Radionuclide sorption studies of Co, Cs and Sr onto soils from an Australian legacy radioactive waste site

dc.contributor.authorGückel, Ken_AU
dc.contributor.authorComarmond, MJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorPayne, TEen_AU
dc.contributor.authorChong, Een_AU
dc.contributor.authorMokhber-Shahin, Len_AU
dc.date.accessioned2022-12-20T03:37:11Zen_AU
dc.date.available2022-12-20T03:37:11Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2012-10-18en_AU
dc.date.statistics2022-02-02en_AU
dc.description.abstractThis paper discusses results of radionuclide sorption studies on a soil profile taken from a low level radioactive waste site in South Eastern Australia, known as the Little Forest Burial Ground. Low level radioactive waste was buried at this site in a series of shallow trenches in the 1960s, and the site has been the focus of a field study in recent years. Measurable amounts of Co-60, Sr-90, Cs-137 and traces of actinides have been observed at this legacy waste site in some soils, groundwater and vegetation samples taken in close proximity to the disposal area. The sorption of Co, Cs and Sr was studied at four depth intervals from one corehole located near the trenches using radioactive tracers and a batch sorption method. Strong sorption was observed for Cs over the entire pH range studied, whereas the sorption of Co and Sr on the soils was pH dependent with sorption edges between pH 3 and pH 6. Distribution coefficients (Kd values) for Cs sorption were similar for each soil over the entire pH range, with variations of less than one order of magnitude between samples. However, the Kd values for Sr and Co sorption varied over two and three orders of magnitude, respectively, over the pH range studied. The bulk mineralogy of the soils was found to be similar with quartz, kaolinite and interstratified illite/smectite to be the main mineralogical phases with iron oxides and anatase as minor minerals in some soils. The BET surface areas of the bulk samples varied from 27 m2/g to 47 m2/g and no strong correlation of surface area with sorption was observed. The CEC of the bulk samples range between 10 and 24 cmol/kg. The CEC of the clay fractions were significantly higher, ranging from 21 to 34 cmol/kg and 34 to 55 cmol/kg for the < 2 μm and < 0.2 μm fractions, respectively. Further studies to elucidate the role of the various minerals with respect to sorption are in progress in order to assess the key site characteristics governing contaminant release and transport.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationGückel, K., Comarmond, M. J., Payne, T. E., Chong, E., & Mokhber-Shahin, L. (2012). Radionuclide sorption studies of Co, Cs and Sr onto soils from an Australian legacy radioactive waste site. Presentation to the 12th South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association Conference (SPERA 2012), Sydney, Australia, 16 October – 19 October 2012. Lucas Heights, NSW: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, (pp. 42).en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate19 October 2012en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencename12th South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association Conference (SPERA 2012)en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceSydney, Australiaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate16 October 2012en_AU
dc.identifier.pagination42en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/14214en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherSouth Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Associationen_AU
dc.subjectRadioactivityen_AU
dc.subjectSorptionen_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.subjectANSTOen_AU
dc.subjectRadioactive wastesen_AU
dc.subjectNew South Walesen_AU
dc.subjectSamplingen_AU
dc.subjectGround disposalen_AU
dc.subjectCesiumen_AU
dc.subjectCobalten_AU
dc.subjectStrontiumen_AU
dc.subjectGround wateren_AU
dc.subjectPlantsen_AU
dc.subjectSoilsen_AU
dc.titleRadionuclide sorption studies of Co, Cs and Sr onto soils from an Australian legacy radioactive waste siteen_AU
dc.typeConference Abstracten_AU
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