Sorption of {sup 60}Co, {sup 85}Sr, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 237}Np and {sup 241}Am on soil under coexistence of humic acid: Effects of molecular size of humic acid

Book · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:382879

Tanaka, Tadao; Senoo, Muneaki ^[1]

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1. Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Dept. of Environmental Safety Research

Sorption experiments have been performed by a batch method, to study the effects of humic acid of different molecular size on the complexing stability with {sup 60}Co, {sup 85}Sr, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 237}Np and {sup 241}Am, and on the sorption behavior of these radionuclides on a sandy soil. Equilibrium constants K in the sorption of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 237}Np onto the soil were not changed at different concentrations of humic acid since {sup 137}Cs and {sup 237}Np do not interact with humic acid, while those of {sup 60}Co and {sup 241}Am decreased with increasing humic acid concentration due to forming humic complexes. However, the K of {sup 85}Sr was not changed at different humic acid concentrations, despite {sup 85}Sr interacts with humic acid. This contradiction was probably caused from that a main binding of {sup 85}Sr with humic acid is not based on coordination bond but electrostatic force, due to relatively high concentration of non-radioactive strontium. The theoretical sorption model taking account of the interaction of {sup 60}Co and {sup 241}Am with humic acid could well reproduce the values of K for each radionuclide at different concentrations of humic acid. Concentration profiles of the radionuclides in each size fraction of the solution before and after the sorption experiments were examined by ultrafiltration technique. The reduction of concentration of {sup 60}Co in the fraction less than 300,000 of cutoff molecular weight (MW) and that of concentration of {sup 241}Am in the fraction larger than 100,000MW, respectively, by the sorption onto the soil decreased with increasing humic acid concentration. This decrease resulted in the decrease in the K of {sup 60}Co and {sup 241}Am with increasing humic acid concentration.

• OSTI ID: 382879
• Report Number(s): CONF-941075--; ISBN 1-55899-253-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ADSORPTION
AMERICIUM 241
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CESIUM 137
COBALT 60
CONCENTRATION RATIO
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HUMIC ACIDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
NEPTUNIUM 237
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SOILS
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STRONTIUM 85