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Scientists discover how nanocluster contaminants increase risk of spreading
April 18, 2008For almost half a century, scientists have struggled with plutonium contamination spreading further in groundwater than expected, increasing the risk of sickness in humans and animals.
It was known nanometer sized clusters of plutonium oxide were the culprit, but no one had been able to study its structure or find a way to separate it from the groundwater.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Notre Dame, were able to use high-energy X-rays from the Argonne Advanced Photon Source to finally discover and study the structure of plutonium nanoclusters.
"When plutonium forms into the clusters, its chemistry is completely different and no one has really been able to assess what it is, how to model it or how to separate it Argonne senior chemist Lynda Soderholm said. "People have known about and tried to understand the nanoclusters, but it was the modern analytical techniques and the APS that allowed us understand what it is."
The nanoclusters are made up of exactly 38 plutonium atoms and had almost no charge. Unlike stray plutonium ions, which carry a positive charge, they are not attracted to the electrons in plant life, minerals, etc. which stopped the ions' progression in the ground water.
Models have been based on the free-plutonium model, creating discrepancies between what is expected and reality. Soderholm said that with knowledge of the structure, scientists can now create better models to account for not only free-roaming plutonium ions, but also the nanoclusters.
The clusters also are a problem for plutonium remediation. The free ions are relatively easy to separate out from groundwater, but the clusters are difficult to remove.
"As we learn more, we will be able to model the nanoclusters and figure out how to break them apart," Soderholm said. "Once they are formed, they are very hard to get rid of."
Soderholm said other experiments have shown some clusters with different numbers of plutonium atoms and she plans to examine -- together with her collaborators S. Skanthakumar, Richard Wilson and Peter Burns of Argonne's Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division-- the unique electric and magnetic properties of the clusters.
DOE/Argonne National Laboratory
"When plutonium forms into the clusters, its chemistry is completely different and no one has really been able to assess what it is, how to model it or how to separate it Argonne senior chemist Lynda Soderholm said. "People have known about and tried to understand the nanoclusters, but it was the modern analytical techniques and the APS that allowed us understand what it is."
The nanoclusters are made up of exactly 38 plutonium atoms and had almost no charge. Unlike stray plutonium ions, which carry a positive charge, they are not attracted to the electrons in plant life, minerals, etc. which stopped the ions' progression in the ground water.
Models have been based on the free-plutonium model, creating discrepancies between what is expected and reality. Soderholm said that with knowledge of the structure, scientists can now create better models to account for not only free-roaming plutonium ions, but also the nanoclusters.
The clusters also are a problem for plutonium remediation. The free ions are relatively easy to separate out from groundwater, but the clusters are difficult to remove.
"As we learn more, we will be able to model the nanoclusters and figure out how to break them apart," Soderholm said. "Once they are formed, they are very hard to get rid of."
Soderholm said other experiments have shown some clusters with different numbers of plutonium atoms and she plans to examine -- together with her collaborators S. Skanthakumar, Richard Wilson and Peter Burns of Argonne's Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division-- the unique electric and magnetic properties of the clusters.
DOE/Argonne National Laboratory
Plutonium Current Events and Plutonium News RSSSuperheavy Element 114 Confirmed: A Stepping Stone to the Island of Stability
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been able to confirm the production of the superheavy element 114, ten years after a group in Russia, at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, first claimed to have made it.
Solving a subatomic shell game
Physicists at Michigan Technological University have filled in some longtime blank spaces on the periodic table, calculating electron affinities of the lanthanides, a series of 15 elements known as rare earths.
Sandia aids cleanup of Iraqi nuclear facilities, rad waste
Sandia scientists are helping train Iraqi scientists and technicians to clean up radioactively contaminated sites and safely dispose of the radioactive wastes as part of the Iraqi Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program.
Case Western Reserve University researchers track Chernobyl fallout
When a reactor in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in 1986 in what was then the Soviet republic of Ukraine, radioactive elements were released in the air and dispersed over the Soviet Union, Europe and even eastern portions of North America.
Getting to the Root of the Matter
Like most things that exist underground, plant roots are out-of-sight and easily forgotten, but while flowers, leaves, and other aboveground plant parts are more familiar, plant roots are equally deserving of our appreciation. Beneath every towering tree, tasty crop, and dazzling ornamental lies a root system that makes it all possible. Roots provide anchor and support for plants, extract water and nutrients from soil, and reduce soil erosion.
Exotic Materials Using Neptunium, Plutonium Provide Insight into Superconductivity
Physicists at Rutgers and Columbia universities have gained new insight into the origins of superconductivity - a property of metals where electrical resistance vanishes - by studying exotic chemical compounds that contain neptunium and plutonium.
"Nanominerals" Influence Earth Systems from Ocean to Atmosphere to Biosphere
The ubiquity of tiny particles of minerals--mineral nanoparticles--in oceans and rivers, atmosphere and soils, and in living cells are providing scientists with new ways of understanding Earth's workings. Our planet's physical, chemical, and biological processes are influenced or driven by the properties of these minerals.
LLNL researchers create tool to monitor nuclear reactors
International inspectors may have a new tool in the form of an antineutrino detector, that could help them peer inside a working nuclear reactor.
