New Publication on Uranium Mobility

A field tracer study was just published in the Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, titled, “Elucidating mobilization mechanisms of uranium during recharge of river water to contaminated groundwater“.  This publication was based on the master’s thesis of Kendyl Hoss (link to the Hoss thesis HERE).  This publication demonstrated that solid-phase uranium, in equilibrium with aqueous-phase uranium, may not be readily mobilized when recharged with uranium-free water, i.e., concentration-dependent uranium desorption and/or dissolution may be a very slow process; this has implications on the time it may take for uranium to flush from a contaminated site.

Pre-test isoconcentration profile map of uranium (mg/kg) on aquifer sediments (5% nitric acid leached) above and below baseflow water table (≈ 4.5 ft bgs, ≈ 1.4 m bgs) along A to A’ transect (Fig. 4), bgs = below ground surface, distance from A to A’ is 20 ft (6.1 m), depth is 13 ft (4.0 m).