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Related Concept Videos

Isotopes and Radioisotopes01:28

Isotopes and Radioisotopes

In the early 1900s, English chemist Frederick Soddy realized that an element could have atoms with different masses that were chemically indistinguishable. These different types are called isotopes — atoms of the same element that differ in mass. Isotopes differ in mass because they have different numbers of neutrons but are chemically identical because they have the same number of protons. Soddy was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921 for this discovery.
An isotope containing more...

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Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
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Tritium profiles in snowpacks.

D Galeriu1, P Davis, W Workman

  • 1Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, IFIN-HH, P.O. Box MG-6, Bucharest-Magurele, Romania. galdan@ifin.nipne.ro

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
|June 19, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Tritiated water (HTO) in snowpack persists through winter due to slow diffusion. This contamination is released during spring thaw, potentially impacting water, soil, and crops.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Radiochemistry
  • Snow Hydrology

Background:

  • Atmospheric release of tritiated water (HTO) during winter leads to snow contamination.
  • Snowpack HTO persistence is key to understanding post-thaw environmental contamination.
  • Re-emission rates and diffusion control HTO presence in snow.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the diffusion coefficient of HTO in snowpack.
  • To understand HTO persistence and release dynamics from snow.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of monitoring data from Chalk River Laboratories after an acute winter release.
  • Analysis of data from a chronically contaminated area during winter.
  • Estimation of the HTO diffusion coefficient in snow under varying conditions.

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Main Results:

  • The diffusion coefficient of HTO in cold, dry snow is 1-2x10(-10)m(2)s(-1).
  • This rate is significantly lower than diffusion in water but higher than self-diffusion in ice.
  • Higher diffusion rates were observed in warmer conditions and before spring melt.

Conclusions:

  • Low HTO diffusion in cold, dry snow leads to winter-long persistence.
  • Tritium is released during spring thaw, posing a risk to surface water, soil, and crops.
  • Findings align with theoretical predictions and highlight the importance of winter HTO diffusion dynamics.