Radioactive decay reduction potentials

The formal reduction potentials of actinide ions in aqueous solution are given in Table 28-6, from which it is clear that the electropositive character of the metals increases with increasing Z and that the stability of the higher oxidation states decreases. A comparison of various actinide ions is given in Table 28-7. It must be noted also that, for comparatively short-lived isotopes decaying by a-emission or spontaneous fission, heating and chemical effects due to the high level of radioactivity occur in both solids and aqueous solu-... 

The transformation of toxic substances in soil can have a profound effect on their potential for transport and accumulation at different soil depths. The rate of transformation processes impact the effective penetration depth of contaminants in soil, which in turn determines the length scale needed to define the soil compartment dimensions in mass transfer models. Transformation processes in soil include chemical conversions such as photolysis, hydrolysis, and oxidation/reduction biological processes such as microbial transformations and physical processes such as radioactive decay. 

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