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Extractability of ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴²Cm From a Contaminated Soil as a Function of pH and Certain Soil Components: HNO₃-NaOH System¹

ABSTRACT

Extractability of ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴²Cm from a contaminated soil as a function of pH and certain soil components has been examined. This was done with an equilibrium batch technique using HNO₃-NaOH extracting system. The influence of various soil components on ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴²Cm extractability was determined indirectly by selectively removing them from the soil. Soil organic matter, free iron oxides, and free silica, alumina, and amorphous alumino-silicates influenced the chemical extractability of ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴²Cm. The influence of these soil components depended on the pH of the soil suspension. Below pH 4.5, ²³⁸Pu appeared to be more strongly sorbed on the mineral fraction of the soil than ²⁴²Cm, but above pH 4.5, both were strongly sorbed on the mineral fraction. With the contaminated virgin soil, the ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴²Cm extractability ranged from 4.82 to 53.05% and 0.15 to 64.58% of dose, respectively, depending on the pH of the extracting solution. The liquid to solid K'_d values ranged from 4.1 x 10^–3 to 9.1 x 10^–2 and 1.2 x 10^–4 to 1.5 x 10 for ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴²Cm, respectively. The lowest extractability occurred around pH 7.1 for ²³⁸Pu and in the range of pH 4.7 to 5.6 for ²⁴²Cm.

¹ Contribution of Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology, Univ. of Calif., Los Angeles, Ca 90024. These studies were supported by Contract EY-76-C-03-0012 between the U. S. Energy Res. and Dev. Administration and the Univ. of Calif., Los Angeles, CA.

² Research Soil Scientist and Research Associates, respectively.

Received for publication January 19, 1977. Accepted for publication August 19, 1977.