PLUTONIUM, AMERICIUM, AND NEPTUNIUM SPECIATION IN SELECTED GROUNDWATERS

Speciation was determined at 25 and 90 degree C in four groundwaters from diverse sources: the Sparta aquifer in Louisiana, near the Vacherie salt dome; Mansfield No. 2 well in the Palo Duro Basin, Texas; the Stripa mine in Sweden; and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. Neptunium generally was soluble in all waters and was present exclusively as Np(V) and Np(VI), regardless of initial oxidation state. The results indicated that plutonium and neptunium solubilities were determined by the oxidation-reduction properties of the waters, i. e. , their abilities to convert these elements to soluble oxidation states. This was not the case for americium, however; Am(IV) was not detected, and the solubility of this element was determined entirely by the chemical properties of Am(III).