Field Studies of HT Behaviour in the Environment: 2. The Interaction with Soil

Abstract

An experimental release of a tracer amount of HT was carried out at Chalk River to determine the behavior of HT in the environment. Results confirm that surface soils play the dominant role in converting HT to HTO. Soil HT deposition velocities were between 2.7 × 10-4 and 1.1 × 10-3 m s-1 for an open field of varied composition. and between 3.3 × 10-4 and 1.2 × 10-3 m s-1 for a conifer forest. Soil HTO loss rates(2 wk avg) were 1% h-1, or less. These values are in good agreement with a field experiment of smaller scale carried out a year previously at the same site, and with previous exposure chamber measurements in the field and laboratory.