Developing Analytical Capability and Knowledge of Uranium and Neptunium Behaviour in the Environment ? Exploitation of the I20 Facility atDIAMOND

Beamtime at the Core-EXAFS beamline (B18) and the low level XAS beamline (I20) at Diamond Light Source, funded through Diamond Light Source.

Abstract of beamtime proposal:
Here, we aim to utilise the new capabilities available on I20 to conduct analyses of low levels of the actinide elements uranium and neptunium in environmentally relevant samples. Several key scientific drivers provide impetuous to explore ultradilute spectroscopy on I20: (i) we have encountered toxicity issues with uranium in biogeochemical systems relevant to contaminated land and the long term fate of radionuclides; and (ii) we are working with the transuranic element neptunium and have been accessing XAS via the BIGRAD Consortium at the INE-KIT-ANKA beamline, where adequate detection / data quality in some of our environmental matrices has proved challenging. Experimental systems examined here include U redoxcycling in Fe and P rich Sellafield systems; U behaviour in pure-culture systems; and Np behaviour in Fe bio-mineral and abiotic Fe mineral systems.