The oxidation state distribution of plutonium in seawater, pore water from marine sediments, and a series of model solutions similar to seawater was measured using a TTA solvent extraction technique and alpha liquid scintillation counting methods. Electromigration was used to compare migration behavior of americium in 0.7M NaCl solutions (pH 6.5 to 8.0) with the behavior calculated from predicted speciation. / In all pH 8 solutions studied, Pu(VI) was rapidly reduced to Pu(V). In 0.7M NaCl, pH 8.0, and artificial seawater (no organics), the Pu(V) formed was stable. In real seawater (with organic components), a rapid reduction of Pu(VI) to Pu(IV) was also observed. The Pu(V) formed in seawater was metastable; a very slow reduction to Pu(IV) occurred. This reduction was catalyzed by light. / Humic acid (obtained from marine sediments from the Bahama Islands), was added to 0.7M NaCl, pH 8.0 solutions to determine its effect on Pu redox reactions. The effect was similar to the reductions in seawater. Increasing the humic acid concentration decreased the amount of Pu(V) which was formed and favored the IV state. / The americium electromigration experiments showed a +0.12 net charge for the Am complexes formed in 0.7M NaCl solutions from pH 7.0 to 8.0. This value was smaller than the charge of +0.94 calculated from predicted speciation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-02, Section: B, page: 0547. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75283 |
| Contributors | ROBERTS, RICHARD ALLEN., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 89 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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