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Answer to Question #2545 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Alpha Emitters — Uranium The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
Are there any numbers available for the amounts of plutonium,
americium, or other radioactive elements in the depleted uranium used
by the military? It would seem that if the uranium comes from refining
spent fuel rods, that there could be some radioactivity that would
present more of a health risk than the 238U.
A
In the 1970s there was some degree of recycling of spent reactor fuel and the spent fuel did contain transuranic isotopes. Most of these were removed by the chemical processing the fuel underwent prior to returning the uranium to the enrichment cascade, but some was not removed because of the chemical similarity of the actinide elements. You probably recall the "discovery" of plutonium contamination at some of the uranium enrichment facilities a few years ago. That being said, the quantities of transuranics (TRU) in the enrichment stream is fairly small today—most are residual from 30 years ago and, even then, the levels were not very high. Since spent fuel has not been reprocessed since the Carter administration, the transuranics are not being replenished and they are not thought to represent a health problem in the depleted uranium that is produced by uranium enrichment facilities. According to the Department of Energy, the amount of transuranics permitted in recycled reactor fuel was 01.% of uranium alpha activity. Two good sources of information are:
Andrew Karam, CHP, PhD
Answer posted on April 9, 2003. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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