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Uranium‐contaminated soils: Ultramicrotomy and electron beam analysis
Author(s) -
Buck Edgar C.,
Dietz Nancy L.,
Bates John K.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.1070310208
Subject(s) - uranium , uraninite , soil water , transmission electron microscopy , contamination , environmental chemistry , mineralogy , scanning electron microscope , radiochemistry , environmental remediation , materials science , environmental science , chemistry , soil science , metallurgy , nanotechnology , composite material , ecology , biology
Uranium‐contaminated soils from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fernald Site, Ohio, have been examined by a combination of backscattered electron imaging (BSE) and analytical electron microscopy with electron diffraction (AEM). The inhomogeneous distribution of particulate uranium phases in the soil required the development of a method for using ultramicrotomy to prepare transmission electron microscopy (TEM) thin sections from the SEM mounts. A water‐miscible resin was selected that allowed comparison between SEM and TEM images, permitting representative sampling of the soil. Uranium was found in iron oxides, silicates (soddyite), phosphates (autunites), and uraninite (UO 2+x ). No uranium was detected in association with phyllosilicates in the soil. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.