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The Leaching of Radiostrontium and Radiocesium Through Soils
Author(s) -
Miller J. R.,
Reitemeier R. F.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1963.03615995002700020016x
Subject(s) - soil water , leaching (pedology) , lessivage , environmental science , environmental chemistry , chemistry , mineralogy , soil science , geology
Abstract Sr 90 and Cs 137 are hazardous, long‐lived, nuclear fission products. Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to determine their downward movement in soils under intensive leaching. The five soils (Norfolk, Hagerstown, Miami, Fort Collins, and Huntley series) selected for the investigation represented a wide range of soil properties, and the leaching treatments consisted of 30 inches and 300 inches of deionized water, 0.005 N NaCl, and 0.005 N CaCl 2 . There was little downward movement of Cs 134 when the soils received the applications of deionized water, NaCl, or CaCl 2 . Radioactive assays of the soil columns showed that 96.6 to 100% of the Cs 134 was in the surface two layers of the soil columns (average depth 1.4 inches) after 300 inches of leaching. In the leaching experiment with Sr, the CaCl 2 produced the greatest movement of Sr 89 and deionized water the least. The maximum distance Sr 89 penetrated into the soils when leached with 30 inches of water was 1.3 inches, and with 300 inches of water the distance was 4.3 inches. In general, there was more movement of Sr 89 in the Norfolk soil and least in the Huntley, with the other soils being intermediate.