Dissolution characteristics of Pu-contaminated soils and sediments in lung serum simulant solution

Dissolution characteristics of Pu from contaminated Nevada Test Site (NTS) and Rocky Flats (RF) soils, and Mound Laboratory (ML) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) sediments in lung serum simulant solution at 37 degrees C were investigated. The dissolved Pu concentration had reached a maximum within a day of equilibration and the percent dissolved Pu at the maximum was 0.70 (RF), 0.43 (ML), 0.02 (ORNL), and 0.02 (NTS). The Pu concentrations of the RF, ML and ORNL samples in the successively extracted solutions decreased drastically but the concentration in the NTS soil extracts did not change significantly. The differences in Pu dissolution among the samples were caused by the differences in the total Pu concentration, particle size distribution, and chemical nature of Pu in contaminated soils and sediments. The higher solubility of the particulate Pu form in the RF soil relative to the ORNL sediment contaminated by dissolved Pu suggests that contamination source alone can not explain the observed differences. Variation of Pu solubility among the samples indicates that a single solubility class for dose assessment use may not be appropriate, particularly if one attempts to make comparative assessments among different sites.