Distribution and Retention of 137Cs in Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington | Zendy

James P. McKinley | Zendy; Cynthia J. Zeissler | Zendy; John M. Zachara | Zendy; R. Jeffrey Serne | Zendy; Richard M. Lindstrom | Zendy; Herbert T. Schaef | Zendy; Robert D. Orr | Zendy

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Distribution and Retention of ¹³⁷Cs in Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington

Author(s) -

James P. McKinley,

Cynthia J. Zeissler,

John M. Zachara,

R. Jeffrey Serne,

Richard M. Lindstrom,

Herbert T. Schaef,

Robert D. Orr

Publication year - 2001

Publication title -

environmental science and technology

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.851

H-Index - 397

eISSN - 1520-5851

pISSN - 0013-936X

DOI - 10.1021/es0018116

Subject(s) - plagioclase , mica , biotite , kaolinite , mineralogy , geology , sediment , quartz , hematite , muscovite , chlorite , clay minerals , leaching (pedology) , fraction (chemistry) , geochemistry , chemistry , soil science , geomorphology , chromatography , soil water , paleontology

137Cesium and other contaminants have leaked from single-shell storage tanks (SSTs) into coarse-textured, relatively unweathered unconsolidated sediments. Contaminated sediments were retrieved from beneath a leaky SST to investigate the distribution of adsorbed 137Cs+ across different sediment size fractions. All fractions contained mica (biotite, muscovite, vermiculatized biotite), quartz, and plagioclase along with smectite and kaolinite in the clay-size fraction. A phosphor-plate autoradiograph method was used to identify particular sediment particles responsible for retaining 137Cs+. The Cs-bearing particles were found to be individual mica flakes or agglomerated smectite, mica, quartz, and plagioclase. Of these, only the micaceous component was capable of sorbing Cs+ strongly. Sorbed 137Cs+ could not be significantly removed from sediments by leaching with dithionite citrate buffer or KOH, but a fraction of the sorbed 137Cs+ (5-22%) was desorbable with solutions containing an excess of Rb+. The small amount of 137Cs+ that might be mobilized by migrating fluids in the future would likely sorb to nearby micaceous clasts in downgradient sediments.

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