Uranium concentrations in asparagus

Concentrations of uranium were determined in asparagus collected from eight locations near and ten locations on the Hanford Site southcentral Washington State. Only one location (Sagemoor) had samples with elevated concentrations. The presence of elevated uranium in asparagus at Sagemoor may be explained by the elevated levels in irrigation water. These levels of uranium are comparable to levels previously reported upstream and downstream of the 300-FF-1 Operable Unit on the Hanford Site (0.0008 {mu}g/g), but were below the 0.020-{mu}g/g level reported for brush collected at Sagemoor in a 1982 study. Concentrations at all other onsite and offsite sample locations were considerably lower than concentrations reported immediately upstream and downstream of the 300-FF-1 Operable Unit. Using an earlier analysis of the uranium concentrations in asparagus collected from the Hanford Site constitutes a very small fraction of the US Department of Energy effective dose equivalent limit of 100 mrem

Biological effects of activation products and other chemicals released from fusion power plants

Literature reviews indicate that existing information is incomplete, often contradictory, and of questionable value for the prediction and assessment of ultimate impact from fusion-associated activation products and other chemical releases. It is still uncertain which structural materials will be used in the blanket and first wall of fusion power plants. However, niobium, vanadium, vanadium-chromium alloy, vanadium-titanium alloy, sintered aluminum product, and stainless steel have been suggested. The activation products of principal concern will be the longer-lived isotopes of /sup 26/Al, /sup 49/V, /sup 51/Cr, /sup 54/Mn, /sup 55/Fe, /sup 58/Co, /sup 60/Co, /sup 93/Nb, and /sup 94/Nb. Lithium released to the environment either during the mining cycle, from power plant operation or accident, may be in the form of a number of compound types varying in solubility and affinity for biological organisms. The effects of a severe liquid metal fire or explosion involving Na or K will vary according to inherent abiotic and biotic features of the affected site. Saline, saline-alkaline, and sodic soils of arid lands would be particularly susceptible to alkaline stress. Beryllium released to the environment during the mining cycle or reactor accident situation could be in the form of a number of compound types. Adverse effects to aquatic species from routine chemical releases (biocides, corrosion inhibitors, dissolution products) may occur in the discharge of both fission and fusion power plant designs

The gas-surface interaction of a human-occupied spacecraft with a near-Earth object

AbstractNASA’s asteroid redirect mission (ARM) will feature an encounter of the human-occupied Orion spacecraft with a portion of a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) previously placed in orbit about the Moon by a capture spacecraft. Applying a shuttle analog, we suggest that the Orion spacecraft should have a dominant local water exosphere, and that molecules from this exosphere can adsorb onto the NEA. The amount of adsorbed water is a function of the defect content of the NEA surface, with retention of shuttle-like water levels on the asteroid at 1015 H2O’s/m2 for space weathered regolith at T∼300K

Requirement for tryptophan by milkfish (Chanos chanos Forsskal) juveniles

Groups of milkfish juveniles (mean initial weight 7.7 g) were fed semipurified diets containing 0.9, 1.4, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 6.1 g tryptophan/kg dry diet for 12 weeks. The mean crude protein content of the diets (containing white fishmeal, gelatin and free amino acid mixture to simulate the pattern of hydrolysed milkfish protein) was 49%. On the basis of the growth response, the tryptophan requirement of milkfish juveniles was estimated to be 3.1 g/kg diet. Fish fed low levels of tryptophan exhibited low weight gains and poor feed conversion ratios. Survival (92–100%) was consistently high in all treatments. Fish fed diets containing tryptophan levels greater than 3.1 g/kg had slightly lower survival rates. The activity of hepatic tryptophan pyrrolase showed no significant differences with increasing dietary tryptophan levels. No nutritional deficiency signs were observed other than the depression in growth rates in fish given the tryptophan deficient diets