Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Retention of Am(III) by montmorillonite: effect of sulphate

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The predominant mineral, montmorillonite, in smectite-rich clays, the most promising buffer & backfill, controls their sorption characteristics towards radionuclides. The role of sulphate on Am(III) sorption by Na-montmorillonite has been investigated. The influence of pH, ionic strength & \({\text{[SO}}_{{4}}^{{2 - }} {]}\) on Am(III) sorption by Na-montmorillonite has been studied. The contribution of Am(III) hydroxo complexes in aqueous speciation is ~ 50% at pH 7.5 while that of Eu(III) hydroxo complexes is ~ 10%. In contrast to Eu(III), Am(III) sorption could be modeled by either ≡SOAmOH+ or ≡SOAmCO3. Log K for Am(III) ion exchange & ≡SOAmCO3 is less than that for similar Eu(III) species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schwyn B, Wersin P, Ruedi J, Schneider J, Altmann S, Missana T, Noseck U (2012) FUNMIG integrated project results and conclusions from a safety case perspective. Appl Geochem 27:501–515

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Missana T, Alonso U, Garcia-Gutierrez M, Mingarro M (2008) Role of bentonite colloids on europium and plutonium migration in a granite fracture. Appl Geochem 23:1484–1497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lutzenkirchen J (2012) Summary of studies on (ad)sorption as a ‘“well-established”’ process within FUNMIG activities. Appl Geochem 27:427–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bradbury MH, Baeyens B (2005) Modelling the sorption of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Eu(III), Am(III), Sn(IV), Th(IV), Np(V) and U(VI) on montmorillonite: linear free energy relationships and estimates of surface binding constants for some selected heavy metals and actinides. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 69:875–892

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Rabung Th, Pierret MC, Bauer A, Geckeis H, Bradbury MH, Baeyens B (2005) Sorption of Eu(III)/Cm(III) on Ca-montmorillonite and Na-illite. Part 1: batch sorption and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy experiments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 69:5393–5402

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Wang X, Sun Y, Alsaedi A, Hayat T, Wang X (2015) Interaction mechanism of Eu(III) with MX-80 bentonite studied by batch, TRLFS and kinetic desorption techniques. Chem Eng J 264:570–576

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Adebowale KO, Unuabonah IE, Olu-Owolabi BI (2005) Adsorption of some heavy metal ions on sulfate- and phosphate-modified kaolin. Appl Clay Sci 29:145–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhu J, Cozzolino V, Fernandez M, Torres Sánchez RM, Pigna M, Huang Q, Violante A (2011) Sorption of Cu on a Fe-deformed montmorillonite complex: effect of pH, ionic strength, competitor heavy metal, and inorganic and organic ligands. Appl Clay Sci 52:339–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Olu-Owolabi BI, Unuabonah EI (2010) Kinetics and thermodynamics of the removal of Zn2+ and Cu2+ from aqueous solution by sulphate and phosphate modified bentonite clay. J Hazad Mat 184:731–738

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fernandes MM, Baeyens B, Dahn R, Scheinost AC, Bradbury MH (2012) U(VI) sorption on montmorillonite in the absence and presence of carbonate: a macroscopic and microscopic study. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 93:262–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fernandes MM, Scheinost AC, Baeyens B (2016) Sorption of trivalent lanthanides and actinides onto montmorillonite: macroscopic, thermodynamic and structural evidence for ternary hydroxo and carbonato surface complexes on multiple sorption sites. Water Res 99:74–82

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Troyera LD, Maillot F, Wang Z, Mehta VS, Giammar DE, Catalano JG (2016) Effect of phosphate on U (VI) sorption to montmorillonite: ternary complexation and precipitation barrier. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 175:86–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bachmaf S, Planer-Friedrich B, Merkel BJ (2008) Effect of sulphate, carbonate, and phosphate on the uranium(VI) sorption behavior onto bentonite. Radiochim Acta 96:359–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Fernandes MM, Baeyens B, Bradbury MH (2008) The influence of carbonate complexation on lanthanide/actinide sorption on montmorillonite. Radiochim Acta 96:691–697

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chen Z, Jin Q, Guo Z, Montavon G, Wu W (2014) Surface complexation modeling of Eu(III) and phosphate on Na-bentonite: binary and ternary adsorption systems. Chem Eng J 256:61–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Patel MA, Kar AS, Kumar S, Tomar BS (2017) Effect of phosphate on sorption of Eu(III) by montmorillonite. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 313:537–545

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Liu X, Simunek J, Li L, He J (2013) Identification of sulfate sources in groundwater using isotope analysis and modeling of flood irrigation with waters of different quality in the Jinghuiqu district of China. Environ Earth Sci 69:1589–1600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Samborska K, Halas S, Bottrell SH (2013) Sources and impact of sulphate on groundwaters of Triassic carbonate aquifers, Upper Silesia. Pol J Hydrol 486:136–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Ding M, Kelkar S, Meijer A (2014) Surface complexation modeling of americium sorption onto volcanic tuff. J Env Radioactiv 136:181–187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kumar S, Pente AS, Bajpai RK, Kaushik CP, Tomar BS (2013) Americium sorption on smectite-rich natural clay from granitic groundwater. Appl Geochem 35:28–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Patel MA, Kar AS, Kumar S, Das MK, Raut VV, Tomar BS (2019) Effect of sulfate on sorption of Eu(III) by Na-montmorillonite. Radiochim Acta 107(2):115–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Bradbury MH, Baeyens B (2002) Sorption of Eu on Na- and Ca-montmorillonite: experimental investigations and modelling with cation exchange and surface complexation. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 66:2325–2334

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Herbelin AL, Westall JC (1999) FITEQL—a computer program for determination of chemical equilibrium constant from experimental data. Department of chemistry. Oregon State University, Oregon, pp. 97331

  24. Gustafsson JP (2014) Visual MINTEQ ver. 3.1.

  25. Bradbury MH, Baeyens B (2006) Modelling sorption data for the actinides Am(III), Np(V) and Pa(V) on montmorillonite. Radiochim Acta 94:619–625

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Coppin F, Berger G, Bauer A, Castet S, Loubet M (2002) Sorption of lanthanides on smectite and kaolinite. Chem Geol 182:57–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Bradbury MH, Baeyens B (2009) Sorption modelling on illite Part II: actinide sorption and linear free energy relationships. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 73:1004–1013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Dzombak DA, Morel FM (1990) Surface complexation modeling: hydrous ferric hydroxide. Wiley-Interscience, New York

    Google Scholar 

  29. Choppin GR, Jensen MP (2006) Actinides in solution: complexation and kinetics In: Morss LR, Edelstein NK and Fuger J (eds) In: The chemistry of actinide and transactinide elements. Springer, Dordrecht

  30. Kielland J (1937) Individual activity coefficients of ions in aqueous solutions. J Am Chem Soc 59:1675–1678

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radioanalytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India

    Aishwarya Soumitra Kar & Madhuri A. Patel

  2. Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India

    Aishwarya Soumitra Kar & B. S. Tomar

Authors
  1. Aishwarya Soumitra Kar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Madhuri A. Patel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. S. Tomar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aishwarya Soumitra Kar.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kar, A.S., Patel, M.A. & Tomar, B.S. Retention of Am(III) by montmorillonite: effect of sulphate. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 3069–3077 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09014-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09014-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation