Stratégie de surveillance d'un site susceptible d'être contaminé par de l'uranium appauvri

An experiment made in the laboratory shows that depleted uranium is solubilized while migrating downwards from the soil surface and drinking water contamination is thus possible after a few years. A regular measurement of gross alpha activity index in water in terms of uranium 238 or plutonium 239 equivalents constitutes another good indicator for the surveillance of water pollution. This article describes a simple protocol to determine the self-absorption alpha particle factor f, which is indispensable to calculate alpha activity in water.