Characteristics of Migration of 85Sr and 137Cs in Alkaline Solution Through Sandy Soil

Abstract

ABSTRACTCharacteristics of the migration of 85Sr and 137cs in a solution of pH 12 through coastal sandy soil have been investigated by both column and batch tests. Desorption behaviors of the 85Sr and 137Cs by the sandy soil in both column and batch tests were examined by sequential extraction techniques, in order to study difference in the adsorption behavior of the 85Sr and 137Cs under dynamic (column) and static (batch) conditions. The dominant components of the sandy soil to the adsorption of the 85Sr ancj 137Cs were tested in batch tests.The adsorption of the 85Sr by the sandy soil was a function of pH, while that of the 137Cs was independent of pH of the solution. Most of the 85Sr was reversively adsorbed with the sandy soil under both static and dynamic conditions. Approximately 85 percent of the 137Cs was irreversibly sorbed by the sandy soil in the column test, which was greater than that in the batch test. The desorption behaviors of the 137Cs adsorbed by kaolinite and by sericite resembled that of the sandy soil. Most of the 85Sr was reversively adsorbed by kaolinite, chlorite, sericite, FeOOH, Ti02 and Mn02 which is similar to the desorption behavior of 85Sr by the sandy soil. The distribution coefficients of the 85Sr for kaolinite, FeOOH, Mn02 and Ti02 were larger by several times than those for the chlorite and the sericite.Therefore, the dominant components of the sandy soil contributing to the adsorption of 137Cs would be sericite, and those of 85Sr would be kaolinite, FeOOH, Ti02 and Mn02.