和压实减孔量法预测砂岩孔隙度．认为中侏罗统储层压实减孔量整体比较高，表现出“北高南低，生油凹陷内高、周边低”的特征．结合探井试油资料，确定侏罗系储集层有效下限的孔隙度值为9％，压实减孔量为34％，各构造带侏罗系储层深度有效下限总体上表现出“南深北浅、西深东浅”的特征．指出台北凹陷侏罗系储集层在有效下限以下勘探具有较大风险．     

主砂体及其构造改造样式的盆地产铀远景评价判据

本文在介绍并分析美国和前苏联总结的砂岩型铀矿区域评价判据的基础上, 引入当今碎屑岩沉积学和盆地地球动力学方面的若干新进展, 提出以主砂体及其随后经历的构造改造样式相结合的盆地产铀远景评价判据和以分析区域构造活动史和原型盆地演化相结合的盆地产铀远景评价模式。最后以潮水盆地为例, 具体分析了盆地各个时代盖层容存后生铀矿化的可能性, 指出盆地中的主要找矿目标层位和远景成矿地段。     

滇西龙川江盆地铀矿化特征

龙川江盆地是滇西主要的铀矿赋矿盆地之一,现已探明一批砂岩型铀矿床。本文根据野外地质调查及室内系列编图,运用水成铀矿成矿理论,对龙川江盆地的基本特征及铀矿化特征进行了讨论,认为铀矿床主要分布于西部斜坡带,赋存于冲积扇沉积体系砂体中,且与潜水层间氧化带关系密切。