Behavior of plutonium in various oxidation states in aqueous solutions: I. Behavior of polymeric Pu(IV) and of Pu(VI) at 10−5–10−8 M concentrations in solutions with pH ∼8

Abstract

Polymeric Pu(IV) at concentrations from 10−5 to 10−8 M in solutions with pH ∼8, i.e., under the conditions close to those in natural waters, does not disproportionate, and its polymeric species are stable. If Pu(VI) is present in solution under these conditions simultaneously with polymeric Pu(IV), it is incorporated in polymeric Pu(IV) species. Without polymeric Pu(IV), Pu(VI) under similar conditions undergoes hydrolysis to form intrinsic polymeric species in solution.