[ RadSafe ] more on John R. Johnson's opinion of uranium combustion product compounds

[James Salsman]

The World Health Organization disagrees with Dr. Johnson:

"until more information on the chemical form of uranium and DU in
the environment is obtained, it would be prudent to assume that it
is in a soluble form (ICRP Type F)."

-- A. Pfister, "Chapter 8, The Chemical Toxicity of Uranium" in
_Depleted Uranium: Sources, Exposure and Health Effects_ (WHO
Ionizing Radiation Unit, 2001)
http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/pub_meet/en/Depluranium4.pdf

---- original message ----

John R Johnson wrote:

> [Uranium] cannot form a nitrate (ICRP Type F) unless it get into 
> solution with NO(sub3).

Although that could possibly be considered a valid a priori hypothesis
for those unfamiliar with uranium chemistry, it is contrary to both:

A.  the established observation of uranyl ion in an enclosed uranium
burn by B. Salbu, et al.:
   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2004.04.001

B.  the known chemistry of uranium, e.g., quoting Simon Cotton in
_Lanthanides and Actinides_ (New York:  Oxford University Press,
1991) page 126:  "Aerial oxidation of any uranium compound
eventually results in the formation of a uranyl compound."  See
also:  S. P. McGlynn and J. K. Smith, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 6 (1961)
164; R. G. Denning, et al., Mol. Phys., 37 (1979) 1109; W. R. Wadt,
J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 103 (1981) 6053; P. Pyykko et al., Inorg.
Chem., 28 (1989) 1801.

>... a major risk from exposure to soluble uranium is kidney damage, and there
> are many drinking water source with uranium concentrations that will result
> in kidney burdens above those possible from inhaled UNO(sub3).

What is UNO3?  I can find no mention of such compound in Gmelin or
any other uranium reference in the Stanford chemistry library.  Do
you mean to write UO2(NO3)2?

Sincerely,
James Salsman