Behavior of technetium in soil: Sorption - desorption processes

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5483015

Henrot, J F

An attempt is made to determine if soil bacteria affect TcO{sub 4}{sup {minus}}, and if so, by which mechanism. Sulfate-reducing bacteria efficiently removed Tc from solution and promoted its association with organics. Pertechnetate was not reduced by the same mechanism as dissimilatory sulfate reduction but by a reducing agent released in the growth medium. Technetium associated with bacterial polysaccharides only in the anaerobic cultures. Tc sorption was studied in 2 horizons of an Ultisol:Ap horizon and Bt. Under all experimental conditions, little sorption took place in Bt. In Ap, sorption was rapid and the Tc soil-water equilibrium distribution was primarily a function of the soil water content and microbial activity. A reduction of microbial activity delayed and diminished sorption. As the soil water content increased, Tc sorption augmented. At field capacity, 50% of the Tc was sorbed, whereas under flooded conditions, sorption was complete. As Tc concentration in the soil water increased, the amount of Tc sorbed by Ap at field capacity increased, but the fraction of Tc sorbed decreased. Under flooded conditions, sorption was complete at all concentrations.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5483015
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560162 -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIONS
BACTERIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
DESORPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERTECHNETATES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SORPTION
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM COMPOUNDS
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES