HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Garten, C. T. Articles by Walker, R. L. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Garten, C. T., Jr. Articles by Walker, R. L. Agricola Articles by Garten, C. T. Articles by Walker, R. L.

Comparative Uptake of Uranium, Thorium, and Plutonium by Biota Inhabiting a Contaminated Tennessee Floodplain¹

ABSTRACT

The uptake of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ²³⁹Pu from soil by rescue, grasshoppers, and small mammals was compared at the contaminated White Oak Creek floodplain in East Tennessee. Comparisons of actinide uptake were based on analyses of radionuclide ratios (U/Pu and Th/Pu) in soil and biota. U:Pu ratios in small mammal carcasses (shrews, mice, and rats) and bone samples from larger mammals (rabbit, woodchuck, opossum, and raccoon) were significantly greater (P ±0.05) than U/Pu ratios in soil (based on 8M HNO₃ extractable). There was no significant difference between Th/Pu ratios in animals and soil. The order of actinide accumulation by biota from the site relative to contaminated soil was U > Th Pu.

Key Words: actinide • ecosystem contamination

¹ Research sponsored by the Off. of Health and Environ. Res., U.S. Department of Energy, under contract W-7405-eng-26 with Union Carbide Corp. Publ. no. 1606, Environ. Sci. Div., Oak Ridge Nat. Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN 37830.

² Research Associate, Research Staff Member, and Research Group Leader, respectively, first two in Environ. Sci. Div. and third in Anal. Chem. Div.

Received for publication April 11, 1980.