在含贫铀(U)和th(Th)的碳酸盐岩风化和成岩作用期间,U和Th呈现强浸出(特别是U)和显著的残留富集的特征,原因尚不清楚。在本文中,选取了中国西南贵州岩溶地区白云岩发育的风化剖面,表现为基岩(Y)的分区特征,粉状岩石(Yf),和土层(T1至T12)从下到上。通过测定Y和风化剖面中U和Th的赋存形态,结合矿物学,地球化学特征,和元素质量平衡计算,揭示了U和Th形态对碳酸盐岩风化过程中U和Th地球化学行为的制约。结果表明,Y中的U和Th优先存在于酸不溶相中,例如,Y中U和Th的含量分别为0.90mg·kg-1和0.28mg·kg-1,酸不溶性物质分别为2.34mg·kg-1和2.57mg·kg-1,但是由于酸不溶性物质的质量百分比极低(0.95%),酸溶相中U和Th在全岩中的质量百分比绝对优越(96%的U和86%的Th)。Y酸溶相中的U和Th主要吸附在碳酸盐矿物的晶面或存在于水泥中,而碳酸盐晶格中的U和Th只占很小的比例。从Y到Yf,初始溶解,从碳酸盐矿物和水泥表面释放的U和Th处于富含碳酸盐的碱性环境中,U和Th的这些部分被浸出,导致Yf中U和Th的强烈损失(损失率为U的83%和Th的65%,分别)。从Yf到上覆土层T1,碳酸盐组分完全溶解,从碳酸盐晶格释放的U和Th表现出不同的行为,其中U被完全浸出,Th倾向于留在风化残渣中。因此,在由Y或Yf形成的土壤层T1中,剩余U是Y的酸不溶相中U的遗传;对于Th,它不仅继承了Y的酸不溶相,但也叠加了Y中碳酸盐晶格的Th。另一方面,在从Y到Yf和土层T1的演化过程中,随着碳酸盐的溶解,酸不溶相也表现出明显的化学风化趋势。然而,Y酸不溶相中的U和Th没有随着酸不溶相的分解而浸出,而是在残留相中重新分布。对于U和Th在土壤剖面(T1~T12)演化中的地球化学行为,它们经历了T1中U和Th的赋存形态以及U和Th赋存形态随土壤剖面向上的变化。从载体矿物中释放的U和Th主要在残留的固相之间重新分布。这削弱了他们进一步损失的强度。该研究加深了对岩溶环境中放射性核素地球化学行为的认识,为岩溶地区放射性污染治理提供参考。
During weathering and pedogenesis of carbonate rock with poor-uranium (U) and
thorium (Th), U and Th present the characteristics of strong leaching (especially U) and significant residual enrichment, the cause of which is still unclear. In this paper, a weathering profile developed by dolomite in karst area of Guizhou province in southwest
China was selected, which showed zonation characteristics of bedrock (Y), powdery rock (Yf), and soil layer (T1 to T12) from the bottom to up. Through the determination of the occurrence speciation of U and Th in Y and weathering profile, combined with mineralogical, geochemical characteristics, and element mass balance calculation, the constraints of U and Th speciation on the geochemical behavior of U and Th during the weathering of carbonate rock were revealed. The results proved that U and Th in Y preferentially existed in acid insoluble phase, for example, the contents of U and Th in Y were 0.90 mg·kg-1 and 0.28 mg·kg-1, respectively, while those in acid insoluble matter were 2.34 mg·kg-1 and 2.57 mg·kg-1, respectively, but because the mass percentage of acid insoluble matter was extremely low (0.95%), the mass percentages of U and Th in the acid soluble phase in the whole rock were absolutely superior (96% of U and 86% Th). The U and Th in the acid soluble phase of Y were mainly adsorbed on the crystal surface of carbonate minerals or existed in the cement, and the U and Th in the carbonate lattice only accounted for a small proportion. From Y to Yf with the initial dissolution, U and Th released from the surface of carbonate minerals and cements were in carbonate-rich alkaline environment, and these portions of U and Th were leached out, resulting in strong loss of U and Th in the Yf (the loss rates are 83% of U and 65% of Th, respectively). From the Yf to the overlying soil layer T1, the carbonate components were completely dissolved, and the U and Th released from the carbonate lattice showed different behaviors, where U was completely leached and Th tended to stay in the weathered residue. Thus, in the soil layer T1 formed by Y or Yf , the residual U was the inheritance of the U in the acid insoluble phase of Y; For Th, it not only inherited the Th of acid insoluble phase of Y, but also superimposed the Th from carbonate lattice in Y. On the other hand, during the evolution process from Y to Yf and to soil layer T1, with the dissolution of carbonate, the acid insoluble phase also showed a significant tendency of chemical weathering. However, the U and Th in the Y acid insoluble phase were not leached with the decomposition of the acid insoluble phase but were redistributed among the residual phases. For the geochemical behaviors of U and Th in the evolution of soil profile (T1~T12), they were subjected to the occurrence speciation of U and Th in T1 and the change of U and Th occurrence speciation with the upward direction of soil profile. The U and Th released from the carrier minerals were mainly redistributed among the residual solid phases, which weakened the intensity of their further loss. This study deepens the understanding of the geochemical behavior of radionuclides in karst environment and provides reference for the treatment of radioactive pollution in karst areas.