Internal structure of cesium-bearing radioactive microparticles released from Fukushima nuclear power plant
Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2016 papers
Abstract
Microparticles containing substantial amounts of radiocesium collected from the ground in Fukushima were investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray microanalysis with scanning TEM (STEM). Particles of around 2 μm in diameter are basically silicate glass containing Fe and Zn as transition metals, Cs, Rb and K as alkali ions, and Sn as substantial elements. These elements are homogeneously distributed in the glass except Cs which has a concentration gradient, increasing from center to surface. Nano-sized crystallites such as copper- zinc- and molybdenum sulfide, and silver telluride were found inside the microparticles, which probably resulted from the segregation of the silicate and sulfide (telluride) during molten-stage. An alkali-depleted layer of ca. 0.2 μm thick exists at the outer side of the particle collected from cedar leaves 8 months after the nuclear accident, suggesting gradual leaching of radiocesium from the microparticles in the natural environment.
Related Papers
- → Low osmium solubility in silicate at high pressures and temperatures(2009)34 cited
- → Quantitative Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis of Chlorine in Cement Paste(2015)22 cited
- → Electroinjection analysis. The introduction of a new variant of flow-injection analysis and comparison with electrophoretically-mediated microanalysis(1996)18 cited
- Comparison of cryopreparation techniques for electron probe microanalysis of cells as exemplified by human erythrocytes.(1992)
- → Electroinjection analysis(1997)15 cited