Vertical Profiles of Natural Uranium Isotopes in Sediment Cores from Kota Kinabalu and Labuan Ports, Malaysia

• Main Authors: Abdul Hafidz Yusoff, Che Abd Rahim Mohamed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thai Society of Higher Eduction Institutes on Environment 2015-07-01
• Series: EnvironmentAsia
• Subjects: uranium; sediment core; total organic matter (TOM); limestone; detrital
• Online Access: http://www.tshe.org/ea/pdf/vol8no2-11.pdf

Sediment cores were collected from Kota Kinabalu and Labuan ports to determine the distribution of natural uranium isotopes, calcium (Ca), aluminium (Al) and total organic matter (TOM). A strong statistical correlation value between 234U/238U and Ca contents were shown at Kota Kinabalu (r2 = 0.811), and Labuan (r2 = 0.833) ports. Good statistical correlation r2 > 0.8 was also obtained between uranium isotopes and TOM at Kota Kinabalu port. Most activity ratio values of 234U/238U found in sediment cores from Kota Kinabalu port were more than 1.0; the major input of uranium at Kota Kinabalu port may be related to the sorptive process of authigenic uranium that occurs in the water column. In this case, the mobile U(VI) was reduced to immobile U(IV) by organic matter and scavenged to the sediment with co-precipitation of organic matter and calcium carbonate. On the other hand, a low activity ratio of 234U/238U (≤ 1) from Labuan was of detrital origin and also showed positive statistical correlation between calcium and aluminium.