Sources and conservative mixing of uranium in the Taiwan Strait

CEN Rongrong; LIU Yanna; XING Na; CHEN Min; CHENG Hua; CAI Yihua

doi:10.1007/s13131-017-0985-3

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Article Navigation > Acta Oceanologica Sinica > 2017 > 36(3): 72-81

CEN Rongrong, LIU Yanna, XING Na, CHEN Min, CHENG Hua, CAI Yihua. Sources and conservative mixing of uranium in the Taiwan Strait[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2017, 36(3): 72-81. doi: 10.1007/s13131-017-0985-3

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CEN Rongrong, LIU Yanna, XING Na, CHEN Min, CHENG Hua, CAI Yihua. Sources and conservative mixing of uranium in the Taiwan Strait[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2017, 36(3): 72-81. doi: 10.1007/s13131-017-0985-3

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Sources and conservative mixing of uranium in the Taiwan Strait

doi: 10.1007/s13131-017-0985-3

1.
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China;Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
2.
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
3.
Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China

Received Date: 2016-10-27
Rev Recd Date: 2016-12-02

Abstract

Abstract

Seawater samples are collected in the spring of 2013 from the Taiwan Strait for the analysis of uranium (U) concentrations and isotopic compositions using MC-ICP-MS, and the geochemical behavior patterns of U in the Taiwan Strait are then investigated. Average concentrations of individual U isotopes are (3.23±0.14) μg/kg for ²³⁸U, (2.34±0.09)×10^-2 μg/kg for ²³⁵U and (2.05±0.07)×10^-4 μg/kg for ²³⁴U. Correspondingly, the U isotopic compositions are 155±18 for δ²³⁴U and 138±2 for ²³⁸U:²³⁵U. The U concentrations and isotopic ratios in the Taiwan Strait are similar to those of open ocean seawater, suggesting the dominance of the open ocean input to the strait's U pool. However, river input, as suggested by the slightly lower salinity than that of the open ocean, also affected the U concentrations and isotopic compositions in the strait. From a compilation of U concentrations in the Taiwan Strait and adjacent areas, including the Jiulong Estuary and Zhujiang Estuary, the Xiamen Bay and the northern South China Sea, a strong and significant relationship between U concentration and salinity[U:S; U=(0.093 4±0.002 4)S+(0.092 0±0.061 5)] is revealed, suggesting conservative mixing of U in the Taiwan Strait. To better understand the U geochemistry in the Taiwan Strait, a multiple endmembers mixing model is applied to estimate the contributions of potential sources. The open ocean seawater contributed 69%-95% of U in the Taiwan Strait, with river water approximately 2%, and dust deposition only around 0.13%. Therefore, the model results supported the open ocean input source and the conservative mixing behavior of U derived from the observation of U concentrations and isotopic ratios and U:S ratios. The sediment interstitial water may be an important source of U to the Taiwan Strait with a possible contribution of 3%-29%, consistent with previous investigations based on radium isotopes. However, further investigations are warranted to examine the U concentration in the sediment interstitial water and its input to the overlying seawater in the Taiwan Strait.
- conservative mixing,
- uranium,
- seawater,
- Taiwan Strait

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References(61)

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