In Nature, Proteins Sweep up Nanoparticles
Here's a pollution-control tip from nature: Deep inside a flooded mine in Wisconsin, scientists from several institutions including the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have discovered a world in which bacteria emit proteins that sweep up metal nanoparticles into immobile clumps.
A new understanding of crystal structure of actinide metals
Researchers have a better understanding of how the crystal structure of some metals becomes stable through magnetism. Magnetic stabilization of the crystal structures of metals is rare. In some metals, such as manganese, iron, and cobalt, the magnetic interaction energy is large enough to influence the crystal structure.
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Plutonium: A History of the World's Most Dangerous Element by Jeremy Bernstein (Author) When plutonium was first manufactured at Berkeley in the spring of 1941, there was so little of it that it was not visible to the naked eye. It took a year to accumulate enough so that one could actually see it. Now so much has been produced that we don't know what to do to get rid of it. We have created a monster. The history of plutonium is as strange as the element itself. When scientists began looking for it, they did so simply in the spirit of inquiry, not certain whether there were still spots to fill on the periodic table. But the discovery of fission made it clear that this still-hypothetical element would be more than just a scientific curiosity-it could be the main ingredient of a powerful nuclear weapon. As it turned out, it is good for almost nothing else.... |
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Plutonium G Aerosol Colour- Cool Water by Plutonium Plutonium G Aerosol Colours... Outdoor indoor all season color. For metal masonry wood wicker paper plastics and more! Ultimate coverage and durability. 360 degree valve sprays at any angle. Vibrant matte finish color. A lacquer based paint that provides a premium coating that resists dripping chipping cracking and peeling. Smooth durable finish dries to the touch within 3-5 minutes and is UV protected against fading. No primer needed. Covers in one coat when properly applied. A pleasant fragrance masks the odor typical of most aerosol paint. 12 oz (340g) cans. Available in 40 colors! Also available is a packet of replacement nozzles that will give six different spray widths. |
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Plutonium G Aerosol Colour- Manko by Plutonium Plutonium G Aerosol Colours... Outdoor indoor all season color. For metal masonry wood wicker paper plastics and more! Ultimate coverage and durability. 360 degree valve sprays at any angle. Vibrant matte finish color. A lacquer based paint that provides a premium coating that resists dripping chipping cracking and peeling. Smooth durable finish dries to the touch within 3-5 minutes and is UV protected against fading. No primer needed. Covers in one coat when properly applied. A pleasant fragrance masks the odor typical of most aerosol paint. 12 oz (340g) cans. Available in 40 colors! Also available is a packet of replacement nozzles that will give six different spray widths. |
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Plutonium G Aerosol Colour- Vegas by Plutonium Plutonium G Aerosol Colours... Outdoor indoor all season color. For metal masonry wood wicker paper plastics and more! Ultimate coverage and durability. 360 degree valve sprays at any angle. Vibrant matte finish color. A lacquer based paint that provides a premium coating that resists dripping chipping cracking and peeling. Smooth durable finish dries to the touch within 3-5 minutes and is UV protected against fading. No primer needed. Covers in one coat when properly applied. A pleasant fragrance masks the odor typical of most aerosol paint. 12 oz (340g) cans. Available in 40 colors! Also available is a packet of replacement nozzles that will give six different spray widths. |
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USGS Topographic Quadrangle Map - Plutonium Valley, Nevada (Folded/Waterproof) by Offroute Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and land-use professionals, this Offroute map is a waterproof and tear-resistant version of the most recent USGS paper map published for this area. USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps offer very detailed cartography. This map is one of nearly 54,000 maps it takes to cover 49 U.S. states. Each depicts elevations plus natural and man-made features such as; roads, trails and reservoirs. USE THE IMAGES ON THIS PAGE TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS THE MAP YOU NEED. We have provided three images to help you. The primary image is actual map imagery from the center portion of this map. The second image shows the entire area this map covers. The third image shows the searchable names and product codes for adjacent maps. HOW TO SEARCH FOR OTHER MAPS YOU MAY NEED:... |
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UFO-02 Detector by Images SI Inc. Over the years many UFO sightings have reported magnetic and electromagnetic disturbances. The UFO Detector is designed to sense these disturbances and will signal their presence by flashing an LED and beeping. The elegantly designed transparent plastic case is a handsome sculptured conversation piece that's allows one to see the electronics inside the case. Suitable for display on a desk, shelf or bedroom dresser. Size is approximately three inches in dia. by six inches tall. Uses 9V lithium battery (not included) |
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The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War by Eileen Welsome (Author) In a Massachusetts school, seventy-three disabled children were spoon fed radioactive isotopes along with their morning oatmeal....In an upstate New York hospital, an eighteen-year-old woman, believing she was being treated for a pituitary disorder, was injected with plutonium by Manhattan Project doctors....At a Tennessee prenatal clinic, 829 pregnant women were served "vitamin cocktails"--in truth, drinks containing radioactive iron--as part of their prenatal treatmen.... In 1945, the seismic power of atomic energy was already well known to researchers, but the effects of radiation on human beings were not. Fearful that plutonium would cause a cancer epidemic among workers, Manhattan Project doctors embarked on a human experiment that was as chilling as it was closely guarded:... |
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