Importance of humidity for characterization and communication of dangerous heatwave conditions.

Heatwaves are one of the leading causes of climate-induced mortality. Using the examples of recent heatwaves in Europe, the United States and Asia, we illustrate how the communication of dangerous conditions based on temperature maps alone can lead to insufficient societal perception of health risks. Comparison of maximum daily values of temperature with physiological heat stress indices accounting for impacts of both temperature and humidity, illustrates substantial differences in geographical extent and timing of their respective peak values during these recent events.

Plutonium mobilization from contaminated estuarine sediments, Esk Estuary (UK).

Since 1952, liquid radioactive effluent containingPu, Am, Np, Cs, and Tc has been released with authorization from the Sellafield nuclear complex (UK) into the Irish Sea. This represents the largest source of plutonium (Pu) discharged in all western Europe, with 276 kg having been released. In the Eastern Irish Sea, the majority of the transuranic activity has settled into an area of sediments (Mudpatch) located off the Cumbrian coast.

Influence of Uranium Concentration and pH on U-Phosphate Biomineralization by OR37.

Uranium contamination of soils and groundwater in the United States represents a significant health risk and will require multiple remediation approaches. Microbial phosphatase activity coupled to the addition of an organic P source has recently been studied as a remediation strategy that provides an extended release of inorganic P (Pi) into U-contaminated sites, resulting in the precipitation of -autunite minerals. Previous laboratory- and field-based biomineralization studies have investigated environments with relatively high U concentrations (>20 μM).

Hydrothermal Alteration of Nuclear Melt Glass, Colloid Formation, and Plutonium Mobilization at the Nevada National Security Site, U.S.A.

Approximately 2.8 t of plutonium (Pu) has been deposited in the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) subsurface as a result of underground nuclear testing. Most of this Pu is sequestered in nuclear melt glass.

Cesium sorption reversibility and kinetics on illite, montmorillonite, and kaolinite.

Understanding sorption and desorption processes is essential to predicting the mobility of radionuclides in the environment. We investigate adsorption/desorption of cesium in both binary (Cs+one mineral) and ternary (Cs+two minerals) experiments to study component additivity and sorption reversibility over long time periods (500days). Binary Cs sorption experiments were performed with illite, montmorillonite, and kaolinite in a 5mM NaCl/0.

Plutonium(IV) and (V) Sorption to Goethite at Sub-Femtomolar to Micromolar Concentrations: Redox Transformations and Surface Precipitation.

Pu(IV) and Pu(V) sorption to goethite was investigated over a concentration range of 10(-15)-10(-5) M at pH 8. Experiments with initial Pu concentrations of 10(-15) - 10(-8) M produced linear Pu sorption isotherms, demonstrating that Pu sorption to goethite is not concentration-dependent across this concentration range. Equivalent Pu(IV) and Pu(V) sorption Kd values obtained at 1 and 2-week sampling time points indicated that Pu(V) is rapidly reduced to Pu(IV) on the goethite surface.

Effect of fulvic acid surface coatings on plutonium sorption and desorption kinetics on goethite.

The rates and extent of plutonium (Pu) sorption and desorption onto mineral surfaces are important parameters for predicting Pu mobility in subsurface environments. The presence of natural organic matter, such as fulvic acid (FA), may influence these parameters. We investigated the effects of FA on Pu(IV) sorption/desorption onto goethite in two scenarios: when FA was (1) initially present in solution or (2) found as organic coatings on the mineral surface.

Plutonium sorption and desorption behavior on bentonite.

Understanding plutonium (Pu) sorption to, and desorption from, mineral phases is key to understanding its subsurface transport. In this work we study Pu(IV) sorption to industrial grade FEBEX bentonite over the concentration range 10(-7)-10(-16) M to determine if sorption at typical environmental concentrations (≤10(-12) M) is the same as sorption at Pu concentrations used in most laboratory experiments (10(-7)-10(-11) M). Pu(IV) sorption was broadly linear over the 10(-7)-10(-16) M concentration range during the 120 d experimental period; however, it took up to 100 d to reach sorption equilibrium.

Plutonium desorption from mineral surfaces at environmental concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.

Knowledge of Pu adsorption and desorption behavior on mineral surfaces is crucial for understanding its environmental mobility. Here we demonstrate that environmental concentrations of H2O2 can affect the stability of Pu adsorbed to goethite, montmorillonite, and quartz across a wide range of pH values. In batch experiments where Pu(IV) was adsorbed to goethite for 21 days at pH 4, 6, and 8, the addition of 5-500 μM H2O2 resulted in significant Pu desorption.

Pu(V) and Pu(IV) sorption to montmorillonite.

Plutonium (Pu) adsorption to and desorption from mineral phases plays a key role in controlling the environmental mobility of Pu. Here we assess whether the adsorption behavior of Pu at concentrations used in typical laboratory studies (≥10(-10) [Pu] ≤ 10(-6) M) are representative of adsorption behavior at concentrations measured in natural subsurface waters (generally <10(-12) M). Pu(V) sorption to Na-montmorillonite was examined over a wide range of initial Pu concentrations (10(-6)-10(-16) M).

Geomicrobiological redox cycling of the transuranic element neptunium.

Microbial processes can affect the environmental behavior of redox sensitive radionuclides, and understanding these reactions is essential for the safe management of radioactive wastes. Neptunium, an alpha-emitting transuranic element, is of particular importance because of its long half-life, high radiotoxicity, and relatively high solubility as Np(V)O(2)(+) under oxic conditions. Here, we describe experiments to explore the biogeochemistry of Np where Np(V) was added to oxic sediment microcosms with indigenous microorganisms and anaerobically incubated.

The behaviour of technetium during microbial reduction in amended soils from Dounreay, UK.

Radioactive technetium-99 forms during nuclear fission and has been found as a contaminant at sites where nuclear wastes have been processed or stored. Here we describe results from microcosm experiments containing soil samples representative of the UKAEA site at Dounreay to examine the effect of varying solution chemistry on the fate of technetium during microbial reduction. Analysis of a suite of stable element redox indicators demonstrated that microbial activity occurred in a range of microcosm experiments including unamended Dounreay sediments, carbonate buffered sediments, and microcosms amended with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) a complexing ligand used in nuclear fuel cycle operations.