Investigations on seepage waters of the test site Gessenwiese by TRLFS

The test field “Gessenwiese” was installed on a leaching heap at the former uranium mining area Ronneburg (western Thuringia) for investigations in acid mining drainage and in heavy metals retention, especially uranium (Grawunder A. et al. 2009). The uranium speciation in seepage water of the Gessenwiese was determined by TRLFS. Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) posses some superior features, above all a very high sensitivity for fluorescent heavy metal ions. The predominance of TRLFS compared to other spectroscopic techniques, e.g. XRD and IR was showed in Baumann N. et al. (2008) in analyzing the speciation of U(VI) in a thin layer of an alteration product formed on depleted uranium. TRLFS analyses in seepage water of the Gessenwiese were carried out to compare it in a later stage with the uranium speciation in plants, which grow on that grassland and may take up uranium contaminated water.
Grawunder A. et al. Chem Erde-Geochem. 69 5-19 (2009)
Baumann N. et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42 8266-8269 (2008)