Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:28:57.712Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Adsorption of 137Cs on Montmorillonite and Illite: Effect of Charge Compensating Cation, Ionic Strength, Concentration of Cs, K and Fulvic Acid

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

Siobhán Staunton  and
Muriel Roubaud
Siobhán Staunton
Affiliation:
UFR de Science du Sol, INRA, 2, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex, France
Muriel Roubaud
Affiliation:
UFR de Science du Sol, INRA, 2, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex, France
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A thorough understanding of the capacity of clay minerals to adsorb radiocesium is essential in order to predict the fate of this pollutant in the environment and to interpret routine measurements, such as desorbability. We have investigated the adsorption of radiocesium onto 2 contrasting reference clay minerals in dilute suspensions after a 2-h contact period. The results have been expressed as the distribution coefficient, Kd, or the selectivity coefficient, Kc. The adsorption properties have been studied with respect to various parameters: nature of the charge compensating cation, ionic strength, concentration of Cs, concentration of K and concentration of a soil-extracted fulvic acid.

A Freundlich isotherm has been found to fit experimental data well for levels of adsorbed cesium in the range 10−7 to 1 mol kg−1. Evidence of surface heterogeneity is discussed, but it was not possible to deduce the exchange capacities of the groups of exchange sites with differing affinities for Cs, which are thought to exist in illites. The concentration dependence of adsorption upon montmorillonite is postulated to arise from a modification of the exchange complex with increasing presence of Cs, rather than from heterogeneity of exchange sites. Increasing ionic strength caused a decrease in the relative affinity for a trace amount of cesium on both minerals, although mass action led to a fall in Kd. This is thought to indicate a high covalent interaction between Cs and the clay surface.

Potassium caused a smaller decrease in adsorption than stable Cs, which suggests that neither K nor NH4 plays a decisive role in the immobilization of radiocesium by clay minerals. There was a small decrease in adsorption upon addition of soil organic matter, which may contribute to the poor fixation capacity observed for some soils with a high organic matter content.

Keywords

CesiumIlliteIon ExchangeMontmorilloniteRadiocesiumSelectivitySoil
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , April 1997 , pp. 251 - 260
Copyright
Copyright © 1997, The Clay Minerals Society

References

Barak, P.. 1989. Double layer theory prediction of Al-Ca exchange on clay and soil. J Colloid Interface Sci 133: 479–490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrer, R.M. and Klinowski, J.. 1972. Ion exchange involving several groups of homogeneous sites. J Chem Soc, Faraday Trans I 68: 73–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolt, G.H.. 1979. Soil chemistry B. Physico-chemical models. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. 479 p.Google Scholar
Bolt, G.H., Sumner, M.E. and Kamphorst, A.. 1963. A study of the equilibria between three categories of potassium in an illitic soils. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 27: 294–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bond, W.J.. 1995. On the Rothmund-Kornfeld description of cation exchange. Soil Sci Soc Am J 59: 436–443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brouwer, E., Baeyens, B., Maes, A. and Cremers, A.. 1983. Cesium and rubidium ion equilibria in illite clay. J Phys Chem 87: 1213–1219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bunzl, K. and Schultz, W.. 1985. Distribution coefficients of 137Cs and 85Sr by mixtures of clay and humic material. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 90: 23–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Comans, R.N.J., Haller, M. and de Preter, P.. 1991. Sorption of cesium on illite: Non-equilibrium behaviour and reversibility. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 55: 433–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Comans, R.N.J. and Hockley, D.E.. 1992. Kinetics of cesium sorption on illite. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 56: 1157–1164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Comans, R.N.J., Middelburg, J.J., Zonderhuis, J., Woiyyiez, J.R.W., de Lange, G.J., Das, H.A. and van der Weijden, C.H.. 1989. Mobilization of radiocaesium in pore water of lake sediments. Nature 339: 367–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cornell, R.M.. 1993. Adsorption of cesium on minerals: A review. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 171: 483–500.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coughtrey, P.J. and Thorne, M.C.. 1983. Radionuclide distribution and transport in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, vol 1. Rotterdam: A. A. Balkema Publ. 496 p.Google Scholar
Davison, W., Spezzano, P. and Hilton, J.. 1993. Remobilization of caesium from freshwater sediments. J Environ Radioactivity 19: 109–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Di Toro, D.M., Mahoney, J.D., Kirchgraber, P.R., O'Byrne, A.L., Pasquale, L.R. and Picirille, D.C.. 1986. Effects of nonreversibility, particle concentration, and ionic strength on heavy metal sorption. Environ Sci Technol 20: 55–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eberl, D.D.. 1978. The reaction of montmorillonite to mixed-layer clay: The effect of interlayer alkali and alkaline earth cations. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 42: 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eberl, D.D.. 1980. Alkali cation selectivity and fixation by clay minerals. Clays Clay Miner 28: 161–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, C.H., Alberts, J.J. and Clark, R.A.. 1983. Reversible ion-exchange fixation of cesium-137 leading to mobilization from reservoir sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 47: 1041–1049.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Filipovic-Vincekovic, N., Brecevic, L.j. and Kralj, D.. 1989. Interactions in clay/electrolyte systems. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 130: 155–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Francis, C.W. and Brinkley, F.S.. 1976. Preferential adsorption of 137Cs to micaceous minerals in contaminated freshwater sediment. Nature 260: 511–513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodman, B.A., Cheshire, M.V. and Chadwick, J.. 1991. Characterization of the Fe(III)-fulvic acid reaction by Mössbauer spectroscopy. J Soil Sci 42: 25–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goulding, K.W.T.. 1984. Thermodynamics and potassium exchange in soils and clay minerals. Adv Agron 36: 215–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goulding, K.W.T.. 1987. Potassium fixation and release. In: Methodology in soil-K research. Proc 20th Coll Int Potash Inst. Bern: Int Potash Inst. p 137–154.Google Scholar
Hird, A.B., Rimmer, D.L. and Livens, F.R.. 1995. Total caesium-fixing potentials of acid organic soils. J Environ Radioactivity 26: 103–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hird, A.B., Rimmer, D.L. and Livens, F.R.. 1996. Factors affecting the sorption and fixation of caesium in acid organic soils. Eur J Soil Sci 47: 97–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inoue, A. and Minato, H.. 1979. Ca-K exchange reaction and interstratification in montmorillonite. Clays Clay Miner 27: 393–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirk, G.J.D. and Staunton, S.. 1989. On predicting the fate of radioactive caesium in soil beneath grassland. J Soil Sci 40: 71–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Konishi, M., Yamamoto, K., Yanagi, Y. and Okajima, Y.. 1988. Sorption behavior of caesium, strontium and americium ions on clay materials. J Nucl Sci Technol 25: 929–933.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liang, T.J., Hsu, C.N. and Liou, D.C.. 1993. Modified Freundlich sorption of caesium and strontium on Wyoming bentonite. Appl Radiat Isot 44: 1205–1208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Livens, F.R. and Loveland, P.J.. 1988. The influence of soil properties on the environmental mobility of caesium in Cumbria. Soil Use Manage 4: 69–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lo, K.S.L., Yang, W.F. and Lin, Y.C.. 1992. Effects of organic matter on the specific adsorption of heavy metals by soil. Toxicol Environ Chem 34: 139–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maes, A. and Cremers, A.. 1986. Highly selective ion exchange in clay minerals and zeolites. In: Davies, J.A., Hayes, K.F., editors. Geochemical processes at mineral surfaces. Washington, DC: Am Chem Soc. p 254–295.Google Scholar
Maguire, S., Pulford, I.D., Cook, G.T. and MacKensie, A.B.. 1992. Caesium adsorption-desorption in clay-humic acid systems. J Soil Sci 43: 689–696.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McBride, M.B.. 1979. An interpretation of cation selectivity variations in M+-M+ exchange on clays. Clays Clay Miner 27: 417–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pardue, J.H., De Laune, R.D., Patrick, W.H. and Whitcomb, J.H.. 1989. Effect of redox potential on fixation of 137Cs in lake sediment. Health Phys 57: 781–789.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sawhney, B.L.. 1972. Selective sorption and fixation of cations by clay minerals: A review. Clays Clay Miner 20: 93–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schramm, L.L. and Kwak, J.C.T.. 1982. Influence of exchangeable cation composition on the size and shape of montmorillonite particles in dilute suspension. Clays Clay Miner 30: 40–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sposito, G.. 1984. The surface chemistry of soils. New York: Oxford Univ Pr. 234 p.Google Scholar
Sullivan, P.J.. 1977. The principle of hard and soft acids and bases as applied to exchangeable cation selectivity in soils. Soil Sci 124: 117–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tessier, D. and Pedro, G.. 1987. Mineralogical characterisation of 2: 1 clays in soils: Importance of the clay texture. In: Schultz, L.G., van Olphen, H., Mumpton, F.A., editors. Proc Int Clay Conf 1985; Denver, CO. Bloomington, IN: Clay Miner Soc. p 78–84.Google Scholar
van Bladel, R. and Laudelout, H.. 1967. Apparent irreversibility of ion-exchange reactions in clay suspensions. Soil Sci 104: 134–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verburg, K. and Baveye, P.. 1994. Hysteresis in the binary exchange of cations on 2: 1 clay minerals: A critical review. Clays Clay Miner 42: 207–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wahlberg, J.S. and Fishman, M.J.. 1962. Adsorption of cesium on clay minerals. USGS Bull 1140-A.Google Scholar
Xu, S. and Harsh, J.B.. 1990. Hard and soft acid-base model verified for monvalent cation selectivity. Soil Sci Soc Am J 54: 1596–1601.CrossRefGoogle Scholar