Formation of Organic Tellurides and Organic Iodides Together Under Gamma Radiation

Journal article, 2026

Tellurium is a volatile fission product and a considerable danger in case of a nuclear accident. It has a branch of organic chemistry that is a relatively unexplored part of its accident chemistry. Irradiation of an aqueous solution containing tellurium and organics can give rise to organic tellurides, which are highly volatile species and therefore represent a potential component of the tellurium source term. Iodine behaves similarly and has a well-established interaction with organic species in accidents. In this paper, the formation of organic iodides and tellurides is investigated using various organic species for precursors: acetaldehyde, methyl isobutyl ketone, Texanol ester, and solid flakes of paint representative of what is used in nuclear containments. The results imply that, while both organic tellurides and iodides can form, the presence of iodide serves to suppress the formation of tellurides. Considering this, it appears unlikely that organic tellurides are a practical concern in nuclear accidents, with the possible exception of very early in the accident sequence, when the fission yields of the fuel result in much more tellurium being present than iodine.