自然界铀同位素分馏研究进展及展望

    Advances in Research on Uranium Isotope Fraction in Nature and Prospects

    • 摘要: 铀是自然界中天然存在的最重的放射性元素,其在地壳中广泛分布。随着质谱测量铀同位素比的技术精度的提高,人们逐渐认识到自然环境中铀同位素也具有分馏作用。本文主要对近年来有关铀同位素分馏的研究成果进行了综述,介绍了自然界中铀的地球化学行为和铀同位素的分析方法。自然界铀同位素分馏与核体积效应有关,核体积效应导致重铀同位素更倾向于富集在还原物相当中,U(Ⅵ)还原为U(Ⅳ)的δ238U(δ238U为研究样品同位素组成相对于标准物质的千分偏差)变化达到了1.0‰以上。铀同位素组成对氧化-还原环境较敏感的特性揭示了铀在氧化还原交换反应中的同位素分馏机理,形成于不同氧化-还原环境的铀矿床的δ238U存在明显的差异,实验研究表明生物还原作用引起的铀同位素分馏程度更大。因此,铀同位素分馏在反演铀矿成矿环境以及地浸采铀矿山等放射性污染区域的核素迁移转化机理与环境修复的研究中具有重要的示踪作用。最后,提出了铀同位素分馏研究进一步的发展方向,以及在地浸采铀矿山地下水环境修复和其它地球科学领域的应用前景。

       

      Abstract: Uranium is the heaviest naturally occurring radioactive element in nature, and it is widely distributed in the earth’s crust. With the improvement of the technical accuracy of mass spectrometry to measure uranium isotope ratios, it is gradually recognized that uranium isotopes in the natural environment also have fractionation effects. In this paper, the recent research results on uranium isotope fractionation is reviewed and the geochemical behavior of uranium in nature and the analytical methods of uranium isotopes is introduced. The natural uranium isotope fractionation is related to the nuclear volume effect, which leads to a greater tendency for heavy uranium isotopes to be enriched in the reductant equivalent, and the δ238U of U(Ⅵ) reduction to U(Ⅳ) reaches 1.0‰. The isotopic fractionation mechanism of uranium in redox exchange reactions is revealed by the sensitivity of uranium isotopes to the oxidation-reduction environment, and it is found that δ238U is significantly isotopically fractionated between deposits formed in different oxidation-reduction environments, and moreover, it is shown that the bioreduction-induced isotopic fractionation of uranium is greater. Therefore, uranium isotope fractionation has an important tracer role in the inversion of uranium ore formation environment and the study of radioactive environmental chemistry and environmental remediation in the in-situ leaching of uranium mining. Finally, how to better address the environmental remediation of groundwater in the  in-situ leaching of uranium mining is suggested, thus promoting the research and application of uranium isotope systems in the field of earth sciences.

       

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