Uranium and Nickel Partitioning in a Contaminated Riparian Wetland

Lin, Peng; Boyanov, Maxim I.; O’Loughlin, Edward J.; Xing, Wei; Kemner, Kenneth M.; Seaman, John; Simner, Steven P.; Kaplan, Daniel I.

doi:10.3390/w16070966

Uranium and Nickel Partitioning in a Contaminated Riparian Wetland

Journal Article · Wed Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2024 · Water (Basel)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/w16070966· OSTI ID:2350789

Lin, Peng ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; Xing, Wei ^[1]; Kemner, Kenneth M. ^[3]; Seaman, John ^[1]; Simner, Steven P. ^[4]; Kaplan, Daniel I. ^[1]

Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL)
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria)
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC)

Uranium (U) and nickel (Ni) released 50 years ago have been immobilized in the Tims Branch wetlands located on the Savannah River Site in the United States. Sediments were collected from seven locations to identify the factors responsible for this attenuation. Ni and U contents in the solids were significantly correlated, suggesting that depositional as opposed to chemical processes contributed to their spatial distribution. Based on sequential extractions, 63 ± 16% of the U was partitioned into the organic fraction, whereas Ni was distributed between several sediment fractions. An inverse pH-organic matter (OM) correlation and positive correlations of OM with total U and organic-bound U/Ni suggest that increased OM preservation and binding to the mineral surfaces were likely responsible for Ni- and especially U-sediment retention (Tims Branch pH = 4.84 ± 0.68). EXAFS analysis indicated the predominance of U(VI) coordinated with clay minerals (~65%), together with ~35% coordinated to either OM (in areas with elevated OM levels) or iron oxides. The desorption-Kd coefficients of U (3972 ± 1370 L/kg) and Ni (30 ± 8 L/kg) indicate that dissolved Ni poses a greater long-term risk than dissolved U for migrating downstream. This study suggests that a delicate balance of geochemical properties controls whether wetlands behave as sinks or sources of contaminants.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth & Environmental Systems Science (EESS)

Grant/Contract Number:: EM0005228; AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 2350789

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2468634

Journal Information:: Water (Basel), Vol. 16, Issue 7; ISSN 2073-4441

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Uranium and Nickel Partitioning in a Contaminated Riparian Wetland

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