Kazery Joseph A, Yang Rui, Bao Li, Zhang Qinku, James Markiesha, Dasari Shaloam, Guo Fuyu, Nie Jing, Larson Steve L, Ballard John H, Knotek-Smith Heather M, Unz Ron, Tchounwou Paul B, Han Fengxiang X
Department of Environmental Science, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 39217, United States.
Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Science, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 39217, United States.
ACS Earth Space Chem. 2022 May 19;6(5):1321-1330. doi: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00028. Epub 2022 Apr 6.
Armor-penetrating projectiles and fragments of depleted uranium (DU) have been deposited in soils at weapon-tested sites. Soil samples from these military facilities were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to determine U concentrations and transport across an arid ecosystem. Under arid conditions, both vertical transport driven by evaporation (upward) and leaching (downward) and horizontal transport of U driven by surface runoff in the summer were observed. Upward vertical transport was simulated and confirmed under laboratory-controlled conditions, to be leading to the surface due to capillary action via evaporation during alternating wetting and drying conditions. In the field, the 92.8% of U from DU penetrators and fragments remained in the top 5 cm of soil and decreased to background concentrations in less than 20 cm. In locations prone to high amounts of water runoff, U concentrations were reduced significantly after 20 m from the source due to high surface runoff. Uranium was also transported throughout the ecosystem via plant uptake and wild animal consumption between trophic levels, but with limited accumulation in edible portions in plants and animals.
穿甲弹和贫铀（DU）碎片已沉积在武器试验场的土壤中。通过电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法和X射线衍射法对这些军事设施的土壤样本进行分析，以确定铀的浓度以及其在干旱生态系统中的迁移情况。在干旱条件下，观察到了由蒸发（向上）和淋溶（向下）驱动的垂直迁移以及夏季由地表径流驱动的铀的水平迁移。在实验室控制条件下模拟并证实了向上的垂直迁移，即在交替的湿润和干燥条件下，由于蒸发产生的毛细作用导致铀迁移至地表。在野外，来自贫铀穿甲弹和碎片的铀有92.8%留在土壤表层5厘米内，在不到20厘米的深度降至背景浓度。在容易产生大量径流的地区，由于高地表径流，距源20米后铀浓度显著降低。铀还通过植物吸收和不同营养级之间的野生动物食用在整个生态系统中迁移，但在植物和动物的可食用部分积累有限。
