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Title: Experimental Determination of Contaminant Metal Mobility as a Function of Temperature, Time and Solution Chemistry

Conference ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/828097· OSTI ID:15013434

During the FY96-FY99 funding cycle we examined the uptake of aqueous strontium onto goethite, kaolinite, and amorphous silica surfaces as a function of pH, total strontium, and temperature. Our overall goal was to produce a mechanistic sorption model that can be used in reaction-transport calculations to predict the mobility and attenuation of radioactive strontium ({sup 90}Sr)in the environment. Our approach was to combine structural information derived from EXAFS analysis together with macroscopic uptake data and surface complexation models to clarify the physical and chemical structure of sorbed complexes. We chose to study these solids because of the prevalence of clays and iron hydroxides in natural systems, and because silica colloids probably form beneath leaking tanks at Hanford as caustic waste is neutralized. We have published the spectroscopic work in two papers in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science [1, 2], and will soon submit at third manuscript to Geochemical Transactions [3] combining the sorption and spectroscopic data with a mechanistic complexation model. Early in the study we learned that strontium sorption was independent of temperature (25 to 80 C). All subsequent work was conducted at room temperature.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
15013434
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-138080; TRN: US200601%%397
Resource Relation:
Conference: Environmental Management Science Program National Workshop, Atlanta, GA, Apr 24 - Apr 27, 2000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English