Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8081835 | Journal of Environmental Radioactivity | 2016 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
The presence of uranium, with a bulk mass fraction of about 1.5 wt% and radiolytic alterations are a feature of Cenomanian amber from KÅižany, at the northeastern edge of the North Bohemian Cretaceous uranium ore district. Pores and microcracks in the amber were filled with a mineral admixture, mainly in the form of Zr-Y-REE enriched uraninite. As a result of radiolytic alterations due to the presence of uranium, structural changes were observed in the KÅižany amber in comparison with a reference amber from Nové StraÅ¡ecà in central Bohemia; this was of similar age and botanical origin but did not contain elevated levels of uranium. Structural changes involved an increase in aromaticity due to dehydroaromatization of aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbons, loss of oxygen functional groups, an increase in the degree of polymerization, crosslinking of CC bonds, formation of a three-dimensional hydrocarbon network in the bulk organic matrix, and carbonization of the organic matrix around the uraninite infill.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Nuclear Energy and Engineering
Authors
Martina Havelcová, VladimÃr MachoviÄ, JiÅà Mizera, Ivana Sýkorová, MiloÅ¡ René, Lenka Borecká, Ladislav LapÄák, Olga BiÄáková, OldÅich JaneÄek, ZdenÄk DvoÅák